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By Ira Sharkansky
 JERUSALEM—Once again I have received a note saying that Israel does not do a good job of explaining itself.
It does a credible job. There is no end of explanation coming from government offices charged with the task, as well as from individual politicians. There is even more from literate citizens who tell their stories and perspectives. Non-governmental organizations also do their part. Among the most impressive are Memri (www.memri.org) that translates media from Muslim countries into English, Hebrew, and other languages; and NGO Monitor (www.ngo-monitor.org), which surveys organizations that claim to be concerned with human rights, but condemn Israel out of proportion to their coverage of other places.
Also within the orbit of explaining Israel are individual Jews overseas, their organizations, and non-Jews friendly to Israel. Prominent are Christian Zionists and Evangelicals in the United States and Europe, and the Makuya of Japan.
A great deal of what comes out of these sources is accurate, balanced, and persuasive for those inclined to judge fairly.
There is also a lot of tendentious blather that is meant to bolster Israel, but is the intellectual equivalent of anti-Semitism. Included here are distorted readings of Holy Text (God gave all the land to us.); and exaggerated descriptions of Jewish accomplishments, perhaps meant to convey the impression that smart and creative people deserve to get what any of them want.
There are also Israelis and other Jews who participate in the ugliest of the condemnations. They include journalists who write only about the horrors of Gaza and what happens at IDF checkpoints in the West Bank, and academics who demand sanctions on their criminal state.
The latest lecturer to make himself prominent damned his country in the Los Angeles Times. Predictably he brought forth empty threats from politicians, and more serious notices from contributors that they would not be opening their checkbooks for his university. The university president criticized what the lecturer wrote, said they were outside the realm protected by academic freedom, but discouraged any talk of disciplining him.
Peace Now, B'Tselem, and Physicians for Human Rights are
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Israeli and mostly Jewish, and criticize authorities for lapses with respect to occupied territories, Israeli Arabs, Palestinians, and civil rights.
What is most prominent in all of this information is the lack of central direction or control. Diversity, creativity, and individual freedom are among the things that makes Israel attractive to persons who value the best of civilization. These traits need not be on the agenda of the government information office. They are there for all who would look or listen.
It is seldom clear what influences Who Gets What.
The prime minister is trying to reach some agreement with the Americans about talking to the Palestinians, while his foreign minister is saying that there is no chance for peace with the Palestinians.
Israeli officials are demanding a condemnation of the newspaper blood libel from Swedish officials. The Swedish foreign minister and prime minister are sticking by freedom of the press. Israel's foreign minister is comparing that with the Swedish government's formal apology to Muslim governments when a newspaper published cartoons said to insult Mohammed.
Israeli officials are not calling for an end to Swedish freedom. They are only asking for an expression of regret about an article that recalls the ugliest chapters in Jewish history.
Even barbarians may deserve freedom of expression. How else to know that they are barbarians?
It is not clear if the Swedish foreign minister's scheduled visit will come off, or be marked by unproductive discussions and angry demonstrators.
The vast majority of world residents do not care about us, or would not know a Jew from a frog. A lot may think about Jews or Israel for a moment in response to headlines, sound bites, or pictures.
Anyone aspiring to an effective campaign of information for or against Israel would be advised to think about another project. Media are prominent in our lives, and it is tempting to exaggerate their influence. Their diversity provides a substantial control against the capacity of any one to shape what people think, or what happens.
To paraphrase the bard: The noise may not signify nothing, but it ain't all that important.
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