1.
What determines whether a particular statement, by a particular person, on a particular stage, is worthy of consideration? The content of the words? The identity of the speakers? The place where they were spoken?
It seems to me that all the answers are correct. Not every statement is worth considering. There are things that are below our level. And yes, there are also people who are below our level. Not every nonsense and not every nonsense is worth our precious time, and certainly not our precious shock. And as mentioned, we also need to take into account the context, the place where the words were said.
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On the surface, Galit Gutman's story fits the definition of a statement that's not worth a fuss. What did we have here? Shallow speech, from an unimportant presenter, on a morning TV show. Who even watches it? (Did you notice how many hours passed between the broadcast and the time it caused a stir on the network? This is indicative of the low ratings.) And among those who watch, who really listens to what was said there? So come on, let's move on.
But that's not it. Because of everything that's been said here, we need to dwell on Gutman's words. Not because there's some argument there that's worth considering and requires a learned counter-reply. Oh, no. But it's precisely all of these characteristics - the content, who said the words and the place where they were said - that make this story so serious.
2.
Take Avigdor Lieberman, for example. Every few days, the man is interviewed by the news and says very inflammatory and serious things against the Haredim, against religious Zionism, against Netanyahu, or against everything he was politically and interestingly connected to until recently. This week, for example, he wished Netanyahu hell. No less.
I don't belittle it at all. We shouldn't make such serious inflammatory talk a daily occurrence (and especially, we shouldn't make such a daily occurrence that the entire media makes such serious inflammatory talk a daily occurrence). But it's important to understand the context: This is a very cynical politician, lacking values, devoid of ideology and direction, who tries every time, in a very calculated way, to take the discourse to an extreme place that will benefit him politically and somehow strengthen his base. There is nothing real in all the filth that comes out of his mouth.
Galit Gutman, on the other hand, is all truth. There was not a single ounce of inauthenticity in her words. She spoke truly from the bottom of her heart. From the depths of disgust. From the depths of fear.
And she didn't say these things in a pre-planned speech. She didn't write it in a column where you choose your words. She spoke freely, in a kind of conversation with friends. "These Haredim are sucking our blood," she cried from the bottom of her heart. And Yoav Limor, Avi Benayahu and Rani Rahav, three very veteran and very experienced media foxes, who always know what is permissible to say and what is not, sat there in front of this abomination – and remained silent.
I've been asking myself all week whether, at least during the commercial break, they, or some editor in control, told her: Come on, Galit, you're completely exaggerating.
I don't think so. It went over well with everyone. They said in the studio that these Jews - sorry, these Haredim - are bloodsuckers, and moved on to some cute Friday morning item.
3.
In recent months, I have been following the aggressive campaigns, the propaganda broadcasts, the giant signs on Ayalon, the speeches at the demonstrations, the signs, the handmaidens, and of course the incendiary coverage in the media. And it is frightening. The ease with which it is possible to incite the masses. The cynicism. The lack of boundaries and the lack of inhibitions.
But this is the first time I've had the opportunity to enter the depths of their souls, or at least the depths of their conversation, not of the instigators, but of the instigators. To listen from the sidelines to something that is closest to a living room conversation. After all, this is essentially the format of a morning show: you guys sit at the table, talk a little, eat a little, try to make people laugh a little.
And the result was a horrifying documentary that I won't get out of my head for a long time. More horrifying than any incendiary report on News 12 about "religion" or a venomous headline in Yedioth Ahronoth about "looting.".
This was reality itself. Simply put. And it was more full of hatred than Biderman's most repulsive illustration.
4.
I have no interest in making assumptions about Galit Gutman. But it is important that we understand the event. She is not a consciousness engineer. She is engineered. Fully. This is what a person who consumes his news on a daily basis from the Israeli media looks like in recent months (and perhaps actually in recent years). This is how he speaks. This is how he thinks. In this sense, Gutman represents not the broadcasters of Channel 12, but its viewers.
Lately we've been hearing about more and more cases of Haredim being attacked with yelling, spitting, even being pushed. I think it will only get worse. There's no shortage of crazy people in any camp who translate serious talk into serious actions. But these are marginal people. You shouldn't get too excited about them. They don't represent anything either.
