Novelist Ayelet Waldman spars with Jeffrey Goldberg over Israel’s ‘#nationalcharacter’

Most people probably weren’t expecting Ayelet Waldman — the author of books like “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits,” left-wing critic of Israel and wife of prominent Jewish novelist Michael Chabon — to give glowing reviews of her recent trip to the Jewish state.

After all, the trip brought her and several other American authors (including Chabon, Dave Eggers and Rachel Kushner) to the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem to inspire essays on “Israeli military rule.” Waldman (whose Instagram feed from the trip critiques settlers and the conditions of the West Bank) and Chabon will edit a book of these essays set to be published next year — marking the 50^th anniversary of Israel’s 1967 Six-Day War, which left Israel in control of those areas.

But Waldman started a controversy before she even landed in Israel a couple of weeks ago.

Only on a flight to Israel will people refuse to swap one aisle seat for another so a couple can sit together. #nationalcharacter #dickish

— Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) April 11, 2016

Forty minutes later, she clarified that she shares “that national character.” She was born in Jerusalem and lived there for a few years before emigrating with her parents to the United States.

And 2 b clear I say that out of love. After all, I share that national character. Life: a constant struggle to restrain inherent dickishness — Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) April 11, 2016

Despite this disclaimer, Twitter users began turning the #nationalcharacter hashtag against her on Tuesday.

Substitute any other group or nationality for “Israel” here and the offensiveness of this tweet is clear. https://t.co/bLp0syQeXk

— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) April 26, 2016

@ayeletw Whoever U R U have no idea of what the #nationalcharacter of Israel is. Here people have the biggest hearts of anywhere in world. — Haya Eytan (@TeachESL) April 26, 2016

is it a #nationalcharacter of Americans to be obnoxious & whine about it when s/1 calls them out? @JeffreyGoldberg https://t.co/a03p47dOqp

— Ben Waxman (@benwaxman) April 26, 2016

#nationalcharacter #dickish #AyeletWaldmanAngerLeadsToHate https://t.co/K78wjQXpME — Gilead Ini (@GileadIni) April 26, 2016

Waldman’s tweet on April 19 about the recent Jerusalem bus bombing didn’t help her cause.

Yesterday’s bus bombing is a tragedy but not a surprise. This kind of terrible violence is an inevitable result of a brutal occupation.

— Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) April 19, 2016

This tweet got the attention of The Atlantic correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg, who tweeted that Waldman’s comment was dangerously presumptuous.

The Jews had it coming, apparently (in which @ayeletw assumes that Palestinians are by nature violent): https://t.co/Zp0WdPyTnP — Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) April 25, 2016

On Tuesday, Goldberg called her out again, this time for the #nationalcharacter tweet.

This sort of blatant prejudice is not going to convince Israelis to fight the settlement movement: https://t.co/89Qhctljp4

— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) April 26, 2016

Then things got heated and Waldman blamed Goldberg for the sudden mass reaction to her tweets.

Darlings, won’t be checking my @s for awhile. When @JeffreyGoldberg activates the angry horde, it becomes frightening. Email me if need be.

— Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) April 25, 2016

.@ayeletw Don’t blame me for Twitter.

— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) April 25, 2016

I don’t think @JeffreyGoldberg does this on purpose at all. It’s just a byproduct of the politics of a certain portion of his audience.

— Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) April 25, 2016

And by politics I mean spiraling rage and violent extremism. Ta ta! See you in a bit.

— Ayelet Waldman (@ayeletw) April 25, 2016

Looks like Waldman won’t be accepting any essays on Israel by Goldberg anytime soon.