(haipo) – The limits of freedom of expression in a democracy – The cancellation of Nidal Badrana’s stand-up performance at the Sard Theater in Haifa, following public pressure and police intervention, has reignited the public debate over the limits of freedom of expression in Israel. The performance, which included statements mocking the hostages from the October 7th events, sparked a public outcry and led to calls for the closure of the Haifa theater that was planning to host it. The performance, as mentioned, was canceled.
In my personal opinion, After watching the videos from the show, the police would do well to summon Badrana for questioning in this matter. On a broader level, I think there should be clear boundaries and strict and swift enforcement regarding freedom of expression in Israel, in everything related to supporting terrorism, mocking the murdered in general and the families of the victims of terrorism in particular, and denying the Holocaust. I think that text creates a narrative and the narrative becomes reality. Therefore, one must be careful about what is and is not allowed to be said and written. To some, this may sound like a severe restriction on freedom of expression, but I believe that this is an important path to take in order to protect democracy in Israel.
Stand-up comedy segments mocking the hostages
A performance by Nidal Badrana, a well-known Arab stand-up comedian, was scheduled to take place at the Sard Theater in Haifa but was canceled after pressure from the Haifa Municipality, the police, and the "In His Photograph" organization. In his performances, Badrana expressed himself in a way that was perceived as disrespectful to the hostages who were taken to Hamas' basements in October 2023, where they were tortured, starved, and some were murdered in captivity.
Statements such as comparing the Toyotas the terrorists broke into to reliable vehicles and jokes about the condition of the Thai hostages have sparked widespread outrage. Badrana's statement that the kidnapped female observers look like they've just returned from Pilates has also sparked outrage in Israel.
Reactions of the public and authorities to the cancellation of the event
Since the show was also planned to be performed in Haifa, public criticism came quickly, with Shai Glick, CEO of the "Tselmo" organization, contacting Mayor Yona Yahav and Minister of Culture Miki Zohar, demanding that the show be canceled.
According to Glick, this is "incitement to terror par excellence," and such an event cannot take place in an institution supported by public funds. City council members from all ends of the political spectrum joined the calls to cancel the show, and a short time later the theater announced its cancellation, citing a campaign of threats and incitement against it. A similar event was also planned in Nazareth, but following requests from bereaved families and police orders, steps were taken to prevent it from taking place.
The debate on the limits of freedom of expression in Israel
The cancellation of the Haifa show raises fundamental questions about freedom of expression and its limits, especially in times of national crisis. Supporters of the cancellation claim that these are statements that encourage terrorism and harm the families of the victims and the entire Israeli public. On the other hand, some argue that even outrageous expressions are entitled to protection within the framework of freedom of expression in a democratic country. In this case, the involvement of the authorities has sparked a debate about their role in balancing freedom of expression with the need to maintain public order and social cohesion.
The impact of the event on the Sard Theater and its continued activity
The public outcry that erupted following the planned performance has put the Sard Theater in the spotlight, mainly because it is supported by funds from the Haifa Municipality and the Ministry of Culture. Critics claim that a public institution cannot serve as a platform for incitement, and comparisons to the Al-Midan Theater, which was closed in the past due to the affair of the play about the terrorist Walid Daka, remain on the agenda. The CEO of "Tselmo", Shai Glick, even warned that if Sard continues on the same path, it may find itself closed in the same way. The issue of funding the theater is expected to be re-examined, especially in light of the Minister of Culture's commitment to examine the issue in depth.
The theater's artistic director, Ayman Nahas, told the Times:
"Over the past year, alongside the difficult situation in the country and the ongoing war, we have witnessed a continuous campaign of incitement against the theater," says the theater's artistic director, Ayman Nahas, in a statement. "They demanded that its government and municipal budget be canceled, claiming that it promotes 'terrorism.' The theater was falsely accused of supporting terrorism, and an indictment was even filed against the theater's management and directors for operating without a license, even though all licenses and permits were obtained legally. We are aware that these procedures were taken with the aim of narrowing our steps and limiting our activities."
Despite the difficulties and incitement, we continued to operate as a cultural institution committed to community and free creativity. Last week, the campaign of incitement also included personal threats against the artist Nidal Badarna, and last Friday the threats were even directed directly at the theater. It was claimed that there was no room for Badarna's performance at a venue supported by the Haifa Municipality, and pressure was applied to remove budgetary support.
