The unwarranted frenzy stirred up from some sections in Sri Lankan society targeting journalists and others who visited the State of Israel, including myself, labelling the delegation as those who were on the Mossad payroll, and even questioning the moral moorings of the delegation. While the critics’ right to condemn Israel or anything related to Israel is respected, those who went on the Israel tour should be allowed to have their own stances, and their side of the story should be heard, in the interest of the principle of natural justice.

Several critics who wrote for local newspapers mocked those who joined the delegation, calling them "vultures" legitimizing Israel’s state-sponsored terrorism in Gaza. They did so without knowing that the Sri Lankan delegates met the most trenchant opponents of the Netanyahu government in Israel. Many activists we encountered in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv strongly advocated for peace. If the tour was meant as a brainwashing campaign funded by the Israeli government, it would not have included meetings with critics who openly question Netanyahu’s military actions in Gaza. This inclusion demonstrates a healthy aspect of Israeli democracy, the only functioning democracy in the Middle East.

Creating Myths and Paranoia

A larger proportion of allegations aimed at the Sri Lankan delegation to Israel refer to so-called Israeli activities in Sri Lanka that pave the way to create a Jewish paranoia, as it existed in the 1930s when Sinhalese nationalist journalist Hemapala Munidasa propagated the myth of Jewish settlements in Sri Lanka. The current concerns of the critics resemble the same roots, mainly targeting the Israeli tourists visiting Sri Lanka and Chabad Houses and kosher food outlets, in which the critics attempt to construct a villainous depiction of Israelis as invaders. To dispel the ignorance prevalent in the public, one needs to review those popular allegations one by one.

Starting from Israeli tourists visiting Sri Lanka, especially those who served in the IDF, the vocal opponents tend to describe them as baby killers or assassins without knowing every Israeli is obliged to serve in the army as conscription is compulsory under the basic law. Depicting every Israeli as a mass killer is an imbecile act filled with vendetta towards Israelis. Furthermore, when Russian soldiers, who are engaged in a war in Ukraine, are not being questioned when they visit Sri Lanka, it exposes the hypocrisy of their argument.

The second question critics raise is about the behavior of Israelis in tourist areas. They point to Israelis conducting prayers in Chabad Houses and seeking kosher food as evidence of an expansionist attitude. This criticism is ironic and stems from a deep ignorance of Jewish culture in Sri Lanka. Just as Muslims seek halal food, Jews seek kosher food to follow the Torah and the laws of kashrut. Kosher food is part of Jewish religio-cultural identity, just as halal food is for Muslims. 

Those who bemoan the nature of Chabad Houses in Sri Lanka as an existential threat are still not aware of the purpose that lies behind the Chabad movement since its inception. Chabad House does not stand as a platform for conversion or missionary activities. On the contrary, it is akin to a community centre standing as a safe haven for Jewish visitors when they need spiritual guidance which does not involve the local community. 

To put it bluntly, Chabad House is a fraternity limited to the Jews, devoid of ulterior motives. The clamor on Chabad Houses in Sri Lanka essentially stems from Muslim politicians who try to fabricate an alleged sinister motive or Zionist plan behind it, displaying their staunch opposition to the State of Israel. The question that comes to the fore is why aren’t they raising the same concern about the influence of Gulf states in Sri Lanka to curb Wahhabism, which has been the chief factor undermining the rich cultural tapestry of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka by polarising them within the society.

Denying The Israeli Perspective

Accusations against journalists and writers visiting Israel—labeling them as Mossad agents or Zionist sympathizers—are tactics to suppress alternative perspectives that deserve consideration. The violent attacks by Hamas on October 7 at multiple sites, including Kirbutz and the Nova music festival, catalyzed the current Middle Eastern conflict. During their visit, Sri Lankan delegation members observed food distribution at Kerem Shalom and found it more organized than mainstream media reports about famine suggest. Food supplies within Gaza are reportedly controlled by Hamas, with its cadres allegedly appropriating much of the aid.

On the face of it, the misplaced hysteria surrounding the visit made by Sri Lankan journalists to Israel is fuelled by shadowy factors intending to promote a one-sided narrative in which the State of Israel stands as the perennial villain. The over-reaction to the visit reveals how weak Sri Lanka is in manufacturing consent which systematically marginalizes dissent. The beguiling picture planted in Sri Lankan society is portrayed through the moral binaries: good vs evil, victim vs oppressor, and Palestine Vs Israel. When those who have planted them realize that these trajectories are at stake, they begin to question them on moral grounds. Shutting out the Israeli perspective denies people’s right to know the full story.

(The author is a lecturer at Faculty of Law, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka.  Views expressed are personal. He can be reached at punsaraprint10@gmail.com )