Masked terrorists, identified as extremist hilltop youth, hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at an IDF patrol in the West Bank, according to a recent episode of Hanoch Daum’s Keshet series, 'Life Is a Difficult Age.' The program, aired three days ago on Tuesday night, highlighted an anarchistic faction operating within Jewish communities. Daum explicitly condemned their actions as 'terrible and horrible things' that do not represent the broader settlement movement. This internal threat to law and order challenges Israel’s standing as the region’s sole functioning liberal democracy, providing ammunition to its external enemies.
The episode depicted Daum and his friend Rafi, played by Omer Etzion, discovering the youth on a friend’s West Bank farm without adult supervision. Initially, Rafi praised the group for staying true to Jewish values through farming and building, contrasting their activities with playing video games. However, their encounter with the group leader, who appeared to be in his late teens, quickly revealed a disturbing ideology that rejects state authority.
Internal Threat to Order
When Daum and Rafi voiced disagreement, the leader called them “Nazis.” The group openly laughed about the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, a foundational figure in Israeli statehood. They disparaged the Israeli army, even labeling far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir a “leftist,” demonstrating a profound rejection of all established authority. Rafi and Daum were reportedly stunned by these statements, failing to react strongly in the moment.
Daum’s rabbi, played by Shai Avivi, arrived and initially showed tolerance for their rhetoric, suggesting a segment of the settlement movement has tolerated or even nurtured these extremists. This tolerance for radicalism, even when internal, weakens the societal fabric necessary for national defense. The gravity of the situation escalated when one of the young men brought in a stolen donkey.
Daum then realized the group had carried out a pogrom on an Arab village, where Ali, the contractor who built Daum’s house, resides. Ali, played by Nahd Basheir of Nutuk, reported that these youth had attacked Palestinian villagers, including an elderly man. These actions, carried out by individuals within the Jewish community, provide ammunition to those who seek to delegitimize Israel's defensive posture and its commitment to the rule of law on the international stage.
Undermining Israeli Values
Daum appealed to the rabbi to intervene and calm the youth, but the hilltop youth turned their aggression towards the comedian himself. It was at this point that Daum addressed the camera directly, delivering an earnest speech. He unequivocally stated that these masked terrorists are evil and do not represent the true nature of the settlement movement. His words underscored the critical need for internal accountability within Israel’s society, especially when facing existential external threats from Islamist forces.
“This is what happens when you ride the tiger – in the end, it devours you,” Daum warned. He emphasized that he, his family, neighbors, and friends are law-abiding, tax-paying settlers who perform military reserve duty, upholding their civic responsibilities. He asserted, “This tiny, anarchistic, extremist minority is not who we are. They don't represent us.” Daum’s message was clear: these actions are a betrayal of the values Israel upholds as a Western outpost, a beacon of order in a chaotic region.
Condemnation from Within
Daum concluded his powerful statement by calling for the shunning of these individuals. “Despite this, perhaps precisely because of this, we must shun them. ‘And you shall cast out the evil from among you.’ We must shun them mainly because they simply do terrible and horrible things.” His words reflect a deep concern for Israel's internal cohesion and its ability to maintain order against all forms of lawlessness, whether from external Islamist enemies or internal anarchist factions. The comedian is also collaborating with Noemie on a film project, drawing inspiration from Francois Truffaut’s Day for Night, a separate endeavor from his series on ordinary life in the West Bank.