As reported on the Electronic Intifada and elsewhere, the "US Palestinian Community Network", a group with a number of prominent Palestinian and affiliated activists, has released a letter trying to distance themselves from anti-Israel advocate and rabid antisemite Gilad Atzmon.
Atzmon has made a name and career for himself by minimizing the Holocaust and perpetuating antisemitic memes about Jewish conspiracies and Jewish tribalism, as well as promoting extreme anti-Zionism, to the point of claiming that there is no difference between Tel Aviv and a West Bank settlement. And all along, in doing so, he has had the enthusiastic support of, and has been a celebrity in, the pro-Palestinian activist community. As recently as a mere two weeks ago they were fundraising with him at an appearance in Berkeley.
It seems that now some in that community have finally decided that Atzmon, with his obvious, unapologetic, up front antisemitism, costs them more than he gains them, hence the new statement.
However, as with everything else in the anti-Israel activist community, the statement is full of lies. It starts out calling Atzmon a "self-appointed" activist, as though he hasn't had the support and endorsement of large segments of the anti-Israel community for years, including up until two weeks ago in Berkeley. And then it goes on from there, making the laughably ridiculous claim that Atzmon's extreme anti-Zionism is actually itself a form of Zionism. The whole thing is so stupid, insipid, and lying that it doesn't even merit a larger response.
I would say that the brazenly dishonest way they have completely ignored the years of their movement's of close alliance with, and promotion of, Atzmon is a new low. He's spoken at many of their events, and they've fundraised off of his books and appearances. Anti-Israel activists disavowing Atzmon and calling him a "self-appointed" activist is like Republicans suddenly disavowing Reagan and calling him "self appointed" - it just flies in the face of everything that has been happening for years.
Atzmon is a despicable antisemite and deranged asshole, so of course I don't feel bad for him. But he is now being unceremoniously discarded by the anti-Israel set after years of being considered a hero to them, and this should serve as a warning to people like David Harris Gershon. The anti-Israel movement might be acting like your best friend at the moment, but as soon as they decide you are no longer useful to them, they will drop you like a ton of bricks so quick you won't know what happened.
That's why they are useful idiots. If they were useless idiots, the anti-Israel (and, please, tell me how anti-Zionists are not antisemites because I've seen tremendous overlap between the two and an extremely close correlation) crowd would have nothing to do with them.
ReplyDeleteAs for those useful idiots that decry how JVP and other Jewish anti-Israel groups that Jew-wash for the Israel haters, our friend Makabit exposed their hypocrisy at her blog.
I love how these idiots criticize atzmon for being so presumptuous (as a non-palestinian, but they don't dare be that specific) as to define their struggle, as they put it, and then they blithely go on to define Zionism. I think the central ideology of palestinian ideology must actually be hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteNote to oldschool: You're post was delected because you are not welcome to come in here and simply start talking crap about what I may or may not think about this.
ReplyDeleteUnless you have something to say about the issue - please refrain from posting here. This is not high school and if your previous post is going to be how you want to do things then you are not welcome to post here.
Oh and if you come back with another "BUT I'M BIENG CENSORSED... " comment - that too will be deleted. There are other sites on the web in which to trash me or other Center / Center Left Zionists - but you sure as shit are not going to do it here.