Following the last Israeli election, I had a lot of controversial discussions with my friends. I claimed that the results are not so horrible: based on the past, only right-wing coalitions had brought piece to the region.

And what About Libermann? My friends would ask.

I don’t mind, I answered, Libermann’s ideas and world views might dawn exactly where mines are setting down, but I appreciate his lack of respect for foreplay: Libermann doesn’t believe in temporary solutions and he doesn’t argue about percentages of Jerusalem. He says what many don’t dare to say, that there’s no real solution.

Time had proved me wrong. The current tenure of the Israeli government created a new situation for me: it is acceptable, almost cool, to hate Israelis, boycott their products, despise their behavior, declare without hesitation that they are unwelcome.

And I am thinking: They hate us for what? for our violent and merciless behavior toward other people.

And I realize that I am really missing the good ol’ days when the world used to hate us because we were leading the pack academically, philosophically and ethically.