Gilad Atzmon's Blog, page 11
February 12, 2015
Anti-Semitism Gilad Atzmon and Nottingham Jazz
By Jeanie Barton
I have always considered music a universal language; perhaps the only form of communication that can unite us regardless of creed, race, religion or even species – life connects with the beauty and passion of musical expression. I was therefore recently very disturbed that, a small number of Nottingham residents succeeded in lobbying Gedling Borough Council to cancel a concert by a popular, critically acclaimed saxophonist who is also an Israeli critic of Jewish Identity Politics and identity in general.
When I heard that just 13 people had managed to cancel the musical performance of Gilad Atzmon, whose band has previously played The Bonington Arts Theatre 9 times to packed houses, without any complaint from audiences or residents, Jewish or Gentile, I balked at what this could mean for freedom of speech, jazz and music in general.
Gilad is critical of ‘Jewish Power’. He is not alone. Following last summer’s latest military assault on Gaza by Israel, supported politically and financially by the US and her allies, there has been a profound awakening in the western public’s consciousness that all is not well and good in Palestine and that ‘we’ are complicit in the continued bloodshed and heartache.
Although not directly relevant to Gilad’s music, this campaign against him highlights the subsequent increase in people being labelled as anti-Semitic. In the wake of operation Protective Edge (which killed around 2200 Gazans and 71 Israelis) I know many people critical of Israel, Zionism and ‘Jewish Power’ globally, have been accused of being anti-Semitic or ‘self-hating Jews’. The desired result of these accusations is to silence discourse and in this case it went so far as to silence instrumental music.
So is Gilad anti-Semitic, and did Gedling Borough Council have any legal right to cancel his musical performance when he has never had any formal charges relating to anti-Semitism brought against him?
When I meet him he readily admits to being an “arrogant c*nt” but denies being anti-Semitic. He points out that his latest book, The Wandering Who (within which the complainers site ‘anti-Semitic’ statements) has so far been published within 12 countries, including some who have laws against Holocaust denial. It has received numerous endorsements from leading scholars and eminent global political figures including; Professor Richard Falk (United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Palestine), Professor John J. Mearsheimer, Greta Berlin (Co-Founder, the Free Gaza movement), Professor William A. Cook, Professor Norton Mezvinsky (Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, May 2012) the list goes on and on…
Although one of the complainants, Dave Rio emailed and called my attention to an online document wherein 24 Palestinian solidarity activists denounce Atzmon, it rather put me in mind of the adage that ‘you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time’. Whose list of accreditors/condemners is more worthy or correct? That is a subjective argument and would still not prove Atzmon is an anti-Semite. We can only know that his book’s endorsements are by people who have definitely read the work in full.
As Gilad told me, Jews are generally very easily offended. If his observations and statements are offensive to some, does that mean those few should get to choose for others what they hear – even if those others just wanted to hear jazz music and likely had no interest in politics? Dave stated to me that “I would not tolerate anyone who made comparable remarks about black people or Muslims playing in Nottingham.” But who is he or the other 12 signatories to ‘tolerate’ or not? This is a level of presumed moral authority that I’m not sure can be legitimised – they always had the option to boycott the concert themselves.
Gilad has previously questioned the definition of anti-Semitism; “You are either a racist, which I am not, or have an ideological disagreement with Zionism, which I have.” He has also defended himself from being labelled an anti-Semite with the witticism “while in the past an ‘anti-Semite’ was someone who hated Jews, nowadays it is the other way around, an anti-Semite is someone the Jews hate.”
Following the cancellation of his concert at the Bonington on the 15th January (which went ahead at The Five Ways pub), Gilad arranged to come back for a talk, where his accusers could discuss with him their concerns at the Canalhouse, Canal Street, Nottingham on the 2nd February. I popped there before my gig nearby only to find the whole pub in darkness – it turns out that someone had tipped off the venue and police that the meet could cause trouble and that the safety of the public and staff might be at risk, so they completely closed as a precaution! Jaw dropping levels of panic! The talk was moved last minute to the Salutation where around 35 people gathered, none of which were the mysterious 13. It was calm, ordered and professional consisting mostly of local academics and jazz lovers. Goodness knows why the venue or police thought it would become violent?