What do I get excited about? The motivated person explained. The author of the Tanya speaks of three central forces in which man is expressed in the world, the three "garments of the soul," as he defines it: thought, speech, and action. The motivated soul also expresses itself in these three forms, thought, speech, and action.
Let's start with the act. Should we be bothered by serious acts by extremists these days? We should. But these are things on the margins, as mentioned. That the police or the Shin Bet will handle.
Next: Speech. Should we be bothered by people's harsh speech these days? Curses, insults, shouting. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is gaining momentum, but thank God, it is also on the margins. The reasonably motivated person is not in a hurry to shout or curse at people. He is a cultured person. He maintains politeness.
But the thought? That's already hard to control. No one knows exactly what's going through your head. Except for those who are sitting with you in a living room conversation. And these dirty thoughts should bother us very, very much these days. How many people who watch Channel 12 think about the Haredi that they see on the street what Galit Gutman thinks? How many people think like those who sat around her and remained silent?
In my opinion, masses.
5.
Since the elections, there has been constant talk here about a civil war. This story was born to scare Netanyahu from continuing to promote important legislative amendments. And it did scare him, unfortunately. Psychological warfare won. And it's a shame that it won. Because there won't be a civil war here. This people are much more responsible than their politicians and journalists. But civil hatred? There will be.
What did Eldad Yaniv, who is very familiar with leftist propaganda, say this week?
""Galit Gutman is responsible for what she said and she cannot be cleared. Every adult is responsible for what they say. And after we've said all this, at the end of these days we will have to examine how we sat quietly when advertising agencies and big money people, even before the election results, were prepared with a well-organized plan to disrupt the election results if they were to be like this.".
""And indeed, when they were like that, and when this bloc unfortunately received 64 seats - and I say unfortunately, because I did not vote for this bloc - this group is busy disrupting the election results and overthrowing the government from day one, regardless of the reason. And they crossed all the black lines that we never imagined could ever be crossed: an attempt to collapse the Israeli economy, an attempt to call on the world to collapse the Israeli economy, an attempt to collapse the IDF, Squadron 69, an attempt to desecrate Independence Day, Remembrance Day, and I also remind everyone of the Passover Seder, when the question arose whether families would be able to sit together.
""And now the peak of peaks has arrived: taking a huge portion of Israeli citizens who work, some of whom serve in the army - some will serve even longer, some will work even longer - and using all the ugliest, most horrific symbols, of associating a Jew with money, a Jew with bills, a Jew with blood, bloodsuckers, like in matzah... all the most horrible things. And I think this thing cannot become the order of the day, because these advertising agencies have heads and there are people behind them and there are people in this headquarters, and they caused terrible brainwashing of excellent people who were swept up in this thing.".
6.
Speaking of excellent people who got carried away. We spent last Shabbat in Ramat Hasharon.
On Saturday afternoon, during the Darvin fast, as we hurried from the evening prayer to the third meal, I saw them. Crowds of good Israelis, walking with very vigorous steps down Sokolov Street, the city's main street, on their way to the regular weekly demonstration on Shabbat Eve. Each one had an Israeli flag in their hand and a look of great concern in their eyes. I held back, really held back, from saying to them: "Shabbat Shalom. So, what are you demonstrating about this week?".
After all, the topic changes from week to week according to what the strategists in the advertising agencies - and their allies in the studios - decide to inflame the masses with. So a few months ago you demonstrated against Avi Maoz at the Ministry of Education, then you switched to Yariv Levin, then Ben Gvir, then support for Galant and the IDF refusal to serve, then a war on the Haredim who do not enlist in the IDF, and then overnight - and this was the most ridiculous - you became great experts in property tax funds and took to the streets about it.
So what are you guys going out about with such passion this time? What's it about this week?
7.
Many social media users this week strongly demanded Galit Gutman's suspension, at least for a while, following her remarks. They are right. And Keshet's decision to settle for an apology is outrageous.
But we have already concluded, Gutman is not the reason not to watch Channel 12. She is the result. Therefore, if someone really wants to make a correction here to the serious things that were said, I have a sanction that could be much more useful: Galit Gutman will be banned not only from broadcasting on Channel 12, but also from watching its broadcasts. She will enter a period of detoxification. Then she will not only not talk like that, but also not think like that. And her life will be much happier and more peaceful. And more real, because the more she disconnects from the "news" - the more she will know what reality is.
• The column is published in the newspaper 'Bisheva''
