Israel is a fantastic country, a truly modern miracle in fact. However, it behaves in a way that does not correspond with its self-image as a strong state with a vibrant economy and democracy that boasts OECD membership, an advanced high-tech industry and nuclear-armed military. Jonathan and Avraham and their acolytes can sneer all they like, and Anthony can post inanities, but yes, a weak, fearful, pathetic Israel is behaving just like the weak, fearful, pathetic Iran and North Korea.
Israel is currently embroiled with Lebanon in a battle over who has made the world's largest plate of Hummus. This is like North Korea fighting with South Korea over who has the tallest flag pole. Does it really matter? Only a weak, fearful and, frankly, paranoid society needs to take note of that kind of "achievement".
Israel is also fighting Iran for a place in the Guinness Book of Records over who has played a chess game with the most participants. Does it really matter? The Persians invented the game after all. Loz'm Gay. Let them have the stupid accolade.
Instead of worrying about Hummus and Chess, surely Israel's leaders and their spokespeople abroad should be more concerned about the decline in Israelis' education. The children of the descendants of the people of the book rarely read books nowadays and are more concerned in who will win the Israeli version of X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. Israel is near the bottom of any international education league table. It is creating a generation of ignorami who know practically nothing about their own culture, let alone that of the wider world around them.
And the people who gave us the Prophet Amos and social justice have one of the widest social gaps between rich and poor in the OECD. And it's getting worse.
We also gave the world the Golden Rule: Ve'ahavta le'reechah kemochah. Love thy neighbour as thyself. But Israel has a growing racism problem, not only towards its Arab inhabitants and its Palestinian neighbours, but towards the non-Jewish foreigners who have sought refuge and work within its borders.