Every so often, in spite of the fact that I clearly state in my comments policy that this is a No Israel-Bashing Zone, I get a comment from an anti-Israel passerby who can’t seem to get it through his head that I will not be approving the same crap I can read in a thousand other places. Last night, it was a child at Georgetown University who has evidently been brainwashed to perfectly repeat his Chomsky talking points, trying to hijack a thread about how Hamas is using propaganda and lies (the hoax that Gaza has run out of fuel) to make Israel even more vilified in the world. The troll copied Michael Lonie’s comment and wrote:
Oh so that gives Israel the excuse to underserve a variety of annexed Palestinian communities which Israel claims have become part of the Jewish Nation State. Hamas manipulates things for political and economic gain, but Israel systematically violates human rights in cases where they clearly have not only the ability but the obligation as a “Western†democracy to do a better job.
This is pretty typical of the standard anti-Israel commenter. They don’t reference the post they’re commenting in. They excuse all forms of violence and terror against Israel. They don’t respond to the points in the post or in the comments. They go out on an anti-Israel screed that generally references the latest Counterpunch or Indymedia article, or the last lecture they attended on Palestine Solidarity Day, and then they find—my blog.
They find a blog that is proud of Israel. A blog that is unabashedly pro-Israel. A blog that sees nothing wrong with the Likud party, and thinks the use of the world “Likudnik” says more about the user of that word than about the person they’re describing as such. They find a blog where Israel’s accomplishments are celebrated, and where Judaism and Jewishness is a good thing, something to be proud of, where I do believe that Israel is a light among nations, warts and all.
And it rocks their little anti-Israel world.
And so, they must enlighten us poor, pitiful Likudnik, pro-Israel know-nothings. If only we would see. If only we would listen. Don’t we understand that the evil colonial Zionists stole the land from the poor, indigenous people of “Palestine”? Don’t we know that Israel is the last of the colonial movement of previous centuries, and it simply must be dismantled and replaced with a single-state democracy for Palestinians and Israelis, who will then live in peace ever after once the five million “refugees” are allowed to return?
And most of all, don’t I understand that it is my duty to allow them to poison my comments the way they poison every other comment thread on blogs, online newspapers and magazines, and nearly every other community site?
There is not a site on the internet with unmoderated comments that will not devolve into anti-Semitism if you mention religion or Israel or, well, just about anything. And while there are a fair number of Jewish weblogs, still, the overwhelming viewpoint in comments threads is anti-Israel. Read Fark, or DailyKos, or Comment is Free. Read Harry’s Place and see how support of Israel brings out the anti-Semites. Or read the anti-Semitic messages that I collect and publish from time to time to see how enraged the Jew-haters get at a proud, pro-Israel Jew who will never allow them to call Jews by the names of our worst tormentors, or say that the Palestinians—who have suffered fewer than 4,000 deaths in a war that has been going on for sixty-one years—are suffering a modern-day “Holocaust,” when that is patently untrue.
So once again, to the anti-Israel trolls and commenters who want to trash the Jewish State—the lone true democracy in the Middle East—the state where Arabs can vote and run for office—the state that continues to work on weapons that will kill only Israel’s enemies and spare the innocent bystanders that the Arab terrorist takes such glee in destroying—get lost. Find another place to peddle your lies. Go cry to your buddies that your speech was censored, because you’re not going to become a regular here. Lurk all you want. Send emails, if you please. We just love mocking anti-Israel, anti-Semitic little trolls.
And there’s a never-ending supply of them. Guaranteed I will write another post like this a year or so down the road.
They never learn.
Too bad their education is lacking in the history department. Otherwise they would be aware Palestina is the Roman place name for the Kingdoms of Israel and Judea. Technically doesn’t that make the Palestinians Italian if they’ve chosen that name for their cultural identity?
Afterall, haven’t most of them only been in Israel for the last 30 odd years or less?
It’s stupidity at it’s most “awesome” levels. They can ignore ANY war crime that an Arab commits, whist claiming a Jew farting upwind of Gaza should be tried and executed for violating the human rights that Gazan’s have…
I can only guess what you an ACTUAL Jew have run into with these anti-Semites. I’ve been called everything in the book for being a non-Jew that has the GAUL to support such an evil regime.
Once again Meryl I want to say thank you for teaching me how to say the little phrase in Hebrew. I checked with my lawyer whom helping me get it perfect. It’s come in handy a few times over here near Dearborn Michigan.
The thing is that when you actually confront one of these people one-on-one in a public setting, and start using facts and logic on them, they tend to disintegrate into a mass of quivering jelly.
Continue the good work – They have a say in arabic: The dogs bark and the Caravan moves on…So let’s move on…
Meryl, I’m off-topic here, but did you have a chance to read the email I sent you (please do not use my English name, which is mentioned in the email and your reply) about the survivor of the attack at Mercaz HaRav Kook, who is trying to raise money for desparately needed surgery in the US? Thanks.
Let’s show the anti-Israel trolls that we will take action and not confine ourselves to words.