Way to go, HP-ers (with some obviously honorable exceptions)

“…Again you are missing the nuance here. Most people wouldn’t care one jot about Paraguay or whether you libelled it or not. However, sensitivities are so inflamed by the hype and carefully crafted anti-Israel “Goebbels big lie” -type propaganda outside Israel that any ill-thought-out criticisms you print about her fall on fertile ground – because you are speaking as an Israeli and are used as validation of the hatred of her.

“The alternative is plain, Alex. You could think more carefully and craft your criticisms in a more measured, balanced way. No-one wants to deprive you of your right to criticise Israel, but you piss a lot of people off when you seem to be doing it for effect and state supposition or conjecture as hard fact…”

more along the lines as to whether you actually understand what he/she is driving at. I agree with the “Goebbels’ Big Lie” aspect of much of the rubbish which is put into the media about Israel, which is ill-researched and an insult to intelligence. More and more of us are getting increasingly ticked off by anti-Israel information based on opinion being presented to us as hard fact, which is taken up and run with by idiots, who then spread it as if it’s true and proven, and use it to spread hatred. Don’t you think that you have some sort of responsibility not to enable that?

I take your point that you don’t write for Israeli newspapers because your Ivrit is not good enough yet. What stops you from fast-tracking to get it better?

I wonder whether HairShirt believes you are related to Seth Freedman? From my observations, he brings out all his family in force to protect him when he’s being disagreed with on CiF.

Yohoho – my Hebrew writing is not yet good enough to write op-eds in, although I do occasionally have stuff in Haaretz English edition. Give me some time…

Blinkandyoumissit – I’ve already dealt with this issue.