More like a "There go my illusions..." diary.
Two days ago I posted a diary about Israel, but it was not really an I/P diary (nor is this one). My goal was to explicate and call out a disturbing trend where, instead of criticizing Israel's actual actions, people fabricate, and ascribe to Israel, egregious evils it never perpetrated -- malice so pointless and sadistic as to make Israel seem positively demonic, much like Blood Libel did; evils like deliberately burning children with White Phosphorus, or irradiating Palestinians with Depleted Uranium. Israel's real actions don't pack enough of a "sadistic evil" wallop, I guess, so fabrications are mustered.
I had posted that diary with a heavy heart, expecting some negative reaction; but I didn't expect what I received. 200 comments -- of what?
Now mind you, in that diary, I had said not one word about Israel's actual conduct; not a single word -- not one! -- in defense of Israel's actions. Instead, I was scrutinizing fabrications, and only fabrications; and I explained in some detail why they are indeed fabrications.
However, almost nobody who responded, actually addressed that point. It's as if it was surrounded with a Someone Else's Problem field.
Most posters who responded to the actual diary, responded with some variant of "Israel is evil, and you are defending it" line, even though I said not one word in defense of Israel's real actions. This seems to have been a standard knee-jerk reaction -- if I am not excoriating Israel, I must be an Israeli apologist, I imagine.
There was a predictable dose of "you are just trying to label all criticisms of Israel as anti-semitism", even though I didn't say one contrary word to criticism of Israel's actual actions. In fact, I criticized Israel myself many times, most saliently for settlements and for 2006 Lebanon incursion. However, it looks to me like many people hold very dear the ability to make up lies, and regard being called out on that as offensive.
Someone suggested I be tossed into Guantanamo.
Someone else suggested that I am just a bloody racist.
Someone suggested that I am justifying war crimes.
Someone accused me of babbling victimology.
etc.
I expected opposition, even strident opposition. What I didn't expect was the concerted, studious overlooking of the point; what I didn't expect was for this to morph into a "you are a bloody racist zionist murder apologist" sort of thing. What I didn't expect was the torrent of blind, irrational hate. Now I feel an urge to apologize, to prove that I am a 'good' jew -- look, I oppose AIPAC! I support the two-state solution! -- but it is this very urge which deeply disturbs me.
I regard myself as "liberaltarian". One of my best friends, a semi-observant jew, has many times argued to me that the Left is anti-semitic. I have always responded that genuine anti-semites, usually masquerading as anti-zionists, are a tiny fringe minority on the left.
Having observed the lefty blogosphere for the last month, I don't think I could make that argument with a straight face any more, and that hurts. I desperately wish to be wrong, but I cannot ignore what I see. I hope someone can explain it better than I can.