What are the limits in Israel
for free speech?
Immanuel
Givataim
Are there limits?
First, is there free speech?
Yes
In my view, there is
and too much of it
What do you mean by "too much"?
Too much means
today
the boundaries are very very blurred
and people allow themselves 
to say what they want
and the courts justify this
under free speech
Give me an example
I just don't want to get
into political issues
but it's mainly
there (in politics)
So let's say there are people
that you don't agree politically with
are they allowed to say what they want?
Yes
What would you do instead?
I think there is sort of
situations that one needs
to act differently
I am not explaining exactly because
I don't want to go into political issues
I need some example
I have no ....
I can't. If I give you an example
I shoot myself in the foot
and I am not going to do that
What can I do?
What's fun about that?
Nothing
I am a lawyer so I have to be careful
What can I do?
Do you feel you have free speech? 
You can say what you want?
Of course
As a person in Israel
as a citizen here, I can say what I want
Everyone can say what they want
There is no such thing here 
as "you are not allowed"
Everyone can give their opinion
Is that for everything?
Let's say you want to put up
a Palestinian flag
I can
- What would happen?
You can?
Everyone... in my house, 
in my neighbourhood
what I want to put, I can
If you walked here in the shopping
centre with a Palestinian flag
I never did it so I don't know
I am a little afraid to do it
I want to try it
but I am a little afraid
that someone will beat me up
because it could happen
Truthfully, I don't know what would happen
I never thought I would do 
something like that
Kayan (Muslim Arab Israeli)
Lod
But do you really feel
let's leave aside the flag
and that sort of stuff
But do you really feel you can 
say what you want publicly?
Yes
What are the limits of 
free speech here in Israel?
Hold on, I want you to
introduce us first
My brother, without my agent, 
I don't speak
What's your name?
My name is Niv
Where do you live?
This is Shant
What? Shant?
We refer to him as Shant
Where do you live?
Some of us live on the moshav (Shoeva)
some of us live in Mevaseret
we are here on Friday to celebrate 
a birthday
and convene our weekly parliament
In our parliament we have many views
we have our yellow leftist
Come, come leftist
We need the entire (spectrum)
Yesterday I saw a joke
something about your shirt...
(not understandable)
Hold on, I need help with the Hebrew
How do you say free speech in Hebrew?
'bitui hofshi'?
Yes
That's how you say it?
Yes
So the question is, is there really...
Excuse me
- Yes
She wasn't here for your introduction
I would like you to explain what you are doing
if you will be filming her...
True. I have a project on Youtube
where I ask you questions that people
outside want to know from Israelis
But first I want to know that
you support Israel, right?
This isn't one of those...
I will tell you everything after
You get to say whatever you want
and I won't edit it
I don't edit out anything
whatever you say, you say
It's very important that everything 
you publicize supports Israel
and not, God forbid, hurts the country
After, I will tell you everything
Ok
My brother, after....
I have in the storeroom in the back...
Hold on
His opinion is not important
- Exactly
This is not about me, it's about you
Wait, more important
He could even be from the BDS....
what happened this week?
That I won't be able to install
the air conditioners...
She didn't order the air conditioners
I was busy
Hold on, I have to leave
Is there free speak in Israel?
(I misspoke)
Free speak, no
Free speech, yes
Sorry, my mistake
So is there?
There is
Is there free speech?
Incredibly free
Can you say anything?
Anything
Can I curse God?
There is too much free speech
I say "Fuck...I don't know who"
Allowed
- Go for it
Can I say "fuck Bibi"?
Who is God?
I don't know, I don't believe
There is the god Sarah Netanyahu
then there is the God of the believers
It depends who your god is
Anything is allowed
For everyone?
Yes, it is even exaggerated here
Yes, way too much
In our parliament you can say anything
For example, in the Knesset
when they curse Arabs
I mean curse Israeli soldiers,
it is too much
too much
They call them (soldiers) terrorists
That's too much
I think here you can do anything
other than curse Bibi
Curse what?
Curse Bibi?
Wait, can I curse Bibi?
Here in our parliament, 
you can say anything
Anything is allowed
Just so you know, the regulation
here in our parliament
is better than the Israeli constitution
Can I...let's say that I 
don't want Israel to exist
What?
Annihilate Israel?
Not to kill people
but that there shouldn't be a country
But we don't want that
But can I say it, that is the question
Yes, you can
Segev and Allison
Tel Aviv
Free speech
Cut? What?
Is there free speech in Israel?
Every kind. Everyone has it
everyone can say what they want
what they think
Are there limits to it?
It depends
Maybe it depends where
Not political, there are no
political limits
I can say "fuck Bibi, I hate Bibi"
Yes
Can we all say that together?
Yes
Fuck the left wing
so they don't claim...
I don't choose sides
I respect every side
I think everyone has to
respect each other
But are there limits?
Can I cook pork in Mea Shearim
(very religious Jewish neighbourhood)
in a religious area
during Yom Kippur
No
-No
Legally?
Legally, yes
What would happen?
No, I think you would be arrested
You wouldn't get arrested
- You would get a ticket
Probably
So there are fines on Shabbat
for having a store open
there are limitations in terms of
holidays and things like that
You can say whatever you want
but there are social respect norms
We live in Tel Aviv but if we want
to pass through Bnai Brak on Shabbat
they do close off the street
(to cars)
Can you go through? 
