I was shocked by your glowing review of Gilad Atzmon’s book (PN 2545). His Wikipedia entry, for example, shows he doesn’t deserve coverage in Peace News.
Gilad has been persona non grata with the left in the UK for many years, since his criticism of Israel developed into anti-semitism. His latest book, The Wandering Who, borrows ideas from Zionism and Mein Kampf, claims a Jewish conspiracy runs the world, includes a side-swipe at feminism, heaps vitriol on socialists, and hints at Holocaust-denial.
Unfortunately some people fall under his spell; identity politics is a sufficiently diffuse subject for him to slip his extreme right-wing views under points of common agreement and popular prejudice. His analysis leads nowhere useful. He claims that what Israel is doing to the Palestinians isn’t a colonial project. He also claims it isn’t apartheid. Furthermore, he opposes the boycott campaign.
For a comprehensive and scholarly analysis of Gilad’s book search out the review by Elias Davidsson on www.palaestina-portal.eu. Tony Greenstein’s blog and groups such as J-BIG maintain a watching-brief on Gilad. UK-PSC [Palestine Solidarity Campaign] has recently tightened its anti-racism guidelines to resist his divisive advances on local groups.
Palestine campaigning is gaining momentum and causing panic among Israel’s supporters. Their tactics are to nitpick, drag the debate off-target, to confuse new supporters or intimidate them by heated debate.Peace News readers would find their time better spent ignoring the mendacious voices of the likes of Gilad Atzmon and supporting the genuine campaign for human rights for the Palestinians.