"Our response was unequivocal," Nahas emphasized, "The theater is a stage open to all artists, and its role is to protect freedom of artistic expression, even when this is not to the liking of certain elements. As long as a performance takes place within the framework of the law, we had no intention of preventing its existence. We expressed our firm opposition to the use of funding threats as a political tool, and we made it clear that our right to operate under the law is inviolable."
The police told Lai Pa:
A stand-up show was planned for Friday, the content of which includes support for the events of the 7.10/XNUMX massacre and mockery of the hostages and their difficult situation in captivity.
When the police learned of the above and of the intentions of many people to organize to harm public peace, the theater manager was informed and the show was canceled.
The Israel Police will continue to act with all means at its disposal to maintain public peace and security.
I think the problem here isn't that the "jokes" are offensive but that the law appears to be applied differently depending on your religion. Jokes made by Israeli comedians about killing Palestinian civilians upset no one. The law must apply to all, or to none. Offense is not a good enough reason. Poor taste is not a good enough reason. Clear incitement to violence is. This threshold has clearly not been met but a worrying trend of silencing Palestinian voices or indeed any voices that don't toe the line continues
Of an Arab in Western clothing who doesn't quite get the general idea of freedom of expression.
Put on any show you want and they'll say the most horrible things in it,
Funded
First
Arguments of a lawyer from the territories
If anyone in Britain during World War II dared to express support for the Nazis and laugh at prisoners of war,
At least he was in prison.
Maybe I'll be executed.
Khalas, the Israeli beauty
We are with you.
Or to our enemies.
Justifies appearing in Gaza
Real democracy is to throw such people in jail and close the places that give them a platform, otherwise we won't have democracy, but anarchy.
I have a neighbor who claims that the IDF killed the Bibs family and we are lying about the disaster that happened to us...
And I ask what happened to the Arabs? Why did you choose to hate, laugh at such an issue and present it as a joke? The expression only shows how much hatred exists in the hearts of the Arabs of Haifa.
Take away his citizenship, throw him to Gaza, all the same shit.
All due respect for the cancellation of the show.
Silencing minority structures
You're not very smart. Laughing at hostages is like shutting up.
When Itzik Zarka boasted about six million, no one shut him up or took action against him. I'm not saying that Badrana's performance is in good taste, but there is one side being silenced while the other side can say whatever it wants, including horrible things. This is not what democracy looks like.
There are some people who are commanded to keep their mouths shut.
When Itzik Zarka was proud of the six million, no one was moved and no steps were taken against him. I'm not saying that Badrana's performance is in good taste, but you only shut one side up. The other side can say horrible things and it's not really fair.
Anyone who does not need to straighten their line and internalize that this is the Jewish state will have their citizenship revoked immediately and he and his family will be sent to that.
Anyone who mocks the hostages says one thing: he himself shares the thoughts and love of the Hamas terrorist organization, and therefore not only deserves an interrogation, but more than that, arrest him, judge him, and after the end of his prison term, revoke his citizenship, and expel him from the country, because at the moment of truth he may be an accomplice to such acts.
I invite him to perform at Ofakim in the South. He can go on stage…… I don’t know how he will come down? If he does!
Kahane Tzedek Transfer now and immediately.
We remain here in your heart, and within our Haifa..
Kahane is dead.
Scum, if I see him in Haifa I'll spit in his face.
Ugly enough to make you vomit.
Theater director's name: Badarna Nahas – with a name like that, it's no wonder they only have Nahas.
Shall we pretend to be surprised on the Israeli left that others who live with us and watch Al Jazeera and the like in their homes do not passively wish for the victory of their Palestinian brothers over Israel?
And if there is a discussion about freedom of expression and the importance of the issue, where have you been all these years when chilling statements have been written and made about our Prime Minister and members of his government for years at protests, in studios, and in the left-wing media?
Creepy statements, what they wrote about Peepi is compliments, that's the least of the least, and what they wrote about Sarah is a thousandth of what it really was
This is not freedom of expression, this is freedom of insult!
I was at his concert and I was shocked.
And I really came open
I have spoken Arabic since a young age and as a comedy lover I must say that this guy steals punches and is not funny.
He occupied a niche of Arabs in the country.
But not a good show
My friends from here say that his dream was to receive a scholarship in Israel.
But again, in terms of comedy, it's weak.
This is exactly what needs to be done with the Arab Knesset members who accuse the IDF of genocide.
