Received by email:
I don't believe a word of "It's painful to see Orthodox Jews being criticized by outsiders," you are quite happy to. [sic]
Are you inside my head? Do you know what I think and feel? You've never engaged me for a polite conversation on the subject, never written me asking for a clarification of a point. From here it looks like this unsupported blast is just unsubstantiated whining from a RWer who thinks *any* criticism of Israel makes you are an enemy of Israel. That's sad.
Why aren't you just the Ibn Ezra?.
I appreciate the reference. That post, incidently, is one of my favorites. It sums up my views on blogging in particular and the clash of ideas in general. Brighter lights than you have understood that. Take, for example, Rabbi Lazer Brody who said, after reading that post "For background material on "ritcha d'oraissa" [anger for Torah - DB], see [that post] and learn how two Orthodox Jews can confront each other with flaming swords in the mutual search for truth."
The difference between you and the Ibn Ezra is that he actually identified who he was.
Also, he lived in 12th century Spain, and I have indoor plumbing.
You are a coward who hides behind a pseudonym and lobs rhetorical grenades at anyone you disagree with
Now there's something unethical about blogging anonymously? I expect that will be unwelcome news to Orthomom, the RenReb, Godol Hador, AidelMaidel, Ben Chorin, the Westen Jew, Ben Chorin, Mirty, LamidZayin, S, the shaigetz, Zman Biur, and countless others. Is it possible this rule, like the voices, exists nowhere but in your own mind?
What is it? Are you hurt that you didn't make the cut for the Israel Advocacy award?
There was a cut? Not according to the rules: Self-nominating is allowed. If I was upset at being excluded, I would have nominated myself.
Did that hurt your oversized ego?
I do have a distinctive shtick, it's true, but most people are smart enough to realize it shouldn't be taken seriously, that it's mostly something I do just to keep the blog interesting. Besides, anyone who blogs has an ego. It's only our ego that allows us to believe we have something worth writing in the first place.
I'll give you a hint: someone who compares Israel to pre-Mandela South Africa is not advocating for Israel. If you say that Israel pursues "apartheid" policies, you are not helping Israel. You are using a label that means that Israel is illegitimate. Don't hide behind your " ... I wasn't saying that Israel is an apartheid state just that some of its policies are ..." type rhetoric. If you didn't mean it don't write it. YOU are the one who is harming Israel by giving Israel's enemies ammunition to use against the Jewish state.
I appreciate the compliment, but I find it difficult to accept that the idea that Israel, at one time, permitted apartheid-like conditions in the territory it conquered and controlled originated here, at DovBear. And though I agree with you that someone who tells lies about Israel can't be called an "advocate" that statment cuts both ways. The far left has its lies, but so does the far-right. Shibboleths are everywhere, even here, at DovBear I'm afraid. A good discussion about this topic is already underway here, beneath a post where my thoughts on what is not advocacy for Israel can be found. (and here's a friendly tip in return: Blogs that make fun of Rachel Corrie aren't advocating for Israel either. If you had any guts you'd write them angry letters about the damge they do to the reputation of Israel and Judaism.)
If you're so interested in fairness why not at least defend us? Why not say that the General went too far.
I don't think he went too far. Though some of his examples were sloppy, his argument was not.
You know that he was quoting me out of context.
Actually, I didn't know that. I don't really read your blog. But once you called attention to the error, I went back, confirmed it, and posted a clarification
And when he said that right wing supporters of Israel were "genocidal" it didn't bother you?
He didn't say RW supporters of Israel were genocidal. That claim is even more outrageuous and out of context than what he said about you. Anyway, I'd advise you to read a little more of the General's blog tYou may notice that he is a satire site "designed to represent the ignorance, arrogance, narrow-mindedness, racism and hypocrisy of George Bush's Christian conservative base." For this reason he often makes outrageous remarks, but insiders, careful readers and those of us who are paying attention understand that he is playing a part.
You owed it to us to take issue with his hyperbole if you didn't agree with it. If you don't believe we are monsters then correct your ally.
Um, for the record, I did correct my "ally" when I wrote: "They aren't monsters (obviously) but you wouldn't know it from reading some of their posts."
(BTW, how did get these choice quotes? I bet you fed him the selected quotes, because I really doubt that he would have taken the time search our blogs and come up with all of it.)
That's just stupid. But in case any of your supporters are equally stupid let me say categorically that I've never communicated with the General about Jewish blogs at any time.
Wasn't Leon Wieseltier so eloquent when he smugly gloated over fellow Jews losing their homes and livelihoods? But the moment he stepped away from the DB line of correct thinking he was an easily dismissed "professional Jew."
I think that actually speaks well of me. Rather than considering the source, I considered the argument. When I agreed with Leon's thinking, I said so. When I didn't, I pulled no punches. Some call that intellectual honesty.
You have no honor. You have no shame.
Please remove me from your blogroll, I do not wish to be associated with the likes of you. I had reversed myself before and put you back on my blogroll because I felt I owed you for your help early on with Haveil Havalim. But you've more than made up for that. You are siding with enemies of Israel. And you don't see it.
That's right. I don't see it, because it isn't true. The views you so carelessly dismiss as the ravings of an "enemy of Israel" are in fact supported by the majority of Israelis. Israelis supported the disengagment and so did I. They supported Sharon's fence, and so did I. They support land for peace and the creation of a Palestenian state, and so do I. Is every Jew and Israeli who disagrees with you your enemy?
That must be a very painful delusion to carry through life.