Colour wars

We in Quebec are no strangers to colour wars in politics. Just three days after the sea of red at Canada Day, and ten days after the similar sea of blue at the St-Jean Baptiste Day celebrations, it’s hard to deny that complicated political and identity politics are too often reduced to a colour of the rainbow.

Witness what’s been going on in Israel, where a colour war of their own is raging over the disengagement issue. And it seems like it’s all anyone there can talk about these days. Here are thoughts from Allison, Imshin, Imshin again, and Brian, just to name a few. And here’s a Ynet analysis of the colour war.

The thing is, there’s nothing simple or trivial about the current situation in Israel, that seems to be leading the country to the brink of civil war. Protests are turning violent and there are even worries of potential assassination attempts on Sharon or other key members of government. To Israelis who feel that this is the only way to break the stalemate and ensure Israel’s security, the protesters are divisive extremists creating disunity at a critical time. To Israelis being asked to leave their homes, uproot their communities, and – in their view – reward terrorists for years of attacks and bloodshed, this is nothing less than a catastrophe. Are there any issues more serious than one’s home, one’s safety and security, and one’s identity?

Maybe the colour war has emerged precisely because the issues are so serious. Discussing orange or blue takes the focus off the agonizing choices and potential consequences, and places them on the often absurd things emerging from the whole issue. Humour as a defence mechanism is not exactly new for Israelis as a way of coping.

Or maybe it’s just politics. A colour is an easy symbol to represent a political view, and makes a powerful visual statement in a crowd. Perhaps this is just simply smart marketing on the part of the disengagement protesters.

One thing is for sure: this colour war is nothing like the kind we used to have in summer camp. And it’s going to get worse before it gets better. With many Israelis supporting the plan, many more vehemently opposed, and a whole host of people caught in the middle and unsure of what to think, it’s making for a long, hot summer.

(Hmmm, now that I’m ready to publish this, I notice that the button on Blogger to “save as draft” is blue and the one to “publish post” is orange. Will you take my word for it that I’m not making a political statement by choosing to publish the post?)