13th Thought

The article I will be discussing, from the Jerusalem Post:
Here

This article is about David Ben-Gurion's blog.

Ilan Ben-Yaacov is the ghost writer, who uses the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute's online archive of the Prime Minister's letters and thoughts. Ben-Yaacov said, "He is a modern thinker, and I think he designed many of the values and things we believe in today in the Israeli state." The blog has a twofold purpose: to give the audience a better understanding of Ben-Gurion, and to use his ideas to comment on modern events. For instance, a letter he wrote about polio is used to discuss current media coverage of the swine flu.

There were concerns that the project could be construed as disrespectful. The article notes, ""When I suggested the blog, Edna was afraid about the conservatives saying it's rude and it's not appropriate for his memory," Ben-Yaacov recalled. "I think we've done it right. We don't want to hurt his heritage; we want to spread it out."" I see also the potential problem of putting words into his mouth; he can't exactly protest how the discussions are framed, after all. But I think Ben-Yaacov's point is a good one. The blog will surely introduce many young google-searchers, Israeli or no, to his writings and ideas.

The internet is a powerful new media. We've seen in these travels through Israeli news how it can be used to spread anti-Semitism, yet also providing a new way for Jews to connect and discuss their lives. I think this blog idea is a fascinating one. It definitely appeals to my age-group as an audience; as Ben-Yaacov notes, "The dream I have is that everyone who will search google for terms like leadership, Israel, Zionism or Negev and other subjects will get to the blog and find that Ben-Gurion had something to say about things happening right now." I've learned about Ben-Gurion through this course, but there's a lot more to find out about, and I think this blog is a good way of doing so. The project is an encouraging one, both for Israeli history, and as a fun idea for other historical figures!

His blog can be read here. I plan to do so in the future.