Count me in as a new fan of Omar Yussef, I am half way through "Collaborator of Bethlehem" and I am hooked. I was attracted to your books because I am an American immigrant to Israel and although I almost never read fiction, I love Raymond Chandler, so when you stated that he was your inspiration, I had to try it out.

I came to Israel from California in the 1980's. I am what you would call an "Right-wing, Orthodox/Religious pro-Settler" Jew and I live in a suburb of Tel-Aviv. Your column here reminds me of what the famous early Zionist-Hebrew novelist Haim Nahman Bialik said-"I can't wait until there are Jewish criminals in a Jewish state", meaning that he looked forward to the Jews becoming a "normal" people. Thus, he would no doubt be pleased by the latest crime wave. But, of course, this does not mean Israel is a crime-wracked country like the US which I left was like. The reason the media and the politicians (and, perhaps, people like yourself) like to hysterically scream about how this crime is supposed to indicate that Israel is falling apart is due the fact that, deep down, they view a Jewish state as some sort of unnatural abberation. A good example of this is Yossi Sarid who wrote in Ha'aretz along this line a couple of weeks ago. As a "progressive" Zionist, he has to juggle contradictory beliefs in his "univesalist" committment as "progressive" and the particularist, parochial tendencies that his committment to Zionism engenders. Thus, people like him have to expect Israel to be "perfect" in order for it to justify its own existence. It can't just be normal.
In reality, in my town, it is still much safer walking around at night than any place in the US. I think Jerusalem is the same. This is the bottom line.

I would be interested to know if publicize appearances you make in Israel. Best wishes with your new books!