The Blog Down: The UN, E-1, and anti-Israel sentiments

e1 stop 521.(Photo by: Ammar Awad/Reuters)

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI
12/11/2012

No sooner were JPost.com bloggers reeling from the Gaza operation than the Palestinian UN bid took center stage.

No sooner were JPost.com bloggers reeling from Operation Pillar of Defense than the Palestinian United Nations bid took center stage. To top it off, in the wake of recent events at the UN, Hamas's celebrations, and the subsequent, internationally unpopular settlement plans, many of our bloggers contended with anti-Semtism, anti-Israel rhetoric, personal attacks and voiced concerns over Israel's standing in the world today.

This week, two separate guest bloggers from two continents submitted similar and disturbing articles regarding anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments. Conservative talk radio host Josh Nass voiced concerns over numerous personal stories of young college students who witnessed anti-Israel sentiment by professors during Operation Pillar of Defense. In his post, Anti-Israel bigotry in the classroom must end, Nass urges students to take a stand when Israel is unjustifiably attacked in academic circles.

"I’m not familiar with the backgrounds of these particular professors. But regardless, their utter ignorance about the conflict needs to be corrected. It is the responsibility of the executive boards of each of these respective schools to re-evaluate whether keeping such mouthpieces of anti-Israel bigotry aboard, is beneficial to the education of their students. But it is also incumbent upon the students, to bring such cases to the attention of those in executive positions at their particular schools.

In a similar post, Dutch student and blogger Timon Dias attempts to explain to Jerusalem Post readers why the West doesn't hate Hamas. Dias cites personal stories from school and from discussions with other students to piece together this puzzling notion in his blog, The lack of Western disgust for Hamas. He writes,

"Among most students, the narrative on the creation of Israel can be summarized as follows: ‘Nazi’s started the Holocaust, so the Jews fled to a land that was owned and inhabited by peaceful Arabs. Then the Jews kicked the Arabs out, created their own state, and left the Palestinians to rot in refugee camps and open air prisons ever since. So now the Arabs are paying the price for the Holocaust, which was caused by white Europeans. How unfair.’ …

But it is this perceived illegitimacy of Israel as a state that lies at the core of the Western lack of disgust for Hamas.

In an even more blatant display of anti-Israel sentiment, blogger Gil Troy faced attacks on a personal level and chose to eloquently respond to his critics in his whimsically titled post, Confessions of a racist pig.

“'You should not be allowed to write here,” an irate respondent posted, reacting to an article I wrote during the Gaza conflict on a leftwing blog dedicated to fostering Middle East dialogue. “Go find some fascist paper to write for you despicable liar. You are so scandalous and nasty I can't even breathe right now.' And then the kicker: 'You racist pig.'

Shocked? How would you respond to such criticism? Read the blog to find out Troy's response.

Moving on from personal attacks to international condemnation, Abe Foxman raises concern and offers criticism on the lack of international support for Israel at the UN General Assembly. In his latest post, The Palestinians' UN Gambit: Now What? He expresses disappointment in the voting records of Israel's European "friends" and cautions,

"The onus is now on the Palestinians to make the right choice and to return to negotiations. The alternative will leave the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unresolved and festering with no framework in place to negotiate the issues…

…If that happens, and we see more violent confrontations like the one we just witnessed in Gaza in the months and years ahead, those countries who failed to stand up and say no in the General Assembly to the Palestinian fantasy state will bear a great deal of responsibility.

Immediately following, we have Michael Omer-Man's blog critiquing the Israeli response to the Palestinian UN bid and voicing his concerns over Israel's increasing international isolation. In his most recent blog, Netanyahu, E-1 and the problem with democracy, Omer-Man is overtly critical of Netanyahu's decision to expand settlement building outside Jerusalem. He accuses the prime minister of putting his political interests first at the expense of the country he serves. He writes,

"The prime minister knew that advancing construction in E-1 would put Israel in the middle of a diplomatic maelstrom. Furthermore, he knows that by advancing construction in E-1 he is driving yet another nail into the already closed coffin interring the two-state solution as it awaits burial.

But N etanyahu never intended to achieve a two-state solution, so that’s not an issue. And he’s already taken on the United States and survived politically. So 'what’s the big deal?', Netanyahu asks.

He may very well be pushing Israel further into international isolation, but hey, at least he’ll be around to deal with it.

What is your take on Netanyahu and E-1 building? Check out Omer-Man's blog and join the discussion.

Finally as an end to this week's wrap we offer a thank you and a sad goodbye to Hilary Leila Kreiger and Rebecca Anna Stoil whose blog National Zoo, covering the 2012 US presidential elections, has come to a natural conclusion.

We wish them all the best!

The writer is The Jerusalem Post’s blogs editor

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