Blogger Diplomacy

Feature | 2255, February 2nd, 2006

I’m going to Israel as a citizen journalist and a peace activist. As a citizen journalist, I’m going to show my 20,000 daily Iranian readers what Israel really looks like and how people live there.

Hossein Derakhshan, Editor: Myself, Visiting Israel, breaking a major taboo

Hoder in Tel Aviv [Lisa Goldman/On the Face]

As Iran and the west go to loggerheads over nukes, it may actually be the republic’s fractious relationship with Israel that proves to be the most worrisome. President Ahmadinejad has called repeatedly for Israel’s destruction in recent months, and Israel has said they will not accept a hostile Iran with nuclear capabilities. More than once, Israel a has threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, as they did Iraq’s in the ’80s. Israel is itself most likely a nuclear power, but for “political and security reasons” they won’t say definitively.

Given all that, Iranian super-blogger Hossein Derakhshan , better known as Hoder, is something of a one man diplomatic team of late. He went to Israel last week to observe the Palestinian elections, and his presence dredged up a lot of strong sentiment. He as been staying with fellow (sometimes Global Voices) blogger Lisa Goldman in Tel Aviv. The pair have been traveling around the country visiting universities, chatting with people in cafes and on street corners, and blogging extensively about how Israelis view Iran and Iranians. While Hossein’s writing has mostly been in Farsi, Lisa and other bloggers, as well as major news media, are covering his trip.

I think one of the reasons he ‘blends’ is because of his low-key attitude. He takes photos discreetly, so no-one notices; he never points or makes loud observations along the lines of ‘how quaint these natives be.’ He’s a cool guy, our H…

Lisa Goldman, On the Face, More on Hossein’s visit

The hatred of Israel and Zionism is one of the major foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran. So what Hoder is doing is quite dangerous. This is a great move. I am happy for him and hope his trip will be fruitful for himself and for us all.

AIS, An Iranian Student, Hoder’s trip to Israel

Not everyone has been receptive, however.

Hossein met a few Iranian Jews who own shops along Jaffa Road in Jerusalem….One guy, upon hearing that he was being introduced to an Iranian Muslim, muttered an inaudible excuse, ducked out of the shop and disappeared. I gathered that they were suspicious of Hossein – perhaps they thought he was a spy. But they weren’t the only ones who were suspicious: one Israeli reporter friend told me that a colleague was convinced Hossein was a foreign agent. (to which Hossein asked, “Foreign agent for whom?”)

Lisa Goldman, On the Face, More on the Iranian in Tel Aviv

Hossein Derakhshan is very much like Gorbachev. He is know to be an outstanding Iranian youngster in the west, but amongst Iranian youth inside and outside Iran, according to my knowledge, he is very much criticized for his pursue of fame. Personally, I admire him for being the one who started blogging in Iran, but many times I just wonder how much immature he is.

Canadian resident Arash, Kamangir (Archer), Hoder in Israel

Extra-Credit Reading

Hossein’s Op-Ed, Democracy’s Double Standard in the January 28th New York Times
Article in the Jerusalem Post
Article in Haaretz
Coverage on Global Voices
Hossein was Iranian.com’s Iranian of the Day on January 28th
Event with social network group ILCU.com
Interview on BBC Radio
Yael K, Step-by-Step: Making Aliyah to Israel, Saturday, January 28, 2006
Khorshid, Sarbazekuchak, Little Goebbels in Israel