Balancing Atrocities and Forced Forgetting: Memory Laws as a Means of Social Control in Israel

This article examines memory laws as a new form of social control, demonstrating the significance cultural to law and society scholarship. It focuses on two Israeli that seek control public debate by giving voice one marginalized group in order silence another. The presents forms such utilization law: forced forgetting balancing atrocities. Forced validates people over another group. Balancing atrocities equates victims, pitting suffering against for purpose dismissing former’s claims recognition redress. 2011 Nakba Law, an example forgetting, dismisses Palestinian minority’s experience amplify Jewish majority, while 2014 Law creates analogy between redress those Mizrahi Jews balance these groups suffered. We show both have limitations create gaps legislation implementation, yet their political-symbolic impact is much greater.