Israeli dissidents in Spain: "There they see us as crazy"

Madrid"Being anti-Zionist in Israeli society is basically like a betrayal. It puts you at odds with friends and family. It's going against your own identity. They see you as crazy." Nadav Finebooch, of Israeli nationality but residing in Madrid since 2023, thus summarizes for ARA the contradiction and ostracism generated by being a dissident in Israel and raising a voice against the "genocide" perpetrated by Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Finebooch, far from a community in which he felt "as if I were living inside George Orwell's book1984, has joined a group of Israelis established in Spain who are calling on the international community to sanction Israel. Although they celebrate that Pedro Sánchez's government has so far championed the opposition to Netanyahu with the Gaza war, they ask him to act even more "forcefully".

"We ask [the Spanish president] to radically cut off any type of relationship with Israel, including cultural, academic, economic, and intelligence cooperation, because we understand that it is the only way [to bring about change]. That it be seen that [Israel] is a pariah state with absolutely unacceptable behavior," states Naama Farjoun, an Israeli activist residing in Valencia since 2008 and promoter of this community of about fifty people. In a conversation with this newspaper, Farjoun explains that although Israelis who hold "anti-Zionist" positions are "on the periphery" and are "a minority" –"not even 1% of Israeli society", according to the activist's estimate–, for some years now, a part of the expatriates have been working to create critical networks at the European and global level, also in collaboration with Palestinian activists.

In Catalonia, several Israelis channel this activism through the Catalan Association of Jews and Palestinians - JUNTS. This is the case of Amir Hallel, who has lived in Barcelona since 2023, who concluded that in Israel there was no longer "hope" of achieving "real change." Once abroad, he felt "great relief" to be able to "speak more freely," although a large part of the Israeli community in Spain does not share his "anti-Zionist" perspective. "There are people from our group who are in other WhatsApp groups of displaced Israelis who, despite being privileged, seek to help each other, but it is very difficult to coexist. They say not to talk about politics or, even, they kick you out if you express yourself. I can't stand it," says Farjoun. In Hallel's case, he has tried to get closer, but admits that he has to be very selective and has had "several confrontations."

"I have gone through a very strong mourning"

Almost all the witnesses consulted by ARA report that having left Israel has been a key factor in their ideological evolution. Another member of this group, Dori –who prefers not to give her surname–, resident in Valencia since 2017, explains that in 2023, when she saw the difference between her reaction "to the genocide" and that of her family, who live there, she understood "the indoctrination" she had suffered before leaving. "For me it was clear that it was a very big massacre and it was a huge shock to see that the empathy of people in your life, who in your head are good people, has a limit. When you cross the line of the Palestinians, there is no longer empathy," she recounts. The result has been an internal process of loss of personal "connections" and a "very strong mourning for part of one's own identity." Farjoun adds that she carries a feeling of "guilt" and both Finebooch and Hallel explain that at certain times they have chosen to hide their nationality from third parties. "It's like saying you were German during the Holocaust," they both reflect.

Signaling Zionism

Beyond isolation and personal conflicts, publicly expressing dissent has in some cases resulted in being singled out and defamed through social media and the loudspeakers of the Zionist lobby. Finebooch –who was also imprisoned "about fifteen times" for his activism when he was in Israel– explains that he was included in a "list of traitors" by a "foundation that works for Netanyahu" and that relevant members of the Israeli prime minister's circle publicly accused him of being an "Iranian bot" and "exposed personal details" about him. "They try to silence you, also with lawsuits. They follow the same script in different countries," explains this Israeli resident in Madrid.

In Spain, the association Action and Communication on the Middle East (ACOM), with close ties to Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Vox, carries out this social control task. Not only with Israelis, but also with members of Spanish society and the local Jewish community with a certain public profile. However, Farjoun explains that he has not felt targeted because they are a group that "has no power" nor is it "a real threat" because their network cannot compete with the structure and resources of the Zionist lobby. He also makes it clear that "Israel is so racist that Jewish dissidents are treated relatively well." "It has nothing to do with what it does to Palestinians," he emphasizes.