Gilad Atzmon's Blog, page 41
July 10, 2014
Gilad Atzmon and the Orient House Ensemble feat. NY Guitarist Saul Rubin
Pizza Express Jazz Club, LondonThu 07 Aug 2014
Door Time: 7:00pm
Set: 8:30pm
To Book, click here
After an extensive world tour with his latest sell out album ‘Songs Of The Metropolis’ (2013) the maverick saxophonist Gilad Atzmon and his OHE are back in London; this time featuring Sonny Rollin's guitarist, Saul Rubin. Expect astonishing virtuosity and a roller coaster of wit and pathos from this internationally renowned band of musicians.
'A blistering, beautiful set…a fluid, hypnotic, optimistic blending of sounds' - MOJO
'Gilad Atzmon is the best musician living in the world today' Robert Wyatt
Gilad Atzmon - sax, clarinet, accordion, Yaron Stavi - bass, Frank Harrison - piano, Chris Higginbottom - drums, Saul Rubin - guitar
Honest Reporting For a Change (must watch)
Watch Diane Sawyer refer to Palestinian victims of Israeli Air Force raids as Israelis
July 9, 2014
Precious: Auschwitz marketed as "must-see, fun vacation spot"
Budget airline touts majestic fortress, panoramic views, leisure activity in Polish town
The Wizz Air discount airline has come under scathing criticism in Israel for featuring the city of Auschwitz as a must-see tourist destination with nary a mention of the at least 1 million people, most of them Jews, who were murdered there.
Writing in Ha'aretz, journalist Ofer Aderet describes how on a flight from Tel Aviv to Warsaw, he was surprised to read an article entitled "Must-See Places in Poland" in the June 2014 issue of the Wizz Inflight Magazine.
One of the places highlighted was the Polish city of Oswiecim, better known as Auschwitz, which the magazine promoted without mentioning the mass murder for which the city is notorious.
“Welcome to the city of Oswiecim," the magazine reads, "where you can enjoy walking through the narrow alleyways of the ancient city, or climb up to the top of the hill and visit a majestic fortress from the middle ages.”
The fortress’ museum features a “40-meter-high tower offers an incredible panoramic view of the surrounding area.”
The magazine does mention Jews, but in a way that might lead one to believe that Jews enjoyed a harmonious history in Auschwitz.
“Don’t miss the recently renovated synagogue, where you can learn about the mix of Jewish and Polish culture in Oswiecim,” reads the magazine.
The magazine also mentions a marketplace with remnants of the 16th-century city hall “mysterious churches,” as well as "a beautiful park just a stone’s throw away from the city, along the Sola river…it’s the perfect place for bike riding, skating…or just doing nothing at all. Come enjoy!”
In another section of the article on Poland, the magazine mentions the camp in passing. "And then there’s the beautiful forest outside of Oswiecim. Many of you have perhaps already visited the nearby concentration camp, but did you know that the forest features an incredible fortress, which looks out over narrow, winding streets, as well as a serious of exciting events throughout the year?"
In other words, Aderet argues, the omission was an editorial decision.
"I believe Wizz Air crossed the line when it sought to market the city to tourists -- including Israeli tourists, who boarded their flights in Tel Aviv -- as a tourist attraction in and of itself, regardless of the death camp."
The Polish Embassy in Israel told Ha'aretz the materials mentioned in the story are not connected in any way to Polish authorities. "We are not responsible for PR products of private foreign companies and we deeply understand sensitivities related to Oswiecim, where the biggest German Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was located."
“Wizz Air confirms that an advertisement, produced by the tourism office of the Polish city Oswiecim, was published in the June/July edition of its inflight magazine. Regrettably the advertisement was perceived as offensive by some readers because the city, known as Auschwitz during the German occupation, promotes its cultural heritage and regional landscape with no mention of the memorial at the Auschwitz death camp," a statement from Wizz Air said.
"While Wizz Air does not drive the advertisement strategies of the regions it flies to, the editorial introduction to a series of Polish adverts in our inflight magazine referred to the Auschwitz concentration camp as a site open to visitors. However, some media coverage was inaccurate and misrepresented both the editorial introduction and the advertisement. Wizz Air has carried over 50,000 passengers on its Tel Aviv routes to Warsaw and Katowice since the end of 2013 and we understand that many Israeli travelers use our services to visit beautiful Poland and to visit the sites of Jewish heritage and history, including holocaust memorials. Wizz Air apologises for any offense caused by this advertisement produced by the Oswiecim city tourism office.”