This level of fear surrounding criticism of Israel and Jewish Power to me is the most frightening aspect of this saga. With new steps being introduced to outlaw anti-Semitism in Canada and elsewhere, the Orwellian thought police are now a reality – but ironically we were actively encouraged to criticise and mock Muslims post Charlie Hebdo by world leaders who marched in Paris on 11th January? Many have spotted this screaming hypocrisy.
Another irony here is that in trying to destroy Gilad’s music career, the actions of these 13 individuals and Gedling Borough Council have created an enormous amount of publicity for him and his work! Gigs and talks across the country are now flooding his diary – his band joked that he probably orchestrated the whole thing, but he professes not to be that clever…
Joking aside, I found out recently how unjust and upsetting it is to have your music attacked because of your opinions. In a small way I experienced this by being outspoken about the detrimental effect of the NET tram construction, which has wreaked havoc on residents and cost many businesses tens of thousands of pounds (including my family’s firm, which did not qualify for compensation). Compounding this misery, it recently became public that local Councillors have been involved in using fake identities to ‘flood the press’ with positive PR. Aliases and pseudonyms on the Nottingham Post website that had previously only commented on articles about the tram, trolling those who do not adhere to the ‘positive’ light rail narrative, quickly moved across to attack me professionally under the article about my appointment as the new jazz columnist.
However, this new age of poison pen letters merely compels us to continue exposing injustice locally, nationally and internationally; an attack on our music because of our opinions will only succeed in making us more outspoken. I can only surmise that the nearer the target one gets the more flak you receive and that jazz music has a history of attracting rebels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9qVU...
February 11, 2015
Why I support Treating Anti Semites as Sex Offenders
By Gilad Dershovitzmon
Jewish media outlets reported yesterday that British MPs recommend that prevention orders of the type used for sex offenders be used to tackle Antisemitism on social media. I couldn’t agree more. The time is long overdue for these essential ‘anti anti’ laws.
Here are few of the possible benefits form the proposed legislation:
· Registration – Once on the ‘Antisemite Registry” - the anti Semite’s neighbours and associates in the work place will be informed in order to allow the Jews enough time to flee.
· Bigots United - Bigots and racists cheer up. Though you may no longer be able to bash, Israel, ‘The Lobby’, the Talmud and the predominance of the Holocaust, you can still celebrate your hatred towards Black, Muslims, gays, Disabled, the ill, the weak, women in general, women in particular, basically everyone and everything that isn’t chosen.
· Diversity - Treating Israel’s enemies as sex offenders will bring to an end the continual social exclusion and out-casting of pedophiles and sex criminals in the Kingdom. From now on Britain’s growing community of child molesters will be joined by some of the world’s leading humanists and human right activists. This will no doubt provide an injection of diversity and humanism to the demography of British outlaws.
February 9, 2015
The Fraudulent Rise in UK Antisemitism
By Aaron Dover
The fraud was perpetrated as follows. Firstly, we had the CST antisemitic incidents released for 2014.
The Community Security Trust report is here: Incidents Report 2014
I have taken the figures from the table on page 42, pictured below. Note how the incidents are broken down into categories. The numbers of incidents are then totalled up arithmetically to produce the annual time series which formed the basis of evidence of a sharp rise in 2014. Let’s first say that there are some blindingly obvious issues with this methodology; for a start it equates an act of “extreme violence” with an act of “abusive behaviour”. That would mean that a year in which 500 Jews were brutally murdered but none insulted would be a “good year” for antisemitism compared to a year in which 1000 were insulted and none murdered. It’s a ridiculous methodology.
Another obvious issue is that the most numerate incidents, the “abusive behaviour” are not incidents that are considered hate crimes and so have not been subject to police investigation or verification. If I phone the CST and say “I am a Jew and a guy called me a fat Jew on the bus” it would simply be noted as an incident.
Now, what happens if we discount the unverifiable undefined “abusive behaviour” category?
Here is a chart. Looks pretty different; a lot less scary.
Well, we find that the totals are now around the same as they were in 2004, and lower than 2009.
Now, the CST sit down with the police and compare notes. This is what they agreed would go into the government report. You can download the report here. Government_Action_on_Antisemitism_final_24_Dec
What you can see is that the CST systematically estimate higher numbers of hate crimes than police, by around 100% this year down from a 32% overestimate compared to police in 2009. But even looking at their systematically overstated figures, there is no increase. Both the police and CST figures show a consistent significant downward trend over the last 5 years.
So, neither report supports the supposed (i.e. media-manufactured) “consensus” that there has been an unprecedented increased in antisemitic incidents in 2014.
Combine with the above a survey conducted by the Campaign Against Anti Semitism which purported to show an increased fear of antisemitism amongst Jews, and then you have a complete media narrative on which to base dozens of scare stories. The whole premise is totally false.
It would be possible to go much further into the figures and methodology finding more issues but this simple exercise above seems sufficient to completely discredit the main finding.
It is often the case with crime in general that perception of crime rates increasing often occurs even as crime rates decrease. Such is the power of our media to create fictional narratives to serve tacit political agendas.
February 8, 2015
Jewish Power, Political Correctness And The 'Left'
Jewish Power is the capacity to silence criticism of Jewish Power
In These Very Moments, The Protocols Are Being Rewritten
Yossi Sarid
By Gilad Atzmon
For many years my detractors have pointed at the following quote as evidence of my anti Jewish sentiments:
"American Jewry makes any debate on whether the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ are an authentic document or a forgery irrelevant. American Jews do control the world."
Both Zionists as well as anti Zionist Zionists cling to this quote as evidence that my ideas are ‘anti Semitic’. As if Jewish power and dominance is a product of my sick imagination.
In the article on antisemitism that was published back in December 2003 I presented an extensive list of Zionist Jews in Bush Administration. I also pointed out that “in Clinton's administration the situation was even worse. Even though the Jews only make up 1.9 per cent of the country's population, an astounding 56 per cent of Clinton's appointees were Jews.” I tried to warn Jews that their excessive power is dangerous for our universe as well as Jewry.
I have never retracted or apologised for statements of what I believed and still believe to be the truth. It is not a secret that with time, many scholars have supported my position. In 2006 Mearsheimer and Walt published their book on The Israeli Lobby.
45% of the Brits are regarded by the Jewish leaders as ‘antisemites’ because the Brits acknowledged in response to survey questions that Jews enjoy extensive power in media, politics and finance.
For 12 years I’ve been accused of being an ‘antisemite’ for stating the obvious - the question of whether the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ is an authentic document or a forgery is irrelevant. Jewish power in media, finance and politics is immense and devastatingly dangerous.
Today, Yossi Sarid, the Israeli light Zionist veteran politician agreed with my position. This is what he wrote in Haaretz:
“In these very moments, the protocols are being rewritten. Rich Jews are writing them in their own handwriting. They, in their wealth, are confirming with their own signatures what anti-Semites used to slander them with in days gone by: We, the elders of Zion, pull the strings of Congress, and the congressmen are nothing but marionettes who do our will. If they don’t understand our words, they’ll understand our threats. And if in the past, we ran the show from behind the scenes, now we’re doing it openly, from center stage. And if you forget our donations, the wellspring will run dry.”
One question remains, is telling the truth about Jewish power Antisemitism?
My answer is unequivocal. No it isn’t, truth is liberation.
February 6, 2015
George Galloway on BBC Question Time
By Gilad Atzmon
BBC Question Time with guest George Galloway was an excellent opportunity to witness and assess, the vile, violent and ruthless Zionist community living in our midst. The Jews who heckled Galloway yesterday may have lived in this country for generations, but they have clearly failed to adopt British manners or the spirit of democracy into their behaviour.
