Gilad Atzmon: What Are They Afraid of?

UK Zionist network, together with half a dozen Sayanim* within the Jewish Palestinian solidarity network, seem to be strongly united this week.

Acting as a joint effort, they are trying to stifle freedom of speech: they seem to be horrified by the idea that a panel of intellectuals, journalists and an artist plan to explore the intriguing bond between Israel, Zionism and ‘Jewishness’, and thus far they have harassed panelists, threatened an academic institute and have spread lies, smears and defamation.

And yet in doing so they have unwittingly provided us with a tremendous glimpse into a contemporary Jewish secular tribal operation.

And what is at the root of their hysteria? For some peculiar reason, both Zionists and UK Jewish so-called ‘anti Zionists’, insist that discussing ‘Jewishness’ is a taboo which should never be explored, certainly not in public, and definitely never outside of the ghetto.

But isn’t it all just more than a little suspicious? After all, please consider that the Jewish ‘anti Zionists’ operate politically under a Jewish banner; they also clearly carry their Jewish identity with pride; and, like the ‘Jews only state’, they also run a ‘Jews only club’ -- yet they want to try to stop us from questioning what this club actually stands for. They want to take it further and even try to stop us from discussing and grasping what the Jewishness of Israel is all about.

Why are they so concerned about others questioning their ideology, an identity which they themselves are clearly and openly so proud of?

Is it that we are not allowed to question ideologies and political precepts? Should we, then, also have stopped Max Weber from looking into the role of Protestantism in the context of the rise of capitalism? And if Israel proudly defines itself as the Jewish State, then are we not entitled to also wonder what its Jewishness actually means?

And shouldn’t we also be entitled to refer the exact same questions to the UK Jewish ‘anti Zionists’?
It seems clear to me that we do have that right to know.

A few years ago I invented a spoof character. His name was Artie Fishel. Artie was a satirical, fictional Jewish American musician, a rabid Zionist, convinced that jazz was Jewish. He believed that jazz music also had nothing to do with America or Africa. He wanted it back, and thus founded ‘Artie Fishel & The Promised Band’.

Artie Fishel was obviously a parody of the Zionist enterprise: if we can take Palestine from the Arabs, then surely we can take jazz from the Americans.

To listen to Artie click here

The Jewish ‘anti Zionists’ here in the UK were the first to oppose the project. The first night on the road, we played in Nottingham. As the gig finished, a 'Jewish progressive' promoter (who was and still is a friend of mine) approached us. She stood there with tears in her eyes : “Everything you say is so true; but why do you have to share it with the Goyim,” she said, in a broken voice.

She wasn’t amused by the satirical Artie.

We realised that we must have touched a sensitive nerve.

Lipstick-Artie Fishel and the Promised Band by Gilad Atzmon

Jewish humour is based on self mockery; yet it is very clear to Jews where the boundaries of mockery are. Jewish comedians know where to stop. To a certain extent Jewish humour is a very sophisticated form of ‘discourse management.' It is there to define the template of self-reflection. In some regards, it openly admits to a certain level of Jewish cultural essentialism; but it insists that such a phenomena is nothing but charming.

Sadly enough though, I myself do not really find the Jewish State a ‘charming concept’: I cannot see what is so charming about a society that collectively supports carpet bombardment of civilians**.

I also fail to see what is so charming about relentless Jewish lobbying. And when I look at the reality of Jewish political dissidence here in the UK; and when I read about Jewish campaigners harassing a fellow Palestinian academic or solidarity activists ( in the ‘name of Palestine’ no less ) it really begins to make me feel sick.

I often ask myself : what is it that they are so afraid of ? Why are they so desperate to stop us from looking into the meaning of their flag?

I can think of two possible answers:

1. It could be that they may not even know themselves what their ‘Jewishness’ stands for -- but they are certainly clever enough to grasp that they had better not find out: they clearly realise that the concept may turn out to be a 'Pandora box'. Such an answer is consistent with Judaic teaching, for in Judaism, observance is primary; comprehension is secondary. In other words, Judaism demands blind acceptance.

2. It could also be that they know very well what ‘Jewishness’ means, yet they know how sinister it may look for the outsider. Hence they use different tactics, just to stop the rest of us from looking into it. If that is the case, such an answer might mean that their apparent attempt to stifle a debate may be inherent to their conception of ‘Jewishness’.

Yet, considering the crimes that are committed by the Jewish state, and considering the measures that are taken by some elements within the Jewish ‘anti Zionist’ network, the time is clearly overdue for us to look into the true meaning of Jewish ideology -- what does it stand for; what does it preach; what does it promise, and essentially, what does it insist to take away from us (namely, freedom of speech and expression)?

But here is the good news : it is apparent that many Jews, and even Jewish spiritual leaders are now breaking away from the Jewish ‘left’ in order to find a meaningful path into true universal empathy as equal and ordinary human beings. I know that is the case, because they ask to meet me. I know, because they talk to me. I know, because they ask questions, rather than repeating ready-made answers.

And most of all I know because I myself left the ghetto many years ago and I see them trying to do the same.

Panel Event: Zionism, Jewishness and Israel

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160038250722935

Time: Tuesday, May 3 · 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location: University Of Westminster - Cavendish Campus

A panel discussion examining Israeli Criminality in the wake of the Goldstone Retract.

Alan Hart, Gilad Atzmon and others

* Sayanim- Diaspora Jews subservient to Israeli interests. Ex-Mossad agent Victor Ostrovsky describes how Sayanim function in “By Way Of Deception”. ‘They are usually reached through relatives in Israel… They perform many different roles. A car Sayan, for example, running a rental car agency, could help the Mossad rent a car without having to complete the usual documentation. An apartment Sayan would find accommodation without raising suspicions, a bank Sayan could fund someone in the middle of the night if needs be, a doctor Sayan would treat a bullet wound without reporting it to the police.’

** At the time of Operation Cast Lead (2008-9), Israeli polls showed that 94 per cent of Israel's Jewish population backed the war and IDF tactics.

Gilad Atzmon: Time Is Ripe For A Paradigm Shift

It is slightly embarrassing for me to admit that sometime Zionists are actually well ahead of our favourite intellectuals in understanding the depth of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It is not that they are more clever, they are just free to explore the conflict without being subject to the tyranny of ‘political correctness’, also being proud nationalist Jews- they do not need the approval of the Jewish left thought police.

I have recently come across a short Haaretz article by Israeli writer A.B. Yehoshua*.

Yehoshua is a proud Zionist, He believes in the right of his people to dwell on Palestinian land. He is also convinced that the Jewish state is the true meaning of contemporary Jewish life.

I guess that Yehoshua loves himself almost as much as I despise everything he stands for and yet, I have to confess, he seems to grasp the depth of the Israeli Palestinian conflict’s parameters slightly better than most solidarity activists I can think of.

In his Haaretz article Yehoshua stressed that Zionism was “something original and one of its kind in human history- A folk arrived at the homeland of another folk attempting to replace the old identity with a new/old identity”. Yehoshua also counters the faulty colonial paradigm and practically repeats my own theses almost word by word. “There was also no (Zionist) attempt to impose a colonial regime, since the Jews had no (mother) state that could have sent them to perform a colonial conquests like in the case of England or France.”

Yehoshua, is certainly correct here, as much as some amongst us are contend to argue that Zionism is a ‘colonial project’ and Israel is a ‘settler State’, such a position has no ground and cannot be supported factually or historically. The Colonial paradigm is simply a fantasy that is clumsily imposed on our discourse in a desperate attempt to make the Israeli/Palestinian conflict meaningful within a decaying Marxist discourse.

Yehoshua continues, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict will not be resolved because it's a totally unique conflict in human history. “There is no historical precedence for a nation that decides to return to its ancient homeland and establish its sovereignty there.” Whether the conflict will be resolved or not is indeed a crucial question. I am not so sure that Yehoshua knows the answer or even can contemplate a reality in which the Jewish State belongs to the past. However, Yehoshua is obviously correct in his reading of the uniqueness of the Zionist history. We are dealing here with an exceptional and unprecedented national aspiration driving by racist impetus. But Yehoshua takes it further. “Thus,” he says, If we all accept that the modern return of Jews to Zion is a unique event in human history – then the Palestinian people, unlike any other people, had to face a totally unique phenomenon.” If we accept that Zionism is an abnormal political ideology and practice, then, Palestinian nationalism (that is defined by negation to abnormality) must be also a unique to say the least.

