"Tikkun Olam": the gift that gives on giving ...



Mr. Tikkun Olam has a new article out, based on his "translation" and "analysis" of a rather thoroughly researched article appearing in Hebrew, here.

I am not going to even bother responding to the gist of Tikkun Olam's blogpost themes (the usual mixture of facts, factoids, insinuations of bad faith and erroneous information/translation).

All I intend is to show how ill-equipped is this "author"/"translator" to convey any text accurately or correctly, even in relatively small and insignificant details. I have done it before, here  and here
and here.*


I left the following comment on his blog (chances are it will not make Mr. Tikkun Olam's byzantine moderation rules, for the reason that the comment points out his structural errors; he can't stand being corrected**):

" Like the one to “transfer” the Palestinian Christians in the Galilee to Argentina and Brazil in a plan code-named ‘Operation Jonathan.’  It was named for the Biblical hero and confidant of King David, Jonathan, who was a native of Gush Dan, a Palestinian village in the region. "

Here is the quote from the Hebrew original:

התוכנית הגדולה והמקיפה ביותר להעברת אלפי ערבים נוצרים מהגליל לארגנטינה ולברזיל כונתה בשם הקוד הסודי: “מבצע יוחנן”, על שם יוחנן, איש גוש חלב.

The name was "Operation Yohanan" (In English: John) after this man's name:

 http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%99%D7%95%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%9F_%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%95%D7%A9_%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%91

Yohanan was a native of Gush Halav, a village in Upper Galilee. Gush Dan is a region at the center of Israel's coastal plain. (BTW, Jonathan was King Saul's son and David's good friend, some say they were lovers.)

Anyone who trusts this author to translate and "analyze" any given text does this at his or her own peril.

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* Here is a copy of part of a rather long and tedious conversation with Tikkun Olam on Twitter. The emphasis in red is an addition of mine to highlight the misleading statement he made, that started the exchange:

5. Tikun Olam ‏@richards1052 20h

   @ContentiousNote Abe Foxman is public figure & there is no law saying u can't criticize Jewish public figures.

   •  
6. Spinoza's rose ‏@ContentiousNote 18h

   @richards1052 Yes, you can criticize him. What you can't do is slander him or the organization he heads. Jewish has nothing to do with it.

   •  
7. Tikun Olam ‏@richards1052 16h

   @ContentiousNote That Foxman has rejected a bill affirming Armenian Holocaust in halls of Congress is fact not slander.

   •  
8. Spinoza's rose ‏@ContentiousNote 14h

   @richards1052 That still does not make him a Holocaust Denier. And you made a big booboo writing what you did.

   •  
9. Tikun Olam ‏@richards1052 14h

   @ContentiousNote Frankly Armenian-Americans find him insincere & fraudulent on Armenian Holocuast issue, as do I.

Spinoza's rose ‏@ContentiousNote

@richards1052 That may well be the case but it does not change the fact that you lied when you wrote "The ADL denies the Armenian Holocaust"

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** Comment made it through, and correction inserted . Left the following comment:

"Heh. People should judge “mean-spirited, disproportionate tone” by the way you engage with me on Twitter. I suspect that had I not addressed you on Twitter my comment would not have been filtered or attended. But, credit must be given where credit is due. Richard is teachable, under certain circumstances. Hope springs eternal :)