Israeli Defense Minister Lifts Muslim Woman’s Skirt To ‘Fight Terrorists’ In Apparent Parody

Lieberman, an actor, and Gavrish Image by youtube

By Jenny Singer September 5, 2018

In what seems to be an attempted parody of a scene from Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Who Is America,” Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman partners with krav maga instructor Matan Gavish to “fight terroristim” with techniques including lifting women’s burqas to take pictures.

In what Israel’s Association of Rape Crisis Centres director has called a depiction of the “sexual humiliation of Muslim women,” Gavrish demonstrates on a silent, burqa-clad woman how to lower an iPhone on a selfie stick below a woman’s skirt and take a picture. The video, which also explains how to “arm the baby” while still inside the womb, is being called a parody of a segment of “Who Is America.” In that now-famous scene, Baron Cohen, in character as ex-Mossad agent, Colonel Erran Morad, “trains” former Georgia state representative Jason Spencer in a series of defense maneuvers including threatening terrorists with the sight of his bare bottom, screaming the n-word, and doing an identical selfie-stick maneuver on a person wearing a burka.

Of course, the word “parody” is not quite right here — this is more of a loving video tribute and fan recreation. The video concludes with Lieberman telling Gavrish, “Leave us alone — we have the Israel Defense Forces, the best soldiers in the world. Happy new year to all the soldiers, and all the people of Israel!”

The video ends with Lieberman manfully wrestling Gavrish to the ground, as upbeat music plays.

It’s two minutes devoid of jokes, unless you like aging politicians pretending to harass religious women. If Lieberman’s base — hawkish Israel supporters — finds humor in this video, though, the joke really is on all of us.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at Singer@forward.com or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO