Gilad Atzmon's Blog, page 122
October 19, 2012
Jewish Domination? Occupation More Likely
By Gilad Atzmon The recent attack on Free Gaza’s Greta Berlin and Colonel Ann Wright suggests that we have crossed a red line -- Jewish domination within the Palestinian solidarity movement belongs to the past. We are now, it seems, under Zionist occupation, and we are subject to all the symptoms of Israeli abuse and Zionist brutality.
The expulsions, the exclusions and the cleansings that are inherent within Zionism, Israeli and Jewish politics, are now alive and kicking within the Palestinian solidarity movement itself. On a daily basis we are notified about more and more people who ‘must be’ expelled from the ‘movement’: earlier this year we learned that the Palestinian poet and writer Nahida Izzat had first been harassed and later expelled from her local Palestinian solidarity group by a Liverpool Jewish activists' gang. Next, Dr Francis Clark Lowes, former Chairman of the UK PSC was expelled from the organisation, for allegedly being an ‘Anti Semite’ and a ‘holocaust denier’. Norman Finkelstein, probably the leading pro Palestinian Jewish scholar, has also been subjected to repeated smears and attempts at character assassination for voicing some legitimate criticisms re BDS being a cult, and recently, the greatly admired Greta Berlin, co-founder of Free Gaza, has also been subjected to harassment and abuse in the last few weeks. Berlin was labeled 'an anti Semite' and 'a Holocaust Denier' -- and yet, up until the present time, there has not been a shred of evidence provided by her detractors to support such accusations. And now, the respected peace activist Colonel Ann Wright has also been 'purged', and expelled from the current attempt to break the siege on Gaza -- simply for being associated with Mrs Berlin. The pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim is also subject to a BDS boycott. And six months ago I too, faced a call for a disavowal -- by people who were foolish enough to confess that they had not even read a single line of my work.
Our Solidarity: Unity, and the Art of Keeping It Together
By Tariq Shadid
What better way to defeat an enemy than to cause a situation which has its ranks divided, and seeing its energy unleashed by one faction upon another, followed by tit-for-tat retributions, in an unending cycle of mutual destruction?
Watch those who support one common cause going at each other’s throats, and you will find yourself faced with a very difficult dilemma. What if you feel that both sides should settle their differences and return to mutual cooperation and respect? Whatever you say, will always be perceived as wrong and insufficient by either side. Neither side will settle for anything but a complete denunciation of the other, and both will only be satisfied if you express unambiguous support for their camp.
October 18, 2012
And all that Jazz - Event Review by Merryn Johnson
http://www.frontlineclub.com/blogs/theforum/2012/10/and-all-that-jazz.html
“I’m very happy to face serious opposition: If I would say what I say and talk about Jewish political power without facing serious, relentless opposition, it would mean that I am talking nonsense... and apparently I’m not.” — Gilad Atzmon
Gilad Atzmon certainly does face serious opposition, but he also revels in it. “Struggle is fun,” he says. Gilad is a world famous jazz musician, but also a writer and political activist, to the point that as a whole he is a political artist. It is this artistic platform for political debate which attracted director Golriz Kolahi and producer David Alamouti to follow him in the making of Gilad & All That Jazz, screened at the Frontline Club on October 15.
Gilad and all that Jazz [TRAILER] from David Alamouti on Vimeo.
This film looks back at Gilad’s childhood in Israel, when he was an enthusiastic Zionist, and follows his artistic development and political transformation, his self-imposed exile and his increasingly controversial and vocal stance on Jewish political identity.
The film captures the very large personality of Gilad – his humour, passion and energy – from his shocked realisation that Charlie Parker was black to his self-disgust at perceiving Nazi traits in his own Israeli army uniform.
October 17, 2012
And Then They Came For Me
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First the Zionists came for the Palestinians, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Palestinian.
Then the Neocons came for the Muslims,and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Muslim.
Then Electronic Abunimah, ADL, Mondoweiss, Israeli Hasbara and J Street came for the activists and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn't an activist.
Then they came for me, but they were too late, because by that time everyone had read The Wandering Who, grasped what was going on and stood up for me.
The Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics, Jewish political interest and Jewish hegemony within the Palestinian Solidarity Movement...