I must admit that Yehoshua’s stand is well argued and totally valid. However, it means that all comparative models such as the colonial paradigm are doomed to crash. Jewish nationalism doesn’t fit into any available template, it formulates a model of its own.

According to Yehoshua, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is not really about territorial issues. “Territorial issues can be resolved” he says. “In our conflict, both sides, struggle over national identity of the whole country.” Yehoshua offers here a very interesting insight that cannot be uttered within the boundaries of the Left discourse. For both parties, especially the Palestinians, he says, “it is unclear what is the size of the people it is up against, is it only the Israelis or is it also the Jewish Diaspora as a whole.” Yehoshua raises here an issue I myself have been stressing for years. It is far from being clear to anyone (including Israelis and Jews) where Israel ends and the Diaspora starts. It is also far from being clear where the Israeli ends and the Jew starts. I guess that for most contemporary Jews it is even far from being clear anymore where Zionism ends and Judaism starts. In the contemporary Jewish world there are no clear dichotomies. We are dealing with a spineless elastic metamorphic identity that shapes itself to fit every possible circumstances. This may explain how come the Jewish state can dually operate as an oppressor and a victim simultaneously.

The Israelis, according to Yehoshua are also subject to a similar confusion. They also cannot figure out whether it is just the Palestinian people they are up against or is it the whole Arab nation or even the entire Muslim world. For Yehoshua, the conflict “lacks a clear demographic boundaries. This fact alone creates an initial deep distrust between the two peoples that prevents a possible solution.”

Yeshoua is far from being a brilliant mind, yet, he manages to analyse the conflict correctly just because he is free to think out of the Leftist box. Being a proud Israeli Jew he is free to say what he thinks without the need to appease half a dozen so-called ‘progressive’ Jews. Yehoshua’s analysis makes a lot of sense to me though we draw the complete opposite conclusions. I believe that the Palestinian solidarity discourse better liberate itself of any form of dogmatic political thinking. It is about time and look at the conflict for what it is. We must engage in a true plural debate and emancipate ourselves of any traces of rigid and anachronistic thinking.

* The article has now disappeared from Haaretz site. You can upload an Hebrew version here.
The English version just appeared here.
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In case you missed it: Truth in Stuttgart

Gilad Atzmon: The Israeli So-Called ‘Left’

Gilad Atzmon: The Israeli So-Called ‘Left’

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 7:48PM Gilad Atzmon

We learned today that some 300 prominent Israeli left-wingers, including some cultural leaders, gathered in Tel Aviv to call for the Jewish state to embrace the creation of a Palestinian State.
Among the petition's signatories were 17 winners of the Israel Prize and other leding intellectuals and artists.

"We are here to welcome the expected announcement of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, according to the borders of our independence, fixed during the 1949 armistice," the petition reads.

The Israeli so-called ‘Leftists’ are welcoming the expected Palestinian State as long as the Palestinians stay behind the wall and do not exercise their right of return. The Israeli humanists basically endorse the Palestinian diplomatic initiative so they can keep dwelling on Palestinian land forever. I am not impressed at all.

"The complete end of the occupation is an essential condition of the liberation of the two peoples," the petition says. Someone should remind the Israeli ‘doves’ that the whole of Israel is located on historic Palestine.

I would actually expect the Israeli so-called ‘Left’ to be far more radical, to stand up and say, enough is enough, we are now calling all Palestinians to return to their homes, villages, cities, fields and orchards. Such a declaration would prove for the first time that the Israeli so-called ‘Left’ has internalised the real meaning of peace and harmony.

Don’t hold your breath, this is not going to happen soon.

What we saw in Tel Aviv today is an exercise in Jewish identity politics. A few so-called ‘Leftists’ engaged in a superficial self-loving pseudo ethical Hasbara campaign.

Stranger than Fiction!