We've Just Moved To Heaven
This is whats written on the destroyed roof of this House,
"Excuse us, the owners of this house cant host any guest anymore, we just moved to heaven".....This house was destroyed yesterday by a terrorist Zionist occupation airstrike, the whole family was killed (7 members), 9 July 2014.
Haaretz Editorial: Israel Must Undergo Cultural Revolution
[image error]Introduction by Gilad Atzmon: Back in November 2010, I briefly attended a One State Conference in Stuttgart. In my address, I pointed out that unless we elaborate on Jewish culture within the context of Israeli politics, any discussion on ‘reconciliation’ or ‘One State’ would be a complete waste of time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlvaN2c-Oto
A few days after the conference, I learned that Palestinian activist Ali Abunimah was outraged by my comment. He denounced me suggesting that political actions 'have nothing to do with culture or heritage.
Apparently, today’s Haaretz editorial is in full agreement with me. “Israel Must Undergo a Cultural Revolution,” it suggests. I genuinely want to believe that since 2010, Abunimah and his friends within the Jewish 'Left' (Mondoweiss & Co) have matured a bit and are now ready to grasp the real meaning of the conflict within the appropriate cultural context.
Haaretz Editorial - informationclearinghouse.info
Without a revolution based on humanist values, the Jewish tribe will not be worthy of its own state.
The Israel Police was quick to label the murderers “Jewish extremists,” meaning they aren’t part of the herd, they are outliers, “wild weeds.” This is the police’s way of trying to justify a sin, to “make the vermin kosher.” But the vermin is huge, and many-legged. It has embraced the soldiers and other young Israelis who overran the social media networks with calls for revenge and with hatred for Arabs. The vermin was welcomed by Knesset members, rabbis and public figures who demanded revenge. Nor did it skip over the prime minister, who declared “Vengeance for the blood of a small child, Satan has not yet created.”
Abu Khdeir’s murderers are not “Jewish extremists.” They are the descendants and builders of a culture of hate and vengeance that is nurtured and fertilized by the guides of “the Jewish state": Those for whom every Arab is a bitter enemy, simply because they are Arab; those who were silent at the Beitar Jerusalem games when the team’s fans shouted “death to Arabs” at Arab players; those who call for cleansing the state of its Arab minority, or at least to drive them out of the homes and cities of the Jews.
Filter On The Roof (satire)*
By Gilad Atzmon
Following the IDF difficulties in defeating Hamas’s ballistic warfare, the Israeli Government is now urgently searching for contractors with some advanced experience in large scale reinforced concrete constructions. The mission ahead is the building of a solid concrete roof over the entire Jewish State. PM Netanyahu is determined that the only way to defend Israel’s populated area is to cover the Jewish State with a thick layer of iron and cement.
The Israeli Government’s decision to build a concrete roof followed a considerable debate within the cabinet. Defense Minister Bogie Ya'alon insisted that a massive extension of the current Security Wall would be enough to provide the goods. Ya'alon maintained that a substantial increase of the wall to the height of 90,000 ft. would be more than sufficient to stop missiles from entering Israeli territory. He sensibly argued that Israeli youngsters would benefit from seeing the blue sky when they raise their eyes above. Prime Minister Netanyahu couldn’t agree less. First, the sky above Israel is boringly blue, not even a single cloud above. Second, being fully aware of the nature of ballistic warfare, the PM contended that the only way to provide the Jewish State with the ultimate security is to cover it from above with a reinforced concrete shield.
Israeli President Shimon Peres, the legendary peace enthusiast, offered a compromise inspired by the idea of a trampoline. Peres suggested that a Security Wall’s 90,000 ft. extension made of an elastic net would do the job. The elder statesman argued that an elastic net will guarantee that every Palestinian missile aimed at Israel would bounce back to the Arab territory once it hits the net. Netanyahu and Ya'alon dismissed Peres’s suggestion. They argued that considering the excessive Israeli usage of artillery and missiles against the Gazans, the Jewish State would suffer far more from the erection of such a ‘bouncy net’.
