A short YouTube monologue by Gideon Levy arguing that three interrelated principles—belief in being the "chosen people," a narrative of victimization (including references to the Holocaust), and systematic dehumanization of Palestinians—allow many Israelis to accept and live with the occupation.
But I'll just give the three principles which enable us Israelis to live so easily with this brutal reality. A Most of the Israelis, if not all of them, deeply believe that we are the chosen people. And if we are the chosen people, we have the right to do whatever we want. B There were more brutal occupations in history. There were even longer occupations in history. Even though the Israeli occupation gets to quite a nice record. But there was never in history an occupation in which occupier presented himself as the victim. Not only the victim, the only victim around. This also enable any Israeli to live in peace because we are the victims. The other day to the third set of values which enable us Israelis to live in peace with the occupation. And this is maybe the most crucial one and the worst one. We say victimization. We said chosen people. When I say victimization, it goes without saying we have to mention the Holocaust and the unforgettable Mrs. Golda Meir that the American jury had exported to Israel. She said once, this unforgettable woman, that after the Holocaust, the Jews have the right to do whatever they want. But the third set of values is the most dangerous one. And this is the systematic dehumanization of the Palestinians which enable us Israelis to live in peace with everything. Because if they are not human beings like us, then there is not really a question of human rights. And if you scratch under the skin of almost every Israeli, you will find it there. There almost no one will treat the Palestinians as equal human beings like us.
If these are God's chosen people then God chose them to test the rest of us.