By nahida the exiled Palestinian

For the Jewish-Zionist occupiers of Palestine, the “Facts on the Ground” are all the contrary of a humanistic achievement. The most visible part of it, is the criminal behavior, the sociopathic degree of cruelty and violence, the total absence of empathy and compassion, these sadistic occupiers of Palestine do exhibit.

Were it not for the deception, hypocrisy, lies and trickery, their crimes would appear for what they are: Monstrous, and belonging to the dark ages.

The victims of these barbarians ought to be vigilant more than ever, because the aims are more obvious than ever: annihilation of the Palestinians, destruction and rewriting of the history of the Holy Land.

The rhythm of assassination of Palestinians, as well as their most heroic supporters, is accelerating at the same rhythm as the Jewish-zionist occupiers are falling deeper into a spiral of manic sociopathy and abject narcissism. Their disrespect for non-Jewish life and hatred of anything outside their bubble has reached extreme levels.

Combining international pro-Zionist organizations with contemporaneous technology, the reach of the nefarious Zionists and their allies is such, that their crimes are not confined any more to occupied Palestine.

The level of damage these reprehensible organizations are causing to many countries is staggering, and at this stage only a practical, factual and determined Resistance can stop this destructive dynamic.

Palestine is at the center of this Resistance, and that is why the first step to bring justice and peace to the world, is to bring about the Liberation of Palestine.

Many of our friends are hoodwinked into believing that the best solution to the Palestinian problem is to call for a secular one-state solution with one-person, one-vote; they fail to see the inherent injustice and the hidden perilous venom in such seemingly fair, reasonable and harmless solution.

Since over a century and up to this very day, every day, Zionist-Jews are still flooding Palestine in their thousands, with the illegitimate claim of the ideological “birthright” concept of aliyah, allegedly a “divine inheritance” to “chosen people".

Hence the Jewish-zionist invasion and colonization of Palestine still continues DAILY at the expense of millions of tormented, exiled and dispossessed Palestinians.



Furthermore, there are millions of Jews world wide who are not residing in Palestine, but who are considered "entitled", according to fascist racist “laws” of the Jewish-state, to apply for "Israeli" citizenship, on the sole “virtue” of their “Jewishness”, no matter where they are, no matter what they do, no matter which race they come from, no matter what nationality they have, as long as they are Jewish or have a vague Jewish ancestor somewhere along the line.



That implies that, technically, "Israeli" citizens are not the only citizens of Palestine. Every single Jew in the world is theoretically an an Israeli citizen. Every single Jew in the world is actuality a "reserve-standby-citizen", and can become an Israeli citizen, if they so wish, almost instantaneously.

Insane demographic situation arises:

The second largest number of Jews live in the USA, about 40% of world Jewry, and almost the same number as Jews live in Occupied Palestine. 95% of US Jews support Israel as a Jewish state. Hence a MAJORITY of Jews worldwide are potential colonizers and occupiers. Rest assured that they would indeed “come out of the woodwork” at a critical moment, whenever they are called to vote for the consolidation of the exclusionary and xenophobic Jewish state. No one really knows how many Jews world wide already carry the "Israeli" citizenship, yet choosing to stay in their own countries. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that it is a significant figure.

That means if and when a solution of a one-state with equal rights for all becomes eminent or within reach, the majority of world Jewry might flock to Palestine claiming the right of citizenship, the right to vote and/ or reside!

This insane reality would send a devastating earthquake to Palestine, since the demography would be skewed and literally reversed! The indigenous Palestinians would be relegated to be a minority, yet again, in their entire homeland this time, so that the current status qou would simply continue behind a new and improved fake facade of “democracy”, one-person, one-vote trap.




The number of Jewish people worldwide is much higher than Palestinians, the majority of whom are Zionists, loyalists to the Jewish state. If they were to be granted equal rights and the right to vote, the Palestinian aim of achieving justice would become further than ever and their dream for peace would be slaughtered at the altar of “Jewish supremacy” and "divine entitlement"

Even with the implementation of the right of return, this scenario would present a renewed tragedy and a new cataclysmic Nakba for the enduring Palestinians! It would only fortify and reinforce the statue qou of utter madness and injustice, against which, Palestinians and international humanists have fought and sacrificed their lives for decades.



