This is the first comment by you that I have read in this thread so far where you don t “lump” all people who are at variance with your opinion into one “bag”.

Thank you

Such people as Eli make for interesting dialogue, but of course they tend to sink into insults and invective, which is unfortunate.

You wouldn’t know what a progressive Zionist was if you ran into an entire convention of them at J Street. Oh but I forgot for people like you J Streeters are traitors to the Jewish race or something like that. Or do I have yr views wrong by a millimeter or so?

I love my people. This is considered a virtue for Pakistanis, Iranians, Syrians, and Palestinians here.

No, wrong. There is no virtue in anyone of any nationality who loves their own only to hate the other, which pretty much characterizes people like you.

only Jews are expected to trash their own people

Another Israel-First fallacy: that Jews=Israelis. First, I don’t criticize Jews unless they are Jews who harbor noxious hardline Israeli nationalist politics (like you). Second, I don’t criticize Israelis unless they express such odious racist views. Third, I have written scores of blog posts representing Israel & Israelis at their best. But unfortunately for you the one I feature here for praise are not the ones you hang out w. because while they love their own people they don’t hate sufficiently for yr taste their Arab neighbors.

You say this sort of thing frequently

Actually, I don’t. But when people like you attempt snappy one-liners I don’t let you get away w. snark.

You seem to use it with anyone who disagrees with you

False again. Many here disagree w. me. Some do so respectfully & are never treated w. disrespect in return. If you can’t argue w. respect you won’t get any in return. And yes, I have written that all too often unfortunately, but only to those who feel that their superior intellect, knowledge & mastery of facts & history allows them to treat those they disagree with with disdain. Show disdain you’ll get it in return.

it certainly isn’t brave.

That’s a meaningless non sequitur. My rhetorical style has nothing to do with bravery or its opposite. And you are beside the pt.

It’s a constant bone of contention as to whether one can fiercely oppose the Israeli government and yet not be anti-Israel or anti-Jewish.

Only for people like you. For the rest of the reasonable Jews & Israelis in the world this is a settled matter and one can certainly (& SHOULD) oppose bad Israel policy and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that entitles you or anyone to label this anti-Israel and certainly not anti-Jewish. And if you do it violates one of my most important comment rules & is absolutely treif.

this site, and others like it, go way beyond that.

Now, you’re treading on very dangerous ground.

the terms “Zionist” and “anti-Jihadist” are used as bitter insults.

I dare you to find a single reference written by me here that does this. And if you don’t do so in the next comment you publish here I will consider taking further measures to restrict yr comment privileges. I do NOT allow lying here. I have written here that I am a progressive ZIonist, which would preclude my doing the very thing you claim I have done. Now I challenge you to support your claim. And keep in mind that you may not use phrases including the term “Zionist” in which I make clear that I’m talking about “right wing ZIonists” and such. I do not use the unmodified term “ZIonist” as a pejorative though other readers here have done so.

The overwhelming majority of both Israeli and Diaspora Jews consider themselves to be both Zionist and anti-Jihadist

The overwhelming majority of Jews don’t know what an “anti Jihadist” is nor do they care. You write as if all Jews in the world are Daniel Pipes, David Horowitz, Steve Emerson & yrself, which is a laugh & a half in itself. ANd while the overwhelming majority of Jews may consider themselves either Zionist of sympathetic to ZIonism, the overwhelming majority would place the issue of “Zionism” quite low on their list of everyday concerns, whether human or Jewish. Sorry to rain on yr Zionism uber-Alles parade, my friend.

you can’t, in practical terms, be fiercely anti-Zionist, pro-jihadist, and anti-Israel and not be against the Jewish people

What utter meaningless dreck.

You’re my enemies, and you’re the enemies of the majority of the Jewish people, regardless of what’s in your hearts.

First, I’m happy to be your enemy. Second, I’m the enemy of YOUR definition of the Jewish people which is NOT the definition of the “overwhelming majority” of the Jewish people. As for your obliviousness to what’s in my heart, you should also add that you’re oblivious to what’s in my mind & written on the page right in front of yr eyes.

You are banned.

But that doesn’t make you one. You can consider yourself anything you like, but that doesn’t make it true. I see no sign of it here.

“I actually care about Israelis.”

Again, I see no sign of it here.

“Which tells us quite a bit about what you don’t care a whit about…”

No, it tells you that I love my people. This is considered a virtue for Pakistanis, Iranians, Syrians, and Palestinians here. On this site, only Jews are expected to trash their own people, and to do so vitriolically, in order to be considered acceptably progressive. I’m a pretty far-left liberal, and I also love my own people. People such as yourself, Mary and Shirin give every sign of thinking that these things are mutually exclusive. They’re not.

“Then you wouldn’t have wasted yr own time & ours reading this.”

You say this sort of thing frequently, Richard. You seem to use it with anyone who disagrees with you. It’s easy to be rough and tough in the blogosphere, Richard, especially when it’s your blog. It’s unpleasant to do so, and while not exactly cowardly, it certainly isn’t brave.

It’s a constant bone of contention as to whether one can fiercely oppose the Israeli government and yet not be anti-Israel or anti-Jewish. Of course, one can. But this site, and others like it, go way beyond that. This is a site where the terms “Zionist” and “anti-Jihadist” are used as bitter insults. Almost half of the world’s Jews live in Israel. If current demographic trends continue, the majority will live there soon enough. The overwhelming majority of both Israeli and Diaspora Jews consider themselves to be both Zionist and anti-Jihadist; the latter is a no-brainer. So, in spite of the intellectual legerdemain you all employ, you can’t, in practical terms, be fiercely anti-Zionist, pro-jihadist, and anti-Israel and not be against the Jewish people, 90% of whom love Israel, are Zionist, and are anti-Jihadist. To maintain otherwise is just an intellectual trick. You’re my enemies, and you’re the enemies of the majority of the Jewish people, regardless of what’s in your hearts.

“…the only real threat to the peace and future of Israel comes from Jews in Israel and elsewhere.”

Shirin, if you really believe that, I’m frightened for your children. And mine.

If you really cared about that, then you would be deeply alarmed at the way Jews of Israel are conducting themselves in the world. You would recognize that the only real threat to the peace and future of Israel comes from Jews in Israel and elsewhere.