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July 20, 2006
The Forward hasn't heard of centrist and right bloggers
Via Canonist: The Forward thinks that bloggers are avoiding writing about the Israeli-Hizbullah war.
That's because the only bloggers mentioned in the aricle are left-of-center bloggers.
I just sent them a letter:
Jennifer Siegal thinks that "Bloggers are silent" on Israel.Her article should have been called "Left-wing American bloggers are silent." The center and right of the blogosphere in the US and Europe have been commenting on the Israel-Hizbullah war since it started, many with as much "complexity" as Leon Wieseltier could wish for.
See Memeorandum for all the blogger opinion and stories you could want.
But the most interesting story Siegal is missing is the huge number of bloggers in Israel and Lebanon who have been liveblogging the war (while commenting on each others' blogs about it). Many mainstream mewspapers have noticed this phenomenon and written about it. Not to gratuitously toot my own horn, but I have collected a lot of examples here.
Judith Weiss
Judith | 07/20/06 at 04:00 PM | Categories: - The Fourth Estate
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Comments
Ha! I just saw that story and was about to mention it. The Forward is so silly.
Solomon ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.keshertalk.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| July 20, 2006 06:15 PM
I don't really read the forum, but doesn't it always have a leftward tilt?
If I recall correctly, the Forward's origins were in the left-wing (socalist) Jewish groups.
It's like a Jewish pull-out from the New York Times.
Solomon | July 20, 2006 11:41 PM
My comment wasn't approved? Why?!
FernR | July 21, 2006 12:03 AM
Left-wing bloggers have most definitely been commenting on the war. However as our comments do not in general accord with the prevailing Israel-can-do-no-wrong tone of American neocon bloggers (and the American media in general), we get ignored by you. Nevertheless, over here in Europe you'd be hard pressed to find a blogger commenting on the war who was NOT doing so from a left-wing perspective.
maybe you should retitle your post "Kesher Talk hasn't heard of European bloggers".
Rob, read the article I linked to and read my post.
The person who doesn't think bloggers are writing about Israel is the author of the Forward article. She interviewed several prominent American left-of-center bloggers who told her that left-of-center bloggers aren't writing about Israel because "it's so complex" unlike (in their view) those neo-cons who rush in with their opinions because they aren't afraid to be simplistic. I didn't say that, these prominent lefty bloggers did.
If you know that lefty bloggers are writing about Israel, send the Forward a letter and tell them so.
"maybe you should retitle your post "Kesher Talk hasn't heard of European bloggers".
I link to lots of European bloggers. In my letter I also linked to Memeorandum (which features blogposts from all over the political spectrum) and my list of MSM who have written about the liveblogging of the war. Some of those bloggers are also left wing.
Judith | July 21, 2006 01:11 AM
Apologies for my hasty misreading. I'll write to The Forward with a suitable list once I'm home and not paying by the minute!
