The poem by German Lutheran theologian Martin Niemoller, “First they came …,” is often quoted in recent times by Israeli left-wing and human rights activists. They adopted the poem about the cowardice of German intellectuals who failed to speak up against the Nazis to describe the silent majority in the bitter war of cultures being waged in Israel. Following the vicious ''mole'' campaign by the right-wing Im Tirtzu organization and the accusations of treason against activists and supporters of the Breaking the Silence and B’Tselem human rights groups, Niemoller’s protest, written more than 70 years ago, has become a modern-day anthem of those persecuted for protesting the silence of the majority.
The opening lines to one of the poem's versions go like this: ''First they came for the Communists/ and I didn’t speak up/ because I wasn’t a Communist/ Then they came for the Jews/ and I didn’t speak up/ because I wasn’t a Jew.''
