Heroic Sacrifice: The Deconstruction of a Myth

The celebrated statement, “It is good to die for one’s country,” traditionally attributed to Joseph Trumpeldor during the battle of Tel Hai, has become one of the founding myths of Israeli national ethics. It is therefore hardly surprising that it now stands at the center of extensive intellectual and ideological criticism. Like all nations, societies tend to produce national myths designed to serve as educational ideals and to shape a collective memory that fosters a willingness to make military sacrifices. Over time, however, an ever-widening gap emerges between the pathos of such slogans and the realities of civilian life.

National values themselves are not immune to radical criticism. At an international film festival in the Moroccan city of Nador, in which I participated, one of the roundtable discussions was devoted to moral principles and values. I chose to contribute by discussing the film Our Brothers (Nos frères blessés, 2020).

Based on a true story, the film recounts the fate of Fernand Iveton, a young French communist who, out of moral conviction, joined the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) in its struggle against French colonial rule. Shortly after marrying a young Polish woman who had fled the communist regime, he was instructed, in November 1956, to plant a bomb in the gasworks in Algiers where he was employed. Determined to avoid causing any casualties, he........

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