Common Israeli Sayings Distorted From Original Meaning
Several well-known Hebrew sayings and quotes have been distorted over time, losing their original context and meaning, according to economic researcher Shahar Lotan. These altered phrases, often shortened and made more impactful, have become ingrained in public memory, sometimes misrepresenting historical events or figures.
One prominent example is the phrase "There are judges in Jerusalem," often attributed to Menachem Begin and interpreted as a statement on judicial independence. However, in his 1979 Knesset speech, Begin actually said, "There are judges in Israel." The shift to "Jerusalem" may stem from a contemporary newspaper headline or the proximity of the Supreme Court and government complex in the capital.
Another instance involves a 2015 election video by Benjamin Netanyahu. The widely remembered quote, "Arabs are streaming to the ballot boxes," is a shortened version of Netanyahu's actual statement: "Arab voters are moving in huge numbers to the ballot boxes, left-wing organizations are bringing them by buses." The concise version, likely originating from an internet headline, proved more memorable and easily quotable for news editors catering to short public attention spans.
Finally, the well-known proverb, "If a flame falls in the cedars, what will the junipers say?" is a corruption of its original Talmudic form: "If a flame falls in the cedars, what will the junipers do?" The original question concerns the fate of the lesser elements when the greater ones are afflicted, not merely what they will say. This alteration, documented in various translations over centuries, appears to have become firmly established in the 20th century, possibly due to a song that modified the wording for lyrical purposes.
Lotan suggests these distortions are not necessarily deliberate propaganda but rather a form of collective memory editing, akin to the Mandela effect but involving misremembered details rather than fabricated events. He advises caution when encountering seemingly perfect historical quotes, as they may have been polished by memory to sound better in the present.
