About a year ago, I vaguely heard about Israellycool through posts I’d seen in social media. I didn’t pay too much attention. I just thought: that’s kind of a weird name for a blog. It didn’t strike me as so “cool.” Kinda gimmick-y actually. I’m too “cool” for them.
After having a Times of Israel post withdrawn, and at the suggestion of one of the Israellycool regulars, I submitted it to Israellycool.
The post was my counter-attack to radical Leftwing blogger Ami Kaufman’s warped attacks on my work. Kaufman makes it a hobby to bully and verbally abuse Zionist women on social media; whereas other women might cower, I tackled it head-on. But TOI informed me that their platform shall not be used to settle a personal score. But it wasn’t personal. It was a matter of standing up to an anti-Israel bully and warning others about him.
Through the secret channels at Israellycool, I finally reached the heavily guarded Aussie Dave via proxy, who accepted the post, with minor revisions. I loved to receive this personal attention to ensure my blog delivered the message with the most eloquence, sass and visibility. I also loved how Israellycool contributors were unafraid to fight “fire with fire” against the anti-Israel Left, with honesty, integrity and a whole bunch of wit.
Since then, Israellycool became a first choice as a host for my work. Aussie Dave is not afraid to push boundaries, to publish fresh voices, and especially to publish out-of-the-box pieces that TOI is shy of posting (like this post on a Palestinian Muslim’s threat of death and sexual assault against me). My post on “7 of the Sexiest Settlers,” co-written by Zahava Englard, changed perceptions of the Israeli “settler,” with close to 3,000 shares and coverage in mainstream Israeli news outlets. All it takes is some creative — and sexy — people, ideas, and thinking that Israellycool nourishes to make a difference.
Since I first heard of this weirdly-named blog, I’ve completely changed my mind about Israellycool and am glad to be a part of this cutting-edge, passionate, interesting, and fantastically written platform. Israellycool’s name is right-on. It really is…cool! But I wouldn’t be averse to its changing its name to Israellysexy.
