Israel & the Bumper Stickers

The beauty and poetry of Israel's music and the shrill nature of its bumper stickers, slogans and graffiti are two phenomena that play important roles in Israeli society. Both speak volumes about Israel's politics, values, culture and passions.

"Shirat Hasticker" (The Sticker Song), written by Israeli author David Grossman and performed by the youth-oriented hip-hop band Hadag Nachash, is basically a recitation of a long series of Israeli bumper stickers.

The stickers refer to many ideas and concepts that are prevalent and significant within Israeli society. They can be split into 5 categories:

Left wing political
Right wing political
Religious
Secular
Zionist

Left-wing political stickers

Stickers that advocate peacemaking through diplomacy and negotiated settlements that involve territorial concessions.

Transliteration: "Dor Shalem Doresh Shalom"
Translation: "An entire generation wants peace"
Meaning: This sticker was theslogan of an Oslo-era peace movement called the "Generation of Peace". The group was comprised mostly of politically active youth. Implicit in the sticker was that Israeli youth were ready for peacetime.

Transliteration: "Ayn Lanu Yeladim L'milchamot M'yutarot"
Translation: "We don't have kids to spare for unnecessary wars"
Meaning: An anti-war statement made by members of the peace camp. The "unnecessary wars" referred to any army activity against Israel's neighbours.

Transliteration: "Shalom Chaver"
Translation: "Goodbye, Friend"
Meaning: Moments after PM Yitzhak Rabin was pronounced dead, President Clinton delivered remarks and concluded by saying "Shalom Chaver, Goodbye Friend". Within days, memorials went up and cars all over Israel were sporting the new bumber sticker.

Right-wing political stickers

Stickers that advocate peace through strength, support settlements and are skeptical towards peace treaties.

Transliteration: "Ha'am Im Hagolan"
Translation: "The Nation is With the Golan"
Meaning: Proclaims support for continued Israeli presence in the Golan Heights. Today, near 20000 Jews live in the Golan however Syria demands return of the Golan Heights.

Transliteration: "Hevron, M'az U'l'tamid"
Translation: "Hebron - Always and Forever"
Meaning: Hevron, located in the heart of the Judean Desert in West Bank was taken over by Jordan in the 1948 War of Independence. It was recaptured by Israel in 1967 but today is predominantly an Arab town.

Transliteration: "Akirat Yeshuvim Mefaleget Et Ha'am"
Translation: "Uprooting Settlements Divides the Nation"
Meaning: The assumed logical conclusion of peace negotiations is for Israel to dismantle any settlements on land seized in the 1967 war. Right-wing advocates tend to support the settlers and their right to live in the West Bank.

Other stickers

Category: Secular
Transliteration: "Sherut Shaveh L'chulam"
Translation: "Equal Service for Everybody"
Meaning: The fact that many Orthodox Jews in Israel are entitled to full exemptions from military service is a source of friction between the secular and religious communities in Israel and this sticker opposes the exemption.

Category: Humour/Cynicism
Transliteration: "Ayn Shoom Yiyoosh Ba'aolam"
Translation: "There's no desperation in the World"
Meaning: An overly positive statement cynical of the possibility of peace and security for Israel into the future.

Category: Religious
Transliteration: "Na-Nachman Me'uman"
Translation: (Name of Breslov Rabbi)
Meaning: This slogan is perhaps the most visually omnipresent in Israel. The common interpretation is that Rabbi Nachman's presence will gradually become more felt in the world, just as the name is progressively spelt and therefore speeding up the process of the coming of the Messiah.