To thine own self be true?

Lately I’ve been thinking about my responsibilities as a blogger in general, and more specifically, as an English-language Israeli blogger. It is important to make the distinction here between English-language Israeli bloggers and Hebrew-language Israeli bloggers, as while the latter write for domestic consumption, the former, quite obviously, are allowing their thoughts to be known on a much wider scale. Through our blogs, we are presenting the world with pictures of Israel that they might not ordinarily have access to, and for better or worse, this is an exceptional accomplishment whose importance in the arena of world opinion should not be negated or minimized.

Blogging about Israel can be tricky. It isn’t always easy to write about a country whose very existence is often questioned, and I’ve discovered that I must carefully study nearly every word I write in order to ensure that my intended point is coming across. Even so, I’ve found that in the end, people will see what they want to see, and it may indeed be a far cry from the original meaning. People are always looking for the hidden meaning, always looking to trip you up. If you are critical of one group, they will surely let you know it, sparing no feelings while engaging in harsh, often personal, attacks. And it is quite amazing, really, how many people I’ve managed to irritate through my writing. There is clearly something about Israel that brings people to the very brink of sanity, where passions become enflamed to the point of combustion. It doesn’t matter where on the spectrum you are, there will always be someone to your right or to your left who will find fault in your words, and thus find it imperative to knock you down. It’s astonishing to witness the reaction when the subject of Israel is brought up, and it amazes me to see how many people have chosen the Arab-Israeli conflict as their cause celebre. For Jews and Arabs, I can see the attraction, but what is it about Israel that makes Irish academics feel the need to boycott Israeli universities? What have they to do with me and the country in which I live? Why do people feel this burning need to single out Israel as the focus of their scorn, when there are so many equally if not more tragic situations occurring in many parts of the world? I’m not trying to minimize the gravity of the situation here, but surely, there must be universities to boycott in other countries. One only needs to read this piece in order to put Israel’s role as an aggressor into some semblance of perspective.

And where does this leave me, an Israeli leftist blogger, as I wrestle with my convictions on a daily basis, as my unwavering love for my country is sorely tested by a dysfunctional government and its questionable policies? Ultimately, as a blogger I write for myself, exercising my mind and my skills, at times working through my frustrations, and often capturing my mood of the moment, whether it be happy or sad, angry or contemplative. Ultimately, I am responsible only to myself and my ability to look myself in the mirror each morning. Unfortunately, the situation is not so black and white, given the speed at which information moves around the world these days, and one must consider the greater implications of one’s words. Jostein Gaarder (remember him?) paid a price for failing to make this consideration, when he assumed that by writing in Norwegian for a Norwegian newspaper, that his words would not make it out of Norway and would only reach their intended audience of Norwegian citizens.

One cannot foresee in advance where words will go, or which words will make it to which reader. It is this point that leads me to the crux of the matter. What factors must I take into account when writing an entry? If I am being critical of Israel, must I take care to be balanced or less critical, for fear that the piece will end up in the “wrong” hands, so to speak? Should I be worried about people who might use my words against my people and my country, twisting the meaning to suit their own needs, using my writings as ammunition against Israel or the Jews? Quite frankly, I just don’t know. I am not comfortable with the thought of drawing a line for myself in the sand, a line that I will not allow myself to cross, especially when I believe in what I write. I do not write for those who hate, and do not relish the thought of having to consider their intentions. They will do as they wish, and I cannot control the tools that they use to further their hatred. In this day and age, anything is possible, and there will inevitably always be people who will seek out the bad in things that are good. Should we be hesitant about making medical advances for fear that people will use the advances for less than ethical means? In cases where the good outweighs the bad, I think it is important for people to take bold steps, despite the potential pitfalls, otherwise we are simply running in place. We cannot move forward if we do not take chances, if we do not make leaps of faith in hopes that the eventual outcome will be a positive one.