I recently had a spirited interchange with a fervent advocate of “human rights” who dubbed those who agree with his politics “decent human beings,” and declared that I (and, by extension, others) who disagree with him, should “be ashamed” of ourselves. Since he could accuse me of nothing more than being right-wing (I’ve been called worse), and unfairly deleting his last tiresome, repetitious, and fact-free comment (an act he called “censorship” and “stifling debate”), I consider myself lucky.
I would like to make a few points about how I see the blogging enterprise. First, after consulting other bloggers, I am inclined to agree that my blog is like my living room. (The living room image is particularly espoused by Treppenwitz and Seraphic Secret.) You are invited, even if a stranger, to enter, read what I have to say, and participate in the conversation. You are allowed to disagree. You are allowed to present an alternative viewpoint. But one of the things I do not have patience for is hysterical, obsessive Israel-bashing.
This leads to my second point. I like to employ facts in my search for truth. As the reader, you’re allowed to disagree with me, but you’d better have some facts to back up what you say. If you’ve never been to Israel, only read the New York Times, listen to Pacifica, and make it a point never to talk to people whose politics aren’t in line with your own, you’re probably not very well equipped to comment on this blog. Even more so if your own inclinations are to dismiss any information compiled, recorded, or published by Israelis or Jews in general, since your view of Jews is that as a group they are devious, untrustworthy, and untruthful. This blog grapples with difficult issues, and I find that complicated issues lend themselves to greater understanding through the employment of science, history, and actual events. Wishful thinking, fantasy, sloganeering, idealism—these all have their place in our lives. But they have little purpose for the sort of exploration I attempt in this blog.
At the end of the day, this blog is an outlet for my own thoughts and opinions. I bring everything I am, where I’ve been, and what I’ve learned to my posts. I attempt to be circumspect, to see things from more than one point of view. I do read columnists and journalists I disagree with. But when I write a post, it’s going to be about what I think. It will in most cases be accompanied by links to sources I consider reliable, and include facts or observations from my own perspective. When you read this blog, you’re reading ME. You don’t have to like what I say. You don’t have to come back. But if you do, it’s still going to be MY posts you’re going to read. (Jimmy Carter doesn’t post here.) If you must have an outlet for your opinions and cannot do so on my blog within the constraints outlined here, start your own.
This leads me to my final point. This blog is not a public forum; just go to any talkback section after a news item, read the comments, and you’ll see what a free-for-all, low level of discourse exists in a public forum. I expect the level of discourse on this blog to rise above that. If you have information or a well-substantiated opinion to offer, please share. But as a schoolmarm and an academic (I have three master’s degrees), I will expect you to support what you say with verifiable facts or intelligent thought, not just shoot from the hip.
Now that I’ve said all that, welcome to Shimshonit.
Shimshonit 
I hope that you have made your point.
I have had two unpleasant comments but they had ended up in my spam box. However even if I blog about Jewish topics, I don’t blog about Israel very often since I don’t live there and therefore prefer to keep my thoughts to myself. The interview series was an attempt at showing several aspects of this country in a positive light; I hope I was a little successful.
Ilana-Davita: Thank you for your comment. Alas, handling hostile comments is one of the drearier sides of blogging. I enjoyed your interviews with the other Israeli bloggers very much. I’m sure those neutral or favorably disposed toward Israel felt the same; those who have it in for Israel were probably not swayed. It’s the nature of the beast.
It’s funny…compared to many of the people I know or read in Israel, you are far from right wing. I admire your ability to write about difficult political issues.
Regarding some of the events going on in Europe, I am influenced by people I know who are from Europe (France particularly). They aren’t bloggers or journalists, just ordinary people seeing changes that are worrisome. So would quoting an expression on their faces work in a blog discussion? No, but it does influence me.
I am with Ilanadavita and in one of my posts you helped me see this, but I too have a tough time blogging about Israel. So lately, I try to keep my confusion to myself. ;-)
I have been learning that canned responses tend to be unhelpful. I wish more people would be a little more honest about what they believe.
I have has some unpleasant comments on my blog in the past. A notable one is a comment from the pastor of Jews for Jesus. Of course, he tried to discredit my spiritually in the process of saying that his organization was less than mischievous and too state a fact that I was wrong. Anyway, it ended up being a one comment kind of thing with no honest engagement, something that I do not like about blogging sometimes.
Keep up the good work, I sure wish I could come close to writing like you do, but I try. Have a great week.
Leora: I’m not as harif as many of my friends and fellow-bloggers, I’ll admit. I try to imagine that there is a spectrum within the Arab community, as there is within the Jewish, whether or not they can speak out. Here some may say I’m on shaky ground, and yet there are occasional glimmers of hope (e.g. the number of Arabs who have ignored Salam Fayyad’s dictum against shopping in Jewish stores who crowd the Rami Levi in the Gush nowadays). It probably doesn’t mean they love Jews, but are more motivated by practical concerns than politics in their day-to-day lives. Some of my information is anecdotal evidence, like the facial expressions of your European friends; I just look for trends and reasons for things. A facial expression sounds like the start of an exploratory post to me.
James: Thank you for your supportive comment. I think many people see what they want to see, and believe what they want to believe. The fact that Arabs in Gaza enjoy a much higher standard of living than Arabs in most of the rest of the Arab world is uninteresting to people who are looking for a cause where they can find an easy target to blame, like Israel. The fact that Arabs in refugee camps in Israel live much better here than those in Lebanese camps is also a significantly overlooked fact. It’s hard work digging underneath the surface, and most people don’t really have the desire to do that in their lives; it’s easier to sit and let “activists” and lazy journalists do it for them (or not).
Shimshonit: you write “…as a schoolmarm and an academic (I have three master’s degrees)…”
I’m intrigued…you took degrees in education, child psychology, pedagogy? Just guessing, you could’ve been a math’s or physics teacher at the school you worked before:-).
I have an M.A. in Cultural Anthropology, worked with Australian Aborigines – lived in Oz for a year – and did several administrative jobs in local government – not unfortunately concerning immigrants affairs, somehow they prefer people with a law or economics degree to make (misguided) policies rather than consult or appoint a specialist. I dabble in copywriting and local journalism a bit too when the occasion requires.
Also, you write somewhere that you’re considered ‘right wing’ by some(not by yourself, apparently), that would then be relating to these other people’s judgement of you because you live in a settlement and are a religious zionist? That’s unusual, people working in education(any level) are stereotypically considered ‘left wing’ or progressive. These labels don’t mean much to me, I listen to the message that comes across(and if it makes sense).