The book can be ordered on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
October 16, 2012
The Madness Continues: Ann Wright Disinvited to Sail
Introduction by Gilad Atzmon: The adorable solidarity activist Ann Wright, former US Army Colonel and retired official of the U.S. State Department, known for her outspoken opposition to the Iraq War and support of Palestinian rights, is now also subject to Palestinian solidarity internal war.
On her way to meet up with the Swedish Estelle, the next boat to challenge the Israeli blockade, Colonel Wright was called by a board member of the Estelle who ask her to abort the journey. She was disinvited. The explanation was embarrassingly lame - Ann Wright is a member of the new Free Gaza Movement’s Board. She supports Greta Berlin.
It didn’t take me more than a few minutes to find out that the leader of the current attempt to sail to Gaza is Israeli Jewish activist named Dror Feiler. Feiler is the chairman of the Jews-Only Swedish organization Jews For Israeli Palestinian Peace (JIPF) and the European Jews for Just Peace (EJJP). Once again it is the Jewish activist who decides who should be on board in the Palestinian Solidarity movement. I can’t make up my mind whether this is funny or tragic. It is certainly very bad news.
Update: Electronic Intifada's Benjamin Doherty congratulated the Estelle's crew and passengers for cleansing Ann Wright (via Twitter):
Benjamin Doherty @bangpound
.@shiptogazase please transmit my respect to your crew and passengers for holding true to standards and principles. http://j.mp/RxtKkU
I guess that if you really want to grasp what is going on here, you will have to readThe Wandering Who? A Study Of Jewish Identity Politics, Jewish political interest and Jewish hegemony within the Palestinian Solidarity Movement...
The book can be ordered on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Read Ann Wright's statement:
Ann Wright Disinvited to Sail
Statement by Ann Wright on the "Dis-Invitation" of her by the Swedish Boat to Gaza "Estelle" steering committee to be on the boat
Two days ago, on October 13, three hours before I was to board a flight to Europe to meet up with the Swedish boat to Gaza, the “Estelle,” the next boat to challenge the Israeli blockade, I was called by a board member of the Estelle who said that because of the furor around Greta Berlin’s posting and because I am a member of the new, 2 week old board of the Free Gaza Movement, I was no longer invited to be a passenger on the “Estelle.”
The board representative acknowledged that the reason for their invitation to me to be on the “Estelle” was that I am a retired US Army Colonel and former US diplomat who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the Iraq war, that I am a vocal critic of Israeli and United States policies on Palestinians and that I have been to Gaza 4 times in the past 3 years, assisted 7 groups to go to Gaza in 2009, helped organize the December, 2009 Gaza Freedom March, was a passenger on the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, helped organize the 2011 US Boat to Gaza and am an organizer for one of the latest initiatives, Gaza’s Ark.
Congratulation Britain-at last we have a musical genius
His name is Jacob Collier.. and he is incredible!!!
October 15, 2012
Freedom of speech enters dark age: Gilad Atzmon on Press TV
Press TV: Firstly, I wanted to get your reaction to this decision.
Atzmon: It obviously doesn’t take me by a big surprise. The old concept of ‘freedom of speech and tolerance’ is in a serious decay in Europe. In Britain, it already disappeared completely. We are living in a very dark age and it is now official.
Press TV: How does this all tie in with the fact that the European Union was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the various contradictions that that also brought up for the EU?
Atzmon: This is just there to prove how ridiculous is the Nobel Prize concept is. The whole concept of the Nobel Prize for peace has proven to be very misleading. But this is not the issue.
Lauren Booth: Pakistan’s Moment of Truth: A CagePrisoners report on the anti-Drone March
“What about the security of those taking part in the anti drones protest” was the only question asked by journalists at the press conference held by Imran Khan, in Islamabad, on the subject. It was tiresome to witness the agenda of Pakistan’s rulers on such public display. Namely, to derail the growing mass movement in Pakistan opposing US drone attacks on its regional villages. To prevent the momentum of this movement, the spectre of foreigners being harmed was hyped up across the local media.
As political leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), Imran Khan called for people of all age, gender and class to head to Waziristan and witness the real terror there; the terror being visited on one of the world’s poorest regions by the world’s richest, most heavily armed, superpower.
As the weekend of the historic convoy approached; Clive Stafford Smith of Reprieve and members of US group Code Pink, all taking part, called for the rights of Waziri civilians be recognised, supported and protected.
Miko Peled in Seattle
And I wonder, how long is it going to take before Ali Abunimah and Omar Barghouti decide the Miko should also be silenced.
