You Can Love This Country and Also Love Justice by Atira Winchester

Atira Winchester is th Director of Content and Programming, The New Israel Fund UK.

‘Me and the State of Israel are in ongoing couples’ therapy.’  

So declared distinguished Israeli songwriter and columnist Yehonatan Geffen, who died last week aged 76. He joins an esteemed group of iconic Israeli cultural figures, including writer Meir Shalev, who have passed away in early 2023. 

The comment, played from the archives on the podcast ‘Echad B’ayom’, resonated with me deeply. Like so many of us, I am inextricably tied to my love of Israel. It is deeply interwoven in my DNA, and at the same time, the relationship is thorny, tumultuous, and constantly tested. And I know that there are millions like me around the world and in Israel, too. 

Yehonatan Geffen continued: ‘Know that I love this country…[ ] you can love this country and also love justice.’ 

On this Yom Ha’atsmaut his words sound not just like a declaration of love for the State of Israel with all its flaws, but like the battle cry of the nascent national protest movement: love your country, love justice. 

This Yom Ha’atsmaut we thought hard at NIF about the right tone to strike when it came to celebrating and reflecting on Israel’s 75th birthday, and we’re proud of what we’re offering our community of supporters:  

Join us at the Seret Film Festival in May to reflect on the country’s history through the lens of Magnum photographer Micha Bar-Am, in the film '1341 Frames of Love and War', and watch the documentary 'Women of Valor', which explores the emerging voice of Ultra-Orthodox women in the political landscape. The film will be screened in the presence of Ultra-Orthodox feminist leader Esty Shushan, the subject of the documentary.

We also have visits from key partners Abraham Initiatives and IRAC, as well as an opportunity to hear directly from our executive director in Israel Mickey Gitzin.  

Together, this content will give you a rich and nuanced view of Israeli society and the challenges it faces as the fight goes on to protect the very foundations of Israeli democracy as they are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.