RISING UP: Showcasing Israel and Progressive Values in Unison
by
Noah Phillips
We
were all electrified by Netta’s Eurovision
performance. Whether you were bobbing your head and clucking your arms, or,
like me, swelling with Israeli pride while partly confused with the European
infatuation with this kind of music, we loved her moment. Netta, a proud
representative of Israeli culture (“Next year in
Jerusalem!”
she
declared to 180+ million viewers) and an important voice for the #MeToo
movement of female empowerment, was fantastic in all respects.
As
one of the foremost celebrities originating from Israel should, Netta embodies
the progressive and inclusive principles of Israeli society through her music
and personal triumphs. Netta’s hit song, “Toy,”
is
emblematic of the #MeToo movement, embracing feminism and denouncing patriarchy
of the past. The song rejects the objectification of women and resonates with a
global audience at a time when individuals are disclosing painful past
experiences of sexual assault.
From
her various interviews, we know of Netta’s personal
struggles with bulimia and bullying from others about her weight and
appearance. In Eurovision, Netta embraced her eccentricities and quirks. Garbed
in a Japanese kimono and, at times, clucking like a chicken, Netta sang
powerfully and connected with a diverse audience.
Her
personal life story and messages conveyed through her music reach a current
audience of young progressives demanding change from ideas of exclusivity and
elitism--be it weight, size, race, or other markers. Netta’s words: “Thank you so much
for accepting differences between us. Thank you for celebrating diversity.
Thank you!”
Netta’s
messaging as a champion of diversity only bolsters Israel’s
international reputation, particularly among progressive-millennials. It’s
a stark contrast to both Israel’s general European
and American-liberal perception as a state of apartheid, utilizing differences
as divisors to further hate. To see Netta succeed while carrying her
progressive ideals brings Israel’s complex reality
and a more nuanced and positive state of Israeli society to millions of
viewers. For example, while the LGBTQ community seeks acceptance and support in
many closed, restrictive countries, Israeli society is known for embracing
LGBTQ causes, and Israel’s largest city, Tel Aviv, hosts an
annual week-long celebration of gay pride which attracts thousands of attendees
from across the world. While the United States still awaits our first female
president, Israel already reached that milestone nearly half a century ago. And
while Jews have been expelled throughout history from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq,
Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, and Spain among other nations due to
religious intolerance, Israeli-Arabs enjoy religious freedom and integration in
Israeli society, a fact often overlooked by Israel’s
detractors.
Netta
helps defy stereotypes personally and even about the State of Israel. Her
influential agendas of feminism and gender equality are timely; similarly, her
declarations of Israeli pride and inclusivity through her performances are long
overdue.