Published: 25 June 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
I MET ZE’EV in very political circumstances almost eight years ago. A right-wing movement that persecutes leftists in academia, law, media and the arts, working to undermine liberal values and advocate for extreme nationalism, had filed a libel suit against a group of activists who have publicly referred to it as a "fascist movement."
I was on a team representing the defendants (along with my colleagues Ishay Shneydor and Shlomy Zachary). I had not known Zeev personally until then, but it was clear that I needed to call him. After all, we needed an expert on fascism and the greatest expert of them all in the field did teach, researched, and worked in Jerusalem.
Ze’ev wrote an expert opinion which was submitted to the court, stating that this was indeed a movement with distinct fascist traits. On the day he had to be cross-examined by the plaintiffs’ advocate, I waited for him at the entrance to the Jerusalem District Court.
When he got out of the cab, I saw that he brought with him the collection of items I had given him to prepare his submission: articles by members of the right-wing movement, pamphlets, ads, brochures and a horrifying book written by one of its founders.
The professor emeritus, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, winner of the Israel Prize whose books have been translated into dozens of languages, showed up to court like a diligent undergraduate student does to an end of the year exam.
All the documents were meticulously prepared and organised, sticky notes clearly visible at the heads of pages and his expression revealed a determined and studied look of one who had come prepared. He was the most youthful professor emeritus I ever saw.
My colleagues and I were treated to an experience we will never forget. Ze’ev stood on the witness stand for hours, answering the questions posed to him with infinite patience. Questions which were fired at him in a political cross-examination that was unable to contend with his opinions so instead they resorted to tarnish his reputation ad-hominem, in the typical manner of right-wing incitement, which is so familiar to us today.
Ze’ev was smart, knowledgeable and full of brilliance. But it was not these qualities that captured our hearts. We were swept away by his singular combination of intellectual greatness and moral power.
Ze’ev did not fall into any of the traps laid for him. He was smart, knowledgeable and full of brilliance. But it was not these qualities that captured our hearts. All of us who sat through the hearing: defendants and plaintiffs, lawyers and interns, we all felt like his spiritual grandchildren and were swept away by this rare specimen that will be sorely missed with its passing: the singular combination of intellectual greatness and moral power.
This fusion turned Ze’ev into the giant he was. An active reactor of intellect and values that generated a humanistic gravitational field. We were all sucked into this field. A few hours later we emerged forever changed.
Later that evening I wrote to him: "Dear Ze’ev, I have no doubt that a person of your status and stature has no need of compliments from me and my colleagues. However, perhaps for my own sake, I feel obliged to convey to a few things that explain how important and exciting your testimony was to us.
“We all left the court today with a sense of transcendence and one of my colleagues (who is also one of the defendants) even said he felt a kind of ‘catharsis’. Your testimony has been the ultimate and precise response, full of moral and intellectual power, to what we have been fighting against in recent years (and even earlier, but it seems to me in recent years more than ever before).
“It was much larger than [the fascist movement] or [advocate who represented it]. Your words touched the same soft belly of Israeli democracy that we all know and fear. Your testimony was so superb because it contained the rare combination of expertise and wisdom with your striking and impressive manner. The concluding words of your testimony words were particularly thrilling, providing a sense of crescendo to the entire trial.
If we close our eyes for a second, we can imagine the kind of society based on liberty equality and human dignity that Ze’ev fought for and struggled to establish here.
“I feel fortunate to have met you personally and to have worked with you.
“I speak for all the defendants when I thank you for the great effort and contribution to their defence."
I will keep Ze’ev's answer to myself and cherish it this way my whole life.
We won that case and the district court judge agreed with Ze’ev that the prosecuting organisation has the characteristics of a fascist movement. Insofar as it was as a result of the fascist movement that I got to know Ze'ev personally, I owe them a debt of gratitude.
Ze’ev passes to the next world during the difficult times that he warned us were coming during his entire adult life. He fought against the Israeli Occupation and fascism, against the breakdown of democratic norms and apartheid, without fear or trepidation.
In doing so, he served as an Israeli model of a committed public conscience academic. In his opinion pieces, his academic research, his speeches at demonstrations, his membership of the Yesh Din Public Council, and the submission he provided during the fascist movement's trial.
If you open your eyes you can see the nationalistic, racist, and undemocratic reality that Ze’ev was warning us about.
Neither the incitement of the right-wing against him, nor the delegitimisation campaign against him and not even the Jewish terrorism that attempted to murder him could deter him. Actually, they achieved the exact opposite.
If we close our eyes for a second, we can imagine the kind of society based on liberty equality and human dignity that Ze’ev fought for and struggled to establish here. If you open your eyes you can see the nationalistic, racist, and undemocratic reality that Ze’ev was warning us about.
Ze’ev is no longer with us, but leaves disciples in his wake and he will serve as an example to the many of us who follow in his footsteps and continue struggle to end the Occupation, and for individual rights and democracy.
This eulogy by Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard was translated into English by YONI MOLAD AND SOL SALBE
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