The inability or unwillingness to see the injustice of granting colonizers, thieves and murderers the same rights of ownership and citizenship as those whom they robbed and tortured is mind-boggling.

The naivety and loss of sight of the advocates of one-state, one-man one-vote, with equal rights for all, is beyond me.

To add insult to injury, Palestinians are left alone to face not only the occupation and theft of their land and lives but also an ominous ideology that spews ugly venom of supremacy, racism and contempt to all that is non-Jewish, an ideology that views gentiles as sub-humans whose sole purpose of creation is to serve the Jews, an 'ideology that’s becoming rapidly more prevalent‏ spreading at alarming rates amongst Jewish communities’ world wide. Moreover, the followers of this destructive, anti-human ideology are able to achieve unprecedented levels of influence, control and dominance in many host societies. At the same time, our Jewish supporters continue to dance around this fact preferring to look the other way. They continue to underplay this reality, dismiss it completely or even worse, deny it all together, some might even attempt to silence the debate about it by accusing those who bring it up with the infamous truth-mutter, anti-Semitism !

Jewish extremist and supremacist group Chabad, feels at home in the Pentagon

The unwillingness and lack of desire to acknowledge let alone confront or fight this extremely dangerous ideology, by the few good Jewish voices, along with the criminal actions of the Jewish state would only result in the inevitable and ultimate rise of REAL anti-Semitism

If the Jewish-Zionists continue their practice of aggression and vindictive hostility, and if their ideological core continues to grow and expand and take over their policies, there would come a day of rage when the world’s patience would run out and cease to be, and their wrath no doubt would be unleashed against such supremacists baby-killers, who set themselves apart from all others, who see every evil act they do as a justified divine entitlement bestowed upon their tribe, against the wellbeing, the interest and the prosperity of the rest of humanity. It is a slippery road towards the abyss of their destruction that they are heading to, yet they perceive not.

The only way that might redeem and protect honest Jewish people from this bleak future is by fighting and working to eradicate such glaring supremacist Cabalistic ideology posturing itself as Judaism, that lingers in their midst.

For the life of me, I cannot understand how could our Jewish friends and supporters fail to foresee this scenario and take the brave and dignified measures to stop it from happening?

The absurdity of it all is stranger than fiction!
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Gilad Atzmon: Let Us Talk About Jewishness

One of the main differences between my work and and the writings of other humanists within the peace movement is that I am willing to move beyond the political discussion -- I dig into the ideological and philosophical roots of the Jewish state, Jewish politics and Jewish identity politics. I look into the meaning of 'Jewishness.'

In my work I clearly identify a continuum between Israel and 'Jewish ideology' ('Jewishness'). And since Israel defines itself as the Jewish State, then surely --we must be brave enough to question what Jewishness stands for.

And clearly, Israelis are proud about their Jewishness -- They are far from being shy about it all.

In the following video Judeo-Centric Israeli Law Professor Ruth Gavison spreads some Jewish Tribal ideas at AIPAC conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrpClg2Tn4A

If you fail to understand what motivates the Israeli pilots to drop bombs on civilians from aeroplanes decorated with Jewish symbols, law professor Gavison provides the answer;

“Israel will do whatever it takes to remain a Jewish state for as long as it takes.”

If you ask yourself, how is it that 94% of Israeli Jews supported the IDF genocidal measures at the time of Operation Cast Lead, then Gavison may have some insights to offer.

“The Jewishness of Israel is the meaning of which the state of Israel is enabling Jews for the first time in many years, to take control of all aspects of their lives”

They certainly do: Israeli brutality is beyond comparison.

Gavison concludes, “Israel is the place where Jewish and Hebrew culture is the majority culture; this is the meaning of the Jewishness of Israel”

We have to agree with the Law Professor -- Hebrew culture is, indeed, a majority culture in Israel -- because the indigenous people of the land are locked behind walls in open air prisons.

If Israel is the meaning of Jewishness, and vice versa, Jews do have a serious ethical problem to deal with.