In a press conference following the heated cabinet debate, the Government spokesman Mr Zion Zioni stressed that “following the total success of the Security Wall in stopping Palestinian suicidal terror, ‘Security Roof’ is obviously the natural way to proceed.” Mr Zioni maintained as well that the new Israeli project will turn the Jewish State into a “sealed Jewish Bunker”. “In fact,” Zioni emphasised, “‘Operation Security Roof’ brings the Zionist adventure into its final destination. With a reinforced concrete ceiling from above, a Security Wall in the East and the Mediterranean Sea in the West, the Jewish State will eventually become the safest haven for world Jewry. Herzl’s dream comes true. Long Live Israel!”
Yet, some technical difficulties lay ahead. Probably the most crucial problem has something to do with breathing. Like the rest of the humankind, most Israeli people consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Apparently, the Israeli cabinet Ministers were made aware of this very crucial fact by the Health Minister Dr. Herbal Krechtzen. Netanyahu, being a man of action, responded immediately. Already in the cabinet meeting he authorised the Holocaust Ministry to explore different solutions to the acute biological problem.
July 8, 2014
3rd Intifada or Nakba II?
By Gilad Atzmon
Who cares? The Western media displays little interest in covering the current Israel/ Palestine clashes.
The Israeli Hasbara prefers to keep a low profile right now. The current collisions between Israeli policing forces and Palestinians are taking place well within Israel’s pre-1967 borders. This means that for all practical purposes, the Two State Solution has lost any viability.
The so-called Israeli-Arabs, or shall we say, the Palestinians who possess Israeli citizenship are confronting the brutality of the Jewish mob.
There have been calls for pogroms against Arab-Israeli citizens from all quarters of Israeli society
Israel’s ordinarily hawkish government appears relatively restrained in its reaction to Palestinian resistance and Hamas’ action in Gaza.
How come?
Israel is waiting and hoping for a disaster. A tragic event would provide its military with an excuse to implement its harshest measures.
Journalist Joshua Blakeney interviews Jonathan Moadab
Published on Jul 7, 2014
Journalist Joshua Blakeney interviewed Paris-based journalist Jonathan Moadab on July 7, 2014. Both Moadab and Blakeney have been targeted by the Jewish Defence League for their journalistic critiques of Israel and her supporters. Moadab recently won a small victory when a French judge found two JDL members guilty of harassing him in September 2012. Relevant links include:
July 7, 2014
Chomsky, BDS And The Jewish Left Paradigm
By Gilad Atzmon
In his latest article in The Nation, Noam Chomsky selectively cherry picks the facts that fit his preferred narrative, while ignoring and disguising relevant details that contradict his thesis. One would expect an academic of Chomsky’s stature to perform at a much higher standard of intellectual integrity.
Reviewing Chomsky’s latest criticism of the BDS reveals that the MIT linguist borders on deception. It is especially fascinating to examine Chomsky’s tactics in light of the current violent events in Israel/Palestine.
Chomsky writes, “The opening call of the BDS movement, by a group of Palestinian intellectuals in 2005, demanded that Israel fully comply with international law by “(1) Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967 and dismantling the Wall.”
This is simply not true. In July 2005 BDS’ first goal read rather differently – “(1). Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall.”
In 2005 the first BDS goal didn’t include any reference to 1967 as Noam Chomsky suggests. It expressed opposition to the Israeli occupation of the entire land of historic Palestine. This goal was very upsetting for Jews and especially distressful to members of the Jewish Left. For them, the meaning was obvious; it implied that the Zionist project was a pure land grab. Then, at some unknown date around 2010 and without any protocol that suggested a formal decision, the goal changed as if by ‘magic’ and the words “occupied in June 1967” were added.
Attempts to discover who, within the BDS movement, had made the change didn’t reveal any answers. We do know, however, that the change followed growing pressure from Jewish anti Zionists within the BDS movement. We also know that the change occurred when BDS formed a dependence on EU money and Wall Street financers such as George Soros. I would like to believe that Chomsky, who is a meticulous researcher who doesn’t miss details, is well aware of this change in BDS’ Goal statement. However, it may as well be possible that I am totally wrong and Chomsky was not aware of this BDS saga at the time he wrote his article.
