April 2023
I’m in the thick of a large group of protestors, within a sea of blue and white flags, when suddenly a red stream bursts through. It's like the parting of the Red Sea, or more precisely, the moment when all the rivers of Egypt turned red with blood, just like in the first of the ten plagues we recall now during Passover.
We see hundreds of women in flowing red robes, with broad white bonnets walking slowly and silently, their heads down. Everyone else in this demonstration is forgotten as these "handmaidens" come through. Some members of the opposition yell rude comments at them, not understanding this symbol, but the women maintain their silent, submissive posture.
We are seeing a representation of the women's struggle for their rights, similar to others around the world, inspired by Margaret Atwood's book "The Handmaiden’s tale". The bonnet serves to keep women's eyes focused on the ground -looking up or around is considered dangerous. Although this book came out forty years ago and represents societies from past and present, we hope its dystopian vision is not what we will see in our near future in Israel. This uniform is no less than a symbol of the fight against the potential totalitarian control over democracy.
The use of this costume began with the abortion-related protests in the US and has spread in variations to other parts of the world. In Israel, we understood that a situation could arise quickly here, in which women would have fewer societal rights, as a result of the new government coalition with its members from the religious extreme-right.
In the beginning, women wore red to the protests here in order to symbolize their resistance; the symbolism of red as blood, as birth, as loud protest. Soon there was an awakening wherein women and some men in more than 80 cities and towns came together. They understood that this government was seeking to harm a basic and universal truth: that women also need representation in our society and in our government.
People have long realized that due to the demographics of their high birth rate, by the year 2060, one-third of the Israeli Jewish population will have become very religious (Ultra-Orthodox). Now, however, people have understood that these changes will likely weaken or even erase the concept of democracy, and instead Israel will become a theocracy. And so now, suddenly, due to the push to reform the judiciary by this right-wing, religious government, a great fear has arisen that Israel's democratic essence is in great danger!
And so women began to see their future through the eyes of this new government, and they held up signs that asked other women: "Have you woken up yet?" And other signs followed saying "I'm awake!" (Similar to the term 'woke' in America, but focusing here on women's issues).
Women are lacking in the government here – there are now only 9 female members out of 64, or 14%. In the 70s we were forerunners when Golda Meir was our Prime Minister but since then, our numbers in government have dwindled. Obviously, if this generation of women isn't seen in positions of power, the next generation will surely not be able to follow.
In a recent parliamentary session, not one item dealt with women. Women are not getting the representation they require and deserve. A law that proposed requiring that violent men wear electronic bracelets was simply dropped!
It is of grave importance to prevent discrimination and violence against women. Historically, suppression of women has been very strong in the home, the streets and in the corridors of power. And who among us has never had fears of men in a deserted or dark place, has never been touched inappropriately or put down in other ways, big and small? The women's demonstration now brings together all these matters at once.
Suddenly many women's daily routines have changed and grass-roots leaders have arisen. There is now a platform for women's empowerment and activist, apolitical pressure groups that are talking about essential issues when they meet, and also online. They include: Sharsheret Nashim lema'an hademocratia (A chain of women for democracy); Bonot Alternativa (Building an Alternative); Thank God for making me a woman (which is a direct retort to the religious peoples’ prayer saying ‘Thank God for making me a man’) – Women standing up for women. All of this effort and these groups, led by women, stand out clearly now in the protests that are taking place across Israel.
Near Israeli embassies around the world, demonstrations by Israelis are also taking place, some including women in handmaiden costumes. Atwood herself has been very supportive of these demonstrations.
The leaders of the demonstrations have recently decided that there will no longer be handmaidens in our protests. Yes, there will continue to be women wearing red shirts and Superwoman capes, but we refuse to be passive servants any longer. In short: we are strong women who are fighting for our rights and our place in society, for the good of us all.
Demonstrations continue here on a weekly, and sometimes daily basis, as the new government is trying to quickly push through changes to the currently independent judiciary which, due to our lack of a Constitution, is our lone balance against negative political influence.
