Every blogger has his favorite blog posts. My list is a mix of evocative, witty or quirky posts. Some of them also had a long shelf life (that is, I frequently referred to it as the year progressed), or drew unusually positive feedback.
In no particular order:
1. Toulouse, Twitter, and the Media Incitement Factor
After the Toulouse massacre, a reader perfectly captured my thoughts, expressing them better than I would have. I learned an important lesson: there are times when feeling the pain is more appropriate than trying to make broad statements.
2. Gaza War in the Eyes of an 11 Year-Old Girl
My daughter was astonished to learn that Ismail Haniyeh spent the previous Gaza war hiding beneath the Shifa Hospital. The things kids say!
3. Disproportionate Coverage: The Flip Side
When Haaretz columnist Chemi Shalev raised a counter-intuitive point about the world’s excessive interest in Israel, it reminded me of a conversation from my old kibbutz days. Interestingly, some bloggers who picked up the post quoted my colorful friend instead of Shalev.
4. R.I.P. One-State Solution; Long Live 3-State Solution?
Thanks to Hamas, I don’t take the one-state solution seriously anymore. I referred readers back to this post a lot this year, and I’m mulling a followup.
5. Haaretz’s Cold Hierarchy of Importance
After publisher Amos Schocken tried to justify why Haaretz gave the Japanese tsunami greater prominence than the Fogel family massacre, I articulated in no-uncertain terms why he was wrong. I got a nice lift when a professional involved with the media here said my assessment hit the nail on the head.
6. Pipe Dreams
The BBC and some non-governmental organizations blamed Israel’s blockade for Gaza’s polluted drinking water. Just what were the “pipe dreams” behind these reports?
The Guardian slammed Israel for the sad state of Gaza’s medical system. Ironically, its video was filmed in a hospital symbolizing everything warped about Hamas health care.
8. Yitzhak Shamir and the Ghoul Pool
When I realized the late prime minister outlived the author of The Independent’s obituary, I knew exactly what my headline would be.
9. Israel Made Me Beat My Wife, Part 2
One day after The Guardian blamed Palestinian domestic violence on “the occupation,” Nancy Zaboun was brutally murdered in broad daylight by her husband. West Bank women protested against spousal abuse and honor killings — not against Israel.
10. Gazans Name Babies After Iranian Missiles
This witty post is made by the accompanying photo.
(Image via Flickr/Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com)
