Editor's Notes: Civility in flames - How public figures are tearing Israel apart

A few young religious Israelis decided to offer people in a central city the opportunity to pray and wear tefillin (phylactories). A secular woman yelled at them and said that what they were doing was illegal. It wasn’t a pretty site, and she wasn’t very nice. But this story is about to get worse: It is almost unthinkable that an Israeli minister would write the following disgusting post on X: “These are the sacred tefillin that your great-great-grandfather likely put on every morning, and if he had only known that from his descendants would come a despicable, apostate woman like you, he probably would have given up on the commandment to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ [have more babies and descendants]… You are an arrogant, condescending woman, full of poison and hatred towards Judaism and Jews. Shame on you!”

He added that “as far as I know,” the sidewalk where they were standing “isn’t registered under your father’s name in the land registry, and certainly not under the name of the gang of criminals, rioters, and violent individuals from Kaplan St. [protesters against the government] that you lead. Get out of our lives and step on the gas… in every sense of the word.” This is our Regional Cooperation Minister, who has a few other flashy titles that don’t mean a lot.

David (Dudi) Amsalem is one of those ministers who appears almost weekly in a unique listing that is publicized across Israel. Every politician and journalist in Israel knows this sensitive weekly listing. Every weekend, it’s plastered across giant ads in major media outlets – from Haaretz on the left to Makor Rishon on the right. The stars of this list? Public leaders and media figures themselves.

Promoting hate

As mentioned, Amsalem is one the top Israeli leaders promoting hate, according to this list. Yet, despite politicians and journalists being a group that usually thrives on publicity, appearing here is less of an honor. Sure, the list ranks them by their influence on Israeli society – who wouldn’t want to be at the top of that list? But the achievement is dubious at best when that influence comes through toxic and divisive rhetoric.

The “Dibur” (Speech) initiative, the brainchild of three members of bereaved families who lost loved ones in the October 7 surprise attack and the subsequent Operation Swords of Iron in Gaza, is something different. Sarit Zussman, mother of Ben (may he rest in peace); Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, father of Noam and Yishai (may they rest in peace); and Eitan Zur, brother of Capt. Amir Zur (may he rest in peace) has come together – right, left, religious, secular – with one modest yet significant demand: change how we make our opinions heard on social media. Disagree all you want, but do it respectfully. Their goal isn’t to end the fierce debates that fuel our national dialogue, but to make sure those debates don’t tear us apart.

And here’s where things get interesting. What sets Dibur apart from yet another grassroots call for civility is the algorithm. Yes, an algorithm. Developed by Scooper, a leading company in monitoring online discourse, it tracks politicians and journalists on social media, measuring not just the number of violations of Dibur’s ethical code but the impact of those transgressions. Every week, Dibur publishes a ranking table that features those who engaged in personal attacks, used manipulative rhetoric, or threw around extreme language.

It’s a fascinating tool, really – more stick than carrot, and it’s already causing a stir. Leaders who once thrived on inflammatory comments are now finding themselves at the center of criticism, attached to the proverbial pillory each week. In fact, the impact is so noticeable that journalists and politicians from both left and right are reaching out to dispute their placement or are attempting to undermine the initiative altogether.

Take a moment and switch on any major news program, listen closely, and you’ll hear it – the unmistakable echoes of Dibur’s influence. It’s no longer business as usual. Suddenly, the same sharp-tongued politicians who built their careers on aggressive language are on the defensive. Interviewers are no longer letting it slide. They’re pushing back, confronting them with their own words, and holding them accountable for the toxic rhetoric that once played to their advantage.

And this isn’t just happening in the echo chambers of the political elite. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats on the left; Yair Lapid, chairman of Yesh Atid and leader of the opposition in the center; and Amsalem on the right – all of them are feeling the negative responses for their even more negative tweets. What was once a successful tactic – spewing toxic words that riled up supporters – is now backfiring. Even within their own social media followings, their previously loyal base is starting to question the wisdom of this strategy.

A poll conducted by Dibur highlights this shift. It turns out that 71% of Likud members disapprove of Amsalem’s divisive rhetoric, while 54% of left-wing voters aren’t too happy with Golan’s tone either. Among the general public, the numbers are even starker – around 80% said politicians from both sides need to tone down the divisive discourse. The tide is turning, and Dibur, with its creative mix of digital tools and grassroots activism, has managed to transform its mission into something of a trend.

Itamar Ben-Gvir

Here is just one X post from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, “This evening, once again, we witnessed how the prosecution is a corrupt junta. Biased and tainted from head to toe. It blocks or approves appointments, but only according to its interests. It launches political investigations and acts blatantly in violation of the law. As long as order isn’t restored there, Israel is not a democracy.”

Golan, like Ben-Gvir, is one of the regulars on the list. Here is just one of his posts: “Israel is becoming a pariah state in the world, but the group of corruption and extreme nationalism wants a war of Gog and Magog and is doing everything to start a third intifada. Jewish terrorism, under the protection of its representatives.”

Let’s see what Golan has to say: “Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar’s harsh letter serves as a stark warning to the political leadership. The rise of a messianic and terrorist ‘State of Judea’ has now found a foothold in the plush leather seats of Netanyahu’s government… The influence of the ‘State of Judea’ must be removed from the Knesset, the government, and Israeli public life. Democracy must defend itself.”

Now, at this point, you might think the Dibur initiative is just another attempt to fight the windmills of political extremism. After all, Israel – and the world, for that matter – has grown accustomed to political actors who thrive on polarization. It’s practically embedded in their DNA. But here’s the kicker: of nearly 139 ministers, Knesset members, party chairs, and politicians in the wings, only 27 have appeared in Dibur’s weekly index so far. Of those, only 15 are repeat offenders who have made it into the rankings three times or more. In other words, it’s a loud minority that’s dominating the discourse, not the majority.

Zussman, still grieving the loss of her son Ben, explained her motivation for launching this initiative in such a painful year: “I want us to manage our disagreements while remaining close, with one goal in mind: to stay united and strong in the face of our challenges.” She believes that the way Knesset members and media figures express themselves today is socially irresponsible. “It creates an environment where the important arena of public debate becomes a boxing ring, but it’s the audience – the people – who end up hurt.”

And that’s precisely why what they are shining a light on – the heavy toll Israeli society is paying for allowing toxic rhetoric to dominate our discourse. Zussman and her colleagues have no intention of backing down. They’ve built a platform that allows for meaningful debate without the need to beat each other down or drift apart. “We will not accept a reality where those who divide us are rewarded,” she said.

The rules of the game may encourage politicians and journalists to become more extreme, and a real, significant change might still be far off, but Dibur is in it for the long haul. And no, they’re not a bunch of idealists fighting windmills. The numbers speak for themselves: 89% of our public figures are debating, while only 11% are sowing division. “We mustn’t let a noisy minority pretend they’re the majority and take over the conversation,” Zussman and her colleagues emphasized. “We will win.”

Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, this small Israeli experiment could become a model for repairing public discourse not just here but abroad. With the US presidential elections around the corner in November 2024, the world might just need an initiative like this to be a light unto the nations. Someone just needs to pick up the baton.