I am getting increasingly fed up at the rise in personal abuse against those who give or gave service in public life. Today, on the Jerusalem Post website, there is a rather nice tribute to the late David Kimche, one-time Mossad leader, diplomat and journalist. Since making aliyah in 1948 from London, David Kimche did everything he possibly could to serve the Jewish nation-state, sometimes in the most secret of ways.
Once he left formal public posts, he was at liberty to express his own opinions about the policies and paths which the Israeli government was pursuing. Surely, someone like David Kimche — to whom even Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu paid fulsome and heartfelt tribute today — is entitled to a certain level of gratitude for the services he rendered his country.
Instead, on the comments below the article, there is this meanspirited observation: "Who or what was Kimche really? Civil servant with a clear leftist agenda! He was the local representative of the Council on Foreign Relations..that says it all! At least to those who known what that organization really stands for..."
Michael Dar, from Israel, who wrote this mealymouthed remark, should be ashamed of himself. As has been said elsewhere, I knew David Kimche. Mr Dar, you ain't no David Kimche. He made a difference. Baruch dayan emet.