The Pakistani Spectator

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?

I write the blog, Tikun Olam, dedicated to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  I began writing it in 2003 and it was one of the earliest Jewish blogs promoting Middle East peace.  I also write about Muslim-Jewish relations both in Israel and the U.S.

I have degrees in Hebrew literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary and UCLA.

I write regularly for The Guardian’s Comment is Free and other U.S. online publications.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?

I feel that my writing fills a void in the American Jewish community since the prevailing opinion is that American Jews are very hawkish about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  I want to present an alternative perspective that embraces negotiation over military force.

Writing my blog has been an intense personal experience.  Debating my readers, especially those who disagree with my views and believe I’m too “soft” on Arabs is a difficult but important project.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?

Invariably, when I’ve written about historical events and readers who actually lived through them write to me, this is deeply rewarding.  Also, finding out that when you write about a subject you consider obscure and find out that someone half a world away considers this subject as important to them—this is very rewarding.

Though you are writing alone in your home about a subject few people may be interested in—you find there are thousands around the world for whom your words are important—it’s an amazing feeling and provides an amazing sense of global connectedness.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?

I read a group of blogs that analyze the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and often publish comments there.  I attempt to keep my blogging friends aware of what I’m writing about and often try to enlist them in joint efforts to promote good deeds and similar types of pro peace projects.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?

Blogging democratizes political discourse.  It allows all people to express their views without the mediation of any central authority.  It takes such control away from the government or politicians and allows “the people” to exert more oversight over their leaders.

During wartime such as the 2006 Lebanon war or the recent Mumbai terror attack, it allowed ordinary people to provide firsthand accounts of the conflict.  Anything that increases peoples’ awareness and knowledge is a good thing.  And when we can read the blogs of people on both sides of a conflict as the conflict plays out in real times—this is a revolution in communication.  You no longer have to rely on mainstream journalists or governments to provide you such information.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?

Yes, absolutely.  It makes it harder for government officials and military authorities to lie.  They know they will be “found out.”  It doesn’t’ stop them from trying to do so.  But it allows people who read blogs to see “the emperor has no clothes.”  This increases democracy, increases dissent, and improves the quality of life in society.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?

I see myself as a dissident voice in the American Jewish community.  I challenge the views of the prevailing Israel lobby organizations.  I call consensus approved ideas into question.  I try to force my readers and the Jewish community into confronting their assumptions and questioning their validity.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?

Pugnaciousness and willingness to pursue justice.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

My wedding.

The assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?

Seville, Spain

Gaza-Israel

Isfahan, Iran

What is your favorite book and why?

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner.  It is a glorious affirmation of the power of love written in a beautiful style.

Book of Genesis: a wonderful and powerfully written series of dramatic stories.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?

Yes, a professor who gave me a bad grade on a graduate paper.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

It is hard to find financial remuneration when you write a political blog.  You can use Google Adsense ads and Amazon ads.

You can try to parlay your blogging reputation into writing for paying publications though this will likely not make you rich.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?

Are you crazy?  Writing a blog demands an enormous amount of time, effort and concentration.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?

Promote peace even in the midst of hatred, war and  hostility.  Question the prevailing wisdom especially if it promotes further war and bloodshed.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

Billmon (whose blog no longer exists)

Jesus’ General

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?

After the latest events in Mumbai, I feel very sad on Pakistan’s behalf.  There are those within the country who are resorting to terror to advance their political agenda.  While I fully recognize that the Indian side has its share of blame, negotiation and rapprochement is the only path to peace.  War and terror can never advance a political agenda.

The divide between Hindus and Muslims and between India and Pakistan can only be bridged by hard, honest negotiation.

I also feel deeply saddened about the deaths of nine Jews in Chabad House in Mumbai.  This act of anti-Semitism is an escalation of the hatred between Muslims and Hindus.  For the life of me, I do not understand why a rabbi and his wife and to be blamed for the sins of the Israeli Occupation.

No doubt, the fact that the Israeli-Palestinian festers contributes to Muslim anger against Israel.  But killing Jews is a perverted response to this issue.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?

Yes, I think that Billmon was one of the funniest, sharpest, and most satirically savage bloggers I’ve ever read.  I also enjoyed reading a blog written by a woman who was infertile and described her attempts to become pregnant.  It was a hilarious, painful & exquisitely difficult blog to read.

I admire any blogger who writes in a distinctive personal voice that is thoughtful and represents a genuine, personal point of view.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?

A developed country assumes so many things about itself and the rest of the world.  It can be oblivious to its neighbors and make the worst, most ignorant assumptions about them.

Developing countries confront terrible problems like poverty, the accumulation of power in the hands of the wealthy few, etc.

What is the future of blogging?

Blogging has a glowing future.  More people will blog and more people will read blogs.  They will become more important in terms of journalism and their visibility will increase.  Bloggers will have a greater political impact on their societies.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?

Blogging sometimes frustrates my wife who believes it takes up too much of my time.  It sometimes detracts from the amount of time I can give my family.  But blogging also connects me to so many people in the world I would otherwise never have met.  It is an amazing resource and helps me keep in touch with the world around me.

What are your future plans?

To raise my three children to be good citizens of the world.  To try to make the world a better place through my blog and political involvement.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?

Do not accept snap judgments you read from others especially when it comes to comments about Jews or Israel.  Do your own reading and thinking.  Read the thoughts and views of those “on the other side.”

Trackback URL