Hate Comments

I suppose all bloggers - but especially anyone who steps into the Israel/Palestinians debate - have to deal with hate mail at some point.  What do you do with the comments that include profanity?  What do you do with the comments that make Nazi comparisons?

Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, frequently blogs about Israel and so, receives a fair share of hate mail.  Every so often, Goldblog selects a few emails to publish on his blog.  Taking a cue from him, I shall embrace the hate and share with you - in bright red color to enhance the emotional effect - these impassioned missives.  (I substitute symbols for the characters in the profanities.  In the actual comments the words were written out.)

These 5 comments were received the day after the BDS referendum was defeated.  They were all posted to  More Hummus, Please

Do you guys feel ridiculous after the Daily Show bit? You should. It's %*@&king food, and you cannot dictate world politics with your wallet, despite what you may think.

I am not sure what this writer wants to say.  I didn't feel ridiculous after the Daily Show.  I think he is using the Jews, money and world control trope, here.  Nice.

Oh, censorship, how convenient. Good job. Surely, you will stop the maltreatment of Palestinians through censorship on your сrappy site.

 Next.

 i do think its a good thing to ban cor. im sick to wtch evry day the jews being like the germans in 1940s what did they do so wrong what is nit going on today since the 50s the jews been killing many so yes ban all your stuff untill you jew see that killing in any way is never right at all and for land as well wow looks to me the jews are the new germens... opps for got they well not post this truth sucks dont it

See, I posted it.

Sorry, Israel is a criminal state and we need a regime change there. There are plenty of moderate and reasonable Israeli people who would be far better representatives of the Jewish State than the criminal Zionist terrorists who rule that country. Sorry if the truth hurts folks!

Criminal!

You are a sick person, need to be destroyed? But why, just because they oppose the way Israel treats it citizens and the way they try to destroy the Palestinians lifes and families, just like the Nazis did

This was in response to the following comment which I was really ambivalent about posting:

I like you, the BDS people are people who need to be destroyed in any way possible I wish there were more Israeli products where I live, I have to send through mail order to buy most things,

I might have actually posted the reply, if the writer hadn't used the N-word.

Finally, I have this one from August 2011.  It came shortly after a piece about the Food Coop appeared on Mondoweiss.  The author identifies himself as "David Levine."

Aww, poor little racist $#!*s. Time to end the illegal Zionist occupation of Palestine and institute a true democracy with equal rights and justice for all. Justice will include, of course, full punishment for the numerous savage murders, massacres, thefts, and other transgressions of the vicious Zionist occupation.

That is all of them. Freedom of expression.

Obviously, these people all write from the perspective of being caring individuals. Perhaps some day their great passion for humanity will inspire them to investigate outside of their comfort zone and to shake off their confirmation bias. Surely a humanitarian can see both sides of the story.