The Black Panthers (in Israel) Speak

by Eli Hamo and Sami Shalom Chetrit

(Israel, 2003, 53 min., Beta SP)

The uprising of the Black Panthers in the early 1970s had a radical effect on Israeli society. It signaled an awakening of Mizrahi cultural consciousness that continues to this day. The movement took the Mizrahi/class struggle out of its local and nationalist Jewish framework, linking it to the civil rights struggle in the United States, Third World Marxism, and, for the first time, to the Palestinian struggle in Israel. In this film, key leaders in the movement speak of the Mizrahi struggle in the 1970s and now, of the tragic role played by Shas in quelling that struggle, of the relationship between the occupation and oppression of the Palestinians, and the social and cultural oppression of the Mizrahim.

In Hebrew w/English subtitles.

http://www.israels-black-panthers-speak.com

Charlie Biton:

We were 17-year old boys who rose up against the oppression. We didn’t even know who’re the oppressors and how they oppress us. Only through struggle we understood who steps over us and why they do so

Kochavi Shemesh:

Our first revolt was against The Mizrahi organizations. We thought of them as enemies. The regime used them for Divide and rule against us. There were dozens of organizations for each and every ethnic group: the federation for North African Jews, and Moroccan Jews. And then those for the Jews of Iraq, and Iran and so on. And all of them served the purpose of oppressing the Mizrahim. The regime got scared when we rose up And said throw them all to the garbage!

Saadia Marziano:

We understood that we’re responsible now. That it’s not a game to play with. We became representatives!

Reuven Abergil:

We were the kids of those parents who rose up in Wadi Salib in 1959, who absorbed our parents’ humiliation, as far as to be ashamed of them.

Haim Hanegbi:

I once sat with Charlie Biton in the Knesset cafeteria, when the Minister for Social Welfare Katz came in. Charlie introduced us. I then asked him: What do you think the Panthers achieved, if they achieved anything at all? He replied: the government woke up to realize how severe the social problem is, they started to study, research, plan budgets, help here and give there. The issue that was under the table is now right on the table.

Saadia Marziano:

We raised the social struggle flag in spite of the difficult security conditions. Moshe Dayan argued that you can’t wave both flags of security and social affairs simultaneously. But we strongly believed that a weak society could never be strong in it’s security.

Kochavi Shemesh:

Saadia came up with the name “Black Panthers”. The idea was to frighten Golda. She said that this name wouldn’t let her sleep. That’s what we wanted. We succeeded. With this name we changed the entire discourse between the social movements and the establishment.

Charlie Biton:

When we took the milk from Rehavia we left a flayer that reads: “We’re taking your milk today in order to give it to people in need. We assume this milk was for your cats and dogs”. On the flayer distributed with the milk we wrote: “We managed to get milk for you today, but don’t get used it. If you’ll join us, we’ll do a lot more together”.

Haim Hanegbi:

Then we started to interpret their fear. Those seating high in authority must have known about the extent of poverty and discrimination a great deal more than we, ordinary people, do. Or else, they wouldn’t act hysterically.

Kochavi Shemesh:

We  were a generation ahead of Israelisociety. In 1972 we already met with the PLO leaders and recognized them as the leaders of the Palestinian people. We understood their need for the end of occupation and independency and we agreed that both our and their problems integrate. No equality for Mizrahim while occupation exists. And Palestinian fight will not stop while Mizrahim are used as an anti-Arab lever.

Haim Hanegbi:    

If there was such a thing as “The Jewish brain”,

Zionism killed it. The Jews were able to be ironic,

laugh at themselves, Zionism took that as well.

So they say the biggest miracle of Zionism

Is the revival of the Hebrew language,

They are destroying the language:

 “stripping the landscape”, “focused hit”,

“uprooting trees”, “shaving”, “a breathing siege”

“a suffocation siege”. Where did it come from ?

Have we forgotten tyrannies that have ruined

languages for generations? Look at the Hebrew

we are speaking, a language of conquerors,

disregarding the whole world. The IDF

is the most human army in the world,

the most moral. Have they checked ?

Done research ? Can they measure morality?

Giving themselves grades, disregarding the world.

One day the American will turn his back,

and everything will crumble.

“Either the cake will be shared by all or there will be no cake.”  

30 years to the Black Panthers in Israel  

Article by Sami Shalom Chetrit  

To order a screening of the film please write to:

Sami Shalom Chetrit: sami@kedma.co.il

Eli Hamo: elihamo@kedma.co.il

Or please call:

In Israel and Palestine - Eli, 03-5106593

Out of Israel - Sami: 818-348-8073