Philosopher Avishai Margalit, born in Afula in 1939 and raised in Jerusalem, recently reflected on the complex intersections of war, society, memory, and ethics in a long-form conversation exploring his life and work. Margalit’s philosophy is shaped deeply by his early experiences in Jerusalem’s Kerem Avraham neighborhood, his encounters with British soldiers during the Mandatory period, and the enduring impact of Holocaust trauma on his family.
Margalit, whose academic career spans Israeli and international institutions, is renowned for his exploration of society’s moral fabric, particularly the concepts of decency, justice, and fraternity. In his influential book "The Decent Society," he argues that while justice is the ideal governing principle, societies often operate on standards of decency—avoiding humiliation and maintaining institutional respect for individuals even if full justice remains elusive. He has examined the tension between peace and justice, often highlighting the pragmatic compromises necessary in conflict resolution.
His formative years coincided with Israel’s founding and early wars, including the War of Independence and the Yom Kippur War. Margalit recalled playing the strategic board game Diplomacy with his wife Edna Ullman and close friends, including Yoni Netanyahu, just hours before the outbreak of the 1973 war. He noted the surreal nature of those last moments of normalcy prior to national crisis, underlining the unpredictable gravity of war.
Margalit’s reflections also delve into the ideological currents within Israeli society, particularly concerning the Labor movement and the kibbutz system. He criticized the kibbutz movement’s historical suspicion of higher education and its failure to integrate waves of immigration, which he believes contributed to its transformation into an insular sect. He still resides in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood, once a base for the Peace Now movement, and expressed ambivalence about demographic and political shifts within the city.
Central to Margalit’s philosophical inquiries is the ethics of collective memory, rooted in his family’s Holocaust legacy. He contemplates the moral obligations of remembering and forgetting, both individually and as a society. In his book "The Ethics of Memory," he stresses that living communities should balance respect for the past with focus on the future rather than allowing their identity to be shaped solely by the memory of tragedy.
Margalit distinguishes between morality—universal obligations to all humans—and ethics, which governs the responsibilities owed to those within one’s close community or “thick” relationships. This distinction informs his critique of tribalism and nationalism, which he views as inherently prone to irredentist impulses and continuous claims on territory. Drawing comparisons with the Italian Risorgimento, he notes how nationalism’s attachment to land can potentially foster exclusionary or violent tendencies.
His later work, including "On Betrayal," explores the neglected political ideal of fraternity, investigating it by studying its opposite—betrayal—as a way to understand social cohesion and solidarity. Margalit emphasizes that fraternity involves shared belonging and collective memory and may be essential to constructing just societies. He is considering further research on solidarity as a civic counterpart to fraternity.
Margalit acknowledges the profound societal fractures Israel faces today, particularly along ethnic, religious, and national lines. He described three critical internal tensions—as between Jews and Arabs, Mizrahim and Ashkenazim, and religious and secular groups—that could threaten the country's stability. Yet, he remains cautiously hopeful that a new generation may still effect positive change, though he concedes that the likelihood is limited.
Reflecting on Israel’s political culture, Margalit credits the early Labor movement’s institution-building for the state’s initial solidity but warns that the erosion of those institutions has contributed to current challenges. He expressed concern that political solutions may elude those of his generation, describing himself as somewhat out of step with today’s political realities.
Margalit’s life and thought are deeply interwoven with Israel’s history—from the early struggles for statehood through ongoing conflicts—rendering his work a poignant meditation on the ethical demands faced by individuals and societies confronting enduring division and trauma.