About Benjamin L. Hartman

A native of Austin, Texas, Benjamin L. Hartman moved to Israel seven years ago, to escape child support payments and a federal indictment for racketeering. That’s what he tells people, but in fact he was bored, and with few perceived options in Texas (though he often says he could have taught at his father’s fictional calf-roping school) he hopped a plane and alighted in Israel, delighted. Seven years later, he still lives in Tel Aviv, but drifts in a psychic landscape somewhere between the Levant and the Texas hill country. For the last 3 years, he has worked as a writer and editor for Haaretz.com. He would compare his lyrical style to Chef Raekwon and his running style to Ricky Williams, though he has no athletic or musical talent whatsoever. He hopes you enjoy this and tell your friends.

A Jew in the Video is Worth 20 Palestinians in the Bush

By Benjamin L. Hartman October 3, 2009

In an event already being declared a breakthrough in Arab political identity and self-esteem by media outlets throughout the Middle East, Islamic resistance group Hamas secured the return of 20 Palestinian female prisoners held in Israeli jails, in exchange for … Read More

Choose Your Own Blood Libel Adventure

By Benjamin L. Hartman September 2, 2009

In light of the diplomatic crisis that has erupted between Israel and Sweden over the recent article in Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet ("evening star") and as result of the subsequent rise in traffic on Israeli and other Jewish news web sites, … Read More