The left supports the Arabs in the Knesset and in general
Let him put on a show in Gaza and stay there
If the guys from the Sard Theater stop hugging Hadash and insulting Palestinians, then we'll talk.
It's just hypocrisy that the same comedian is crying about being silenced, but in the past he tried to sue the Haifa Municipality over another show a few years ago.
The theater manager's response did not include a single reference to the details attributed to the stand-up comedian. A complete disregard for the issue.
Kudos to the Haifa Municipality for stopping this – if they don't specifically condemn these things, they should be deprived of public budgets immediately.
There is no smoke without fire. You are terrorists, and I ask you not to bring another fire upon yourself. It is unpleasant.
Enough with this "left and right"!
To all the right-wingers with the reactions to the reactions of human people who want to know all the details before they respond, asking questions or doubting Mr. Glick's words does not mean they are looking for a Palestinian state.
Start exercising discretion before you publish hate speech against Jews with opinions different from yours.
Regarding the article, I don't know the details of the story, but I feel like the whole story isn't being told.
We, the hill boys, will approach him, we know him from the wife and children of the Arab scum.
Freedom of expression is free. There is a line that is not crossed. Whoever wants the line must pay the price. Jews are murdered freely. But there are Jews who are happy about it, and that is impudence. We need to do to them what they did to Kesner, one by one, take off their heads. This is calling a child by his name. In the end, the right will stand up here and many will cry. They will say where we went wrong. It will be too late.
Who is this idiot?
And all of this is going on over the heads of the audience, who didn't watch the videos and didn't get the right to their own opinion? On the other hand, you don't stop giving credit to the guy from "Tselmo," whose eagerness to portray himself as a defender of the nation while inciting against Arabs has already been exposed. With your dubious help, I'm prevented from knowing whether the stand-up comedian really deserves a major denunciation or punishment, but in any case, I won't accept the testimony from the mouth of a nationalist politician and self-interested person who promotes himself through incitement.
We will give up your help.
Don't forget to book a ticket for the show.
Ask him to send you the videos, maybe you'll change your mind, not that I believe that's what will happen because you're from that delusional left that deserves to be condemned. We didn't believe them and we accepted 7.10, until when will you cover your eyes to what's happening in the corridors of the Palestinian nationalist "left" in Israel, and their nationalist deviation.
It's good that you canceled Yesh Gvul. You are a citizen within the State of Israel. Happy Shabbat.
The only thing funny about this zero is his appearance. He's not even genetically Arab (I'm a geneticist), he's just a non-Arab Muslim.
There are things that are taboo and shouldn't be laughed at. It's good that they shut his mouth.
It's good that they canceled it. There is a limit.
You are a citizen of the State of Israel.
Darna is really clever at making terrorists laugh (yes, as far as I'm concerned, anyone who supports them is a terrorist) at the expense of helpless prisoners. Imagine if your sister was raped and someone would laugh and make an audience laugh about the rape. Does that seem logical to you? Maybe so, because you're probably the same material as the person who committed the acts.
Thank you, Yaron Carmi, for the important article!
And thank you Shai Glick, CEO of 'In His Photo', for all his activities.
Restricting the freedom of expression of Arabs who incite violence is required.
I would have expected the Arabs, after the Simhat Torah massacre, to bow their heads a little, but not like this. Therefore, limiting the freedom of expression of those among them who incite violence is necessary, especially when it does not involve the use of physical force (as by the security forces), and it is an early remedy for the blow – if there is no incitement to violence, there will be less violence.
Right
Thank you, Yaron Carmi, for the very important article!
And thanks to Shai Glick, CEO of 'Tselmo', for his important activity.
Indeed, eradicating terrorism should be done by all means. Restricting the freedom of expression of instigators of terrorism is important, especially since it does not involve the use of physical violence against the instigators, so it is easier compared to eradicating terrorism by security forces.
I would expect the Arabs, after the massacre on Simchat Torah, to bow their heads a little. The above stand-up shows that this is not the case. Therefore, restricting their freedom of expression to incite terrorism is absolutely necessary.
very true
Laughing, he who laughs last.
Karma is a bitch.
The truth is, I've seen all of his performances, the artist mocking Arabs, Jews, Israelis, and Palestinians...
The question is, if a Jewish artist were to express himself in those words, why would they call it black humor??????? And if the police were to wake up to the criminal gangs or if this issue is something that only Arabs die from, then I wouldn't be surprised.