When she called me with an unusual assignment, my editor didn't describe it as "Mission Impossible." But perhaps she should have. Trying to confirm or disprove a Hollywood rumor feels a lot like a entering enemy territory.

I ended up there in the wake of a nasty rumor about "The Beach" star Leonardo DiCaprio. In Israel, some teenagers believe word that Leo allegedly likened kissing a Jewish girl to kissing a pig. How could an international celebrity say such a thing, let alone any decent human being?