MP Galloway went out of his way to distinguish between Israel and Zionism on the one hand, and Jews, Judaism and Jewishness on the other. However, the North London Jews in the hall made it clear that this distinction didn’t apply to them. They made it obvious that, for them, Israel is the ‘Jewish State’ and being Jewish, Israel is their State.
Guardian Executive Editor Jonathan Freedland repeated the exact same line, he asked Galloway to exercise responsibility and not to criticise Israel for what it is because the Jews are sensitive and fearful. For Freedland, the continuum between the Jew and Israel is undeniable.
Judging by the behaviour of Jews in the room and the Jewish institutional opposition to Galloway’s BBC appearance, British Jews seem to be loyal to Israel, yet, totally disrespectful of British values of tolerance and pluralism. But the hard core Zionists were not alone in the room. Each politician on the panel performed the groveling ritual to their Zionist paying masters. They exercised the due cry over anti Semitism though it has been established that Jew hatred in the UK is, at least statistically, insignificant (about 0.5% of all hate crimes). After all, it is Jewish funding that dominates British politics. I believe that British politicians crawling shamelessly for shekels is, by far a greater danger for Britain as well as British Jewry.
February 5, 2015
Richie Allen With Gilad Atzmon & Cynthia McKinney
Tuesday 3rd February 2015 – With Gilad Atzmon & Cynthia McKinney by Richieallenshow on Mixcloud
Cynthia McKinney was the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress in the state of Georgia. She discussed the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine.
Jazz music legend, political commentator and prolific writer Gilad Atzmon joins the second half (1 hr 8 min in) of the show the show. We discussed Jewish power, Alan Dershowitz and the huge sex scandal attached to his name, spitting on Goyim and many other hot topics.
Jazzwise's Jon Newey speaks to Chris Philips about The Whistle Blower, Gilad Atzmon & Moana Pozzi
Jazzwise #25 by Chris Philips on Mixcloud
Album will be released on 23rd February. However The Whistle Blower CD is available here.
Download version is available here (for just £6.99)
The Orient House Ensemble are celebrating their 15th year launching The Whistle Blower, their 8th album to date.
The hardest working jazz band in the UK and one of the leading ensembles in Europe embark on a 35 date tour in the UK and Europe playing their new music as well as old favourites.
Gilad Atzmon Yaron Stavi Frank Harrison Chris Higginbottom
* A hard-hitting but wide-ranging set from an admirably tight and robust band led by one of the most charismatic and focused reedsmen on the planet. Chris Parker, LondonJazz
* Best Musician living in the world today, Robert Wyatt, The Guardian
Gilad is the saxophonist on the new Pink Floyd album The Endless River
Gilad Express - A Brief Presentation At The Free Speech Forum Nottingham (video)
Followed by a 10 minute synopsis of my entire argument as delivered in Nottingham earlier this week.
On Monday February 2nd, I returned to Nottingham to answer critics who accused me of all sort of things…
First, I went to Five Leaves Bookshop to confront my defamer Ross Bradshaw who led the campaign against me in Gedling ten days ago. Bradshaw gave rather feeble and defensive responses. I’ll soon publish a video of this discussion.
That night I presented my thoughts and addressed the accusations made against me. The event was filmed and the video is posted below. My opponents had been invited to join the event and debate me but they failed to show up.
My great thanks to Ross Longhurst who runs the Nottingham Free Speech Forum and was extremely helpful and supportive throughout this fiasco. I also thank all those people who refused to be intimidated by my 13 detractors.
Gilad Express - my entire arguments in just 10 minutes:
Addressing my detractors:
February 3, 2015
Dieudonné, Anelka And Me
Yesterday in Nottingham, I delivered a talk about my views and my detractors. Here is a short segment about Dieudonné & Anelka. The full talk will be online very soon.
Interestingly enough, The Football Association has confirmed that the former Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea striker recently completed his mandatory education course, in addition to serving a five-game ban, and therefore can again join a club in England. The Jewish Chronicle isn't happy about it.
