Joan of Arc, Giordano Bruno and countless others through history were burned at the stake for merely saying what they believed. In Joan's case she was speaking about her religion and her feeling that she was doing God's work. Bruno was echoing Capernicus' belief that the earth revolved around the sun- which it does. But both were burned because they offended the Catholic Church. Huh? What kind of church is that?
Eighty-nine year old journalist Helen Thomas of the Hearst chain was forced out of her job today because she suggested that the "Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany...". Big deal. She's right. For all the trouble that the Zionazis start and with no offsetting credits she speaks a practical solution. And yet she was forced out for her insulting remarks.
I don't believe one can insult the Israeli culture because they basically don't have a respectable one. They kind of make it up as they go along depending on if it fits their immediate goals. Actually their culture could be distilled down to one of greed, hate and paranoia. Hardly something to scruple about when criticism is called for.