#TheSaison / The Arab Hunting Season [Amal Oraby, أمل عرابي]
Since the start of the war, every few days right-wing elements identify an Arab of the day, usually well-known figures in their fields, place them in the public spotlight due to a few carefully plucked words, and label them as enemies. The goal is clear: instilling fear and a reminder of whom the masters of this house are.
Since the beginning of the war, the name of an Arab citizen, often a prominent figure in fields such as culture, academia, or medicine, appreciated by the professional community and the Arab public, has been making headlines every week.
Their name does not come up in the context of an article about the beautiful, diverse, and egalitarian Israel, content aimed primarily at audiences abroad for propaganda and public relations purposes. Instead, they find themselves at the center of a media storm, earning them the new title of "terrorist in a suit," "supporter of terrorism," "denier of rape," "anti-Semite," or all of the above.
The circumstances of the events and statements for which these individuals are put on public trial teach us about a recurring and organized strategy of action, which, beyond silencing and persecuting that person, is also intended to send a clear message to Palestinian citizens in Israel.
The campaign of persecution begins in the offices of fascist right-wing organizations, which maintain a target bank that includes the names of Arab researchers, academics, politicians, artists, and opinion leaders. They employ a series of "investigators," "activists," and "coordinators," whose sole purpose is to monitor the target bank, aiming to capture a few seconds of recorded footage, a statement of a few words, or a like that can be latched onto to continue the production line.
At this stage, ordinary Jewish citizens are also involved, voluntarily taking on the task of monitoring every Arab in their vicinity, lying in wait for them with a camera or a finger ready on the screenshot button. Thanks to the public atmosphere, these citizens feel that they are contributing to the home front, strengthening the Jewish nation-state, and may even be entitled to light a torch.
As soon as they manage to find a "suspicious" statement or expression, fascist right-wing organizations, along with fictitious "public organizations" and a series of Knesset members, unleash a flood of inquiries and complaints to a range of official institutions, including employers, law enforcement authorities, official oversight bodies, labor unions, and any entity somehow related to that person. The stated purpose of these letters is to complain about that statement made by the man or woman, but the hidden goal is to intimidate those institutions and exploit the war to redraw the boundaries of who is allowed to speak and what they are allowed to say.
In the days of "together we will win," official and ostensibly state institutions fall into the trap laid for them. At that moment, all principles of proper administration, democratic values, and with them, the rights of that "accused," chief among them the right to defend oneself, evaporate. In an instant, those "prestigious" institutions that boast to the world about values of inclusion and diversity react hysterically like the last talkbaker and rush to dissociate themselves from that person, their words, and their deeds, nullifying their contribution and sending them far away from the public eye.
The Perfect Storm
With the release of the first response from an official body that fell into the trap, the decisive stage of the process begins: the public lynching. On ordinary days, such a lynching would start and end on the accounts of a few nationalist right-wing influencers on social media and an item on Channel 14. However, today, senior journalists and sane opinion leaders with a reputation seek to take part in the fray, and in an act of self-purification, participate in the lynching, fully adopting the fascist narrative and refraining from investigating the facts.
Thus, the perfect storm is created, in which an Arab citizen who turns out to be Palestinian, or simply a person unwilling to accept an ongoing campaign of revenge against everything living and inanimate in Gaza, or the tens of thousands of children starving for bread just beyond the fence, is brought forward. This victim is carefully chosen from among the finest sons and daughters of Arab society because, beyond punishment, this act is intended to deter all others and reward those who pass the Israeli patriotism test.
It is no coincidence that the ever-expanding target bank mostly includes Arabs active in the realms of academia, medicine, law, and the spirit. Because in these spheres, many Arabs manage to excel despite the obstacles in their way, and even surpass their Jewish counterparts who, while running on the paved road, their Arab peers leap over the partition wall to take part in shaping the space. These fields also have the power to shape consciousness, and on the way to establishing a regime of Jewish supremacy, a clear line must be drawn between superiors and inferiors, lest any Arab be confused and think that being a successful doctor, judge, or senior researcher guarantees them equality or protection.
This campaign of persecution has been enjoying dizzying success these days, managing to make significant strides toward purging the public sphere, drawing new ghetto boundaries, and shaping the image of state institutions. This is also due to the resounding public silence from those who, just a moment ago, vehemently opposed any infringement on democracy, individual freedom, and freedom of expression, alongside a growing stream in Israeli society that sees the hunting of Arabs as a national mission and a contribution to the public good.
The next time you hear an Arab's name under the title "supporter of terrorism" or "anti-Semite," try to listen to the hidden message behind the story and ask yourself, "Whose side am I on?" Because in the end, this campaign of persecution is destined to pollute your living environment as well.