During the high season (Rosh Hashanah) you can book a tourist room at Kibbutz Manara in the Upper Galilee for around $160.00 a night, a pretty steep price for Israel. Founded in 1943, Kibbutz Manara (named for the Muslim "minaret") was not always so profit-oriented. Its original German and Polish pioneers were part of Habonim Dror, a "Progressive Zionist (socialist) Youth Movement" one of whose credos was to see "in the Jewish tradition a source of inspiration and influence, not a source of authority." Then, the kibbutz members sported uniforms consisting of a blue shirt (to symbolize the working class) with red lacing (to symbolize the triumph of socialism).

The movement that took Nadav Tamir upon its social justice knee also spawned other notable hard lefties including the ever-popular, ever Israel -bashing Tony Judt, as well as Leonard Fein. Graduate performers of this elite group include Sascha Baron Cohen, Seth Rogen and British director Mike Leigh. Golda Meir and Shimon Peres were probably its most famous graduates.

And we wonder why Consul Tamir is in so much trouble.