You can probably move it
You will probably have stuff thrown at you
or yelled at
or not treated nicely
Can you do it? Yes
Do you want to do it and 
go through that? No
So I think it is more of a personal decision
Yes
Some people have no limits
so they do whatever they want
but most people will respect, probably
the situation of the area
Boaz
Herzliya
You are a religious woman
We can say that
This is for people outside 
who don't know
Is there free speech in Israel?
Ayala
Jerusalem
It depends
Depends on what?
I don't think you should always
say what you want
I don't really support it
I don't really support it
There are things that
better that we keep to ourselves
we don't always want to know
Like what? Give me an example
For example, what is happening 
with our soldiers
it is often very chaotic
that we need to know everything about them
It doesn't happen in any other country
Only here
Neighbours?
(I thought she said neighbours)
With our neighbours it doesn't happen
with us it does happen
you can criticize the soldiers
to expose them
I don't support this
But legally, can we say what we want?
I don't know
I know the law says you can't
it depends who also
Because you are religious, 
I will ask something else
Am I permitted to curse God?
I will tell you
In general, we are permitted
to do what we want
because we are only human beings
we are not perfect
If a person feels he needs to curse
I think God would feel sorry for him
I wouldn't curse him back
and say he is crazy
That is who he is
If he understood more
or had more knowledge
then he wouldn't do it
You need to accept everyone as they are
because we are commanded to do so
The Torah commands us
"Love your neighbour as yourself"
Your neighbour and even those
who do bad things to you
you have to love him
Because you are no different than him
The fact that I cover my head
doesn't make me better
Maybe I have more of a right
to keep the commandments
I wish I would succeed in
the will of the Creator
But it doesn't mean that I am
better than other people
Because we are all human
the same, the same colours, sizes
everyone has a slightly different nature
in one way or another
So how can I not accept the other
because there are things in me
that some won't accept
Adi
Tel Aviv
What are the limits of free speech?
Can you do anything here?
I will tell you why I want 
to answer that question
I think about this phrase a lot
"All is foreseen but freedom of choice is given"
(Rabbi Akiva, Pirkei Avot, 3)
It is a verse in the Bible
"All is foreseen but freedom of choice is given"
It is actually a contradition
on the one hand, it is all decided
on the other, we have free will
If everything is already decided
then how do we have free will?
If you want here specifically in Israel
Yes, are we allowed to do anything
Are we allowed to do anything?
As long as it doesn't harm 
your surroundings, I assume yes
and also
that's not a simple question to answer
Of course
If I want to walk around naked on the beach
True
Can I walk around naked at the beach?
I don't know, can you?
I don't know
There will be consequences
Other than they will sexually harass me
there may also be a religious guy
who will leave because of it
Sorry I can't hear you
She may also get burned by the sun
in areas
Ok, there are also physical consequences
but I am more speaking about legally
Are you speaking about morality?
Legal
Nimrod
Bat Yam
For example, in Saudi Arabia
that you cannot go naked
as she said
"All is foreseen but freedom of choice is given"
meaning, the choice is yours
within limits
There are constraints and limitations
in reality
Law, state
certain limitations on citizens
But according to the law, what is allowed?
You need to check the laws
Or you can do something and then see
what the consequences are
but
you can check this information on the internet
you can check what am I allowed
to do, what am I not allowed to do
what are those limitations
Let's take this neighbourhood
as a great example
You can't graffiti, it's considered vandalism
No, I checked that one
You are allowed
- Interesting
According to the law, you are allowed
It surprised me as well
It's allowed because it is defined as art
Yes, somehow
Creativity
I found out something 
because it happened to me
It is not allowed to film at the beach
There is a law
Interesting
I assume it comes from the days
1950s, 1960s
where women would go...
No, no
There is a law like that
Are you sure?
- Yes
It's an old law
Listen, I will tell you
There are laws, and there are
social norms
codes of conduct
- True
Look, you can do anything
a person can walk around naked
and do what he wants
but the question is
what does he get from it?
There is something called
universal social customs
codes of conduct
and you don't want things
to happen to you
you don't want to do things
that after, there will be consequences
It's common sense
But will someone arrest you?
will you go to jail?
If, if it will have a high cost
What is a high cost?
If you start...
If she walked around naked
in Ramallah, her father would beat her
Here no
Here they would let her
do what she wants
because
the moment you take something
and make it bigger than what it is
it turns into a big deal
 If you look at ......
she walks around naked
she wants attention
Ok, you notice it, allow it
then there won't be any expected problems
In places where it is forbidden
and everyone is in fear
then it turns into an issue
But if you are neutral about it
If you put these things into a neutral way
you lessen the emotional load
and nothing bad happens
But it's easy to talk
You know, every situation...
Actually in countries where the 
laws are very rigid
and there isn't a lot of free will
there is more violence
and places that try to break 
through those boundaries
and the fact that the law 
allows free speech
within limits, that you don't
hurt it's citizens
We need those laws
because I don't believe that humans
are good in their nature
You don't believe that what?
That humans are naturally good
If humans were naturally good
we wouldn't have wars around the world
we wouldn't have holocausts
that still happen today
so we need those laws
