I'm finding myself disturbed by Richard Herring's Twitter implication a few moments ago that the username @israel is worthless, presumably due to the debased worthlessness of the name Israel in general. It's one thing to question the policies of the nation (I do) but this -- again, via (strong) implication -- is a typical, reflexive British damning of the basic notion of Israel. Which particularly annoys me as Britain was largely responsible for creating the borders and nations now found in its (formerly) occupied territories. And within the lifetimes of people who still walk (or at least roll) the earth.

Oh, don't come crying "comedy" to me. Comedy doesn't invalidate legitimate reactions to the underlying ideas expressed via its obstructing and amplifying methods.

The irony is, Herring's joke -- about the 6-figure sum Israel reportedly paid to a guy named Israel for possession of the @israel name (he claimed the first five figures were probably 0) -- would be far less offensive as a standard "cheap Jew" joke. So, as I like Herring, I think I will choose to take it that way, allowing me to be more quaintly and individually offended.

And to forgive him this Saturday. Which, as you most surely know, is Yom Kippur.