The rift will not be closed with a speech, nor a reconciliation post, nor a fake hug in the studio.
It will only be closed when one side stops lying or when the other side stops apologizing.
We’re not perfect. We’re not polite. We’re not subtle … But we’re real.
In a world where everyone’s busy looking good, Israelis are busy making sure they’re not lying to themselves.
“Excuse me, I was just asking” – this is how most moments that don’t end well in Israel begin.
This is one of the most brilliant passive-aggressive brilliances of Israeli culture: a trial that begins with light-hearted politeness, and ends with legal drama, public use or a viral column on Facebook.
At first it made me laugh . . . then it made me angry.
And now? Now I’m a part of it, because anyone who watches the Patriots for more than a week goes through a process. It’s not just a panel – it’s a way of life.
Somewhere between Metula and Rahat, among the dunes and basalt hills, there is a phenomenon that even Harvard has not yet been able to crack: the clothing habits of the average Israeli. The one who comes to a wedding in a white polo shirt, goes to a job interview in ripped jeans, and in winter (that is, one rainy February) wraps himself in a down jacket as if he were in Iceland.
This is a nation that rejected the necktie as part of a colonial conspiracy, adopted Crocs as a national symbol, and broadcasts to the world: “We don’t dress for you. We dress for the integration.”
What Are They Trying to Sell Us in the Name of “The Protest”
November 30, 2025
