In Israel, the nation closes it borders, locks its offices, parks its cars. The synagogues are packed beyond capacity, especially at the start of the holiday, to hear the melancholy medieval kol nidre prayer, and at the end of the fast, when the final long blast of the shofar (ram's horn) signifies the closing of the Book and the shutting of heaven's gates.

In between, in the cool of the evening and the late afternoon following, parents walk in the middle of the streets with their children. Young people walk and talk. In secular neighborhoods, kids and teens ride bikes and roller blades, reveling in the absence of cars. In religious neighborhoods, the air is filled with the sounds of psalms and hymns. There is nothing like it in the world, or in the rest of the Israeli year.

And there has never been a year like this year. A year of unceasing Palestinian violence, punctuated by grotesque suicide bombing attacks, capped by the most spectacularly violent single atrocity since the atomic bomb, also, it seems, carried out by fanatical Moslems. But it is to the Moslem people in particular that I turn today in a public plea for forgiveness. Jewish people cannot make peace with their God until they try to make peace with their fellow man, and to personally beg pardon for their specific offenses.

As the publisher of Israel's fastest growing online newsmagazine, which launched just some seven months ago, there is a sense of excitement and empowerment at the sudden ability to reach thousands of souls each day, to share thoughts and feelings, to inform and perhaps even influence others. I feel that what we are doing is important, helping to provide an up-to-date and in-depth view of a small and often misunderstood nation that often finds itself as the object of the world's attention, at the center of history's storm.

Yet with that power comes heavy-duty responsibilities. One responsibility is to seek journalistic truth in a sea of disinformation, propaganda and outright lies: to call things as we see them, and not to pull punches. Another is fairness, to try to give competing voices a place to be heard, to find the balance that gives expression and context to diverse facets of a story. In both of these respects, I believe we have made a good start: for this, the lion's share of the credit belongs to a very capable and hard-working staff and a growing circle of talented independent contributors and columnists.

But one area where I know that my efforts have not always succeeded is in avoiding harm. Strong words are sharp, and they can pierce the mind. Even without intent to hurt, they can provoke and offend religious and spiritual sensibilities. In several cases, at least, I know I have given offense to Moslem readers: a view about the motivations of suicide bombers, a commentary suggesting deterrent responses to prevent recurrence of atrocities such as the attacks on America's sacred symbols, an analysis of how Moslem agreements with infidels are to be suspected, a satirical person-of-the-year award to Yasser Arafat.

Some of these pieces were written in fury, outraged as I have been by the evil committed in the name of Islam. Now, perhaps as never before in our generation, the whole world can distinguish darkness from light, vicious evildoers from imperfect but well-meaning souls. But I never have intended, or sought to express, hatred or ill intent to Palestinians, or Arabs, or Moslems as a whole. It has never been clearer that individuals or organizations can be considered, by their deeds and words, truly evil. But whole races, religions, and cultures cannot, and branding them as such has never been my intent.

Some of those hurt by my remarks wrote to me, some with crude attacks, personal insults, and anti-Jewish slurs. But others wrote with reason, compassion and a genuine effort to reach out. I am grateful for the latter, and from them I beg pardon.

I do so not out of regret my words, which I continue to stand by (though in some cases I have revised my views in response to constructive criticism or my own second thoughts). I ask forgiveness because israelinsider is meant to be a healing vehicle of communication, where people with passionately-held views about every aspect of Israel and its national life can confront one another as equals and speak to each other the truth as each sees it. If I offend the sensibilities of my readers, and drive them away from this engagement, then I fail to facilitate the dialogue that this publication is all about.

So I reach out to those whom I may have offended, even if unintentionally, and I ask that you give me, and us, additional chances in the New Year to improve ourselves and improve our products and services. I invite those who may have been hurt by our work, and those who are helped as well, to write to me personally, or to our editorial team, with your thoughts and feelings on any subject or any suggestion under the soon. If you would like, we will consider your letters and commentary for possible publication.

For the year 5762 we have ambitious plans to grow israelinsider into a truly phenomenal online publication, with greater depth and diversity, more multimedia and streaming content, more channels, more community, and exciting new content partners. No doubt we will make our fair share of mistakes, but we won't stop trying to be better. Our articles and views will continue to provoke and stimulate strong thoughts and feelings.

Finally, I would like to thank israelinsider's remarkable staff for their untiring work, and to beg their forgiveness, too. No doubt I am occasionally a cruel taskmaster, with strong opinions and short patience. They make me proud, and I am grateful for their devotion.

May each of us be inscribed in the Book of Life for a safe and peaceful year, may we each strive to make Israel and the world a safer, more peaceful place. May the new year be much better than the last. Shana tova.

Views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.

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