"History teaches us that the most universally inspiring Jews, I mean, those who contributed something to humanity rather than merely to their own people or even just themselves, were motivated by some form of self hate." -- Gilad Atzmon
It's not exactly news that jazz musician and blogger Gilad Atzmon advocates anti-Semitism by both Jews and non-Jews -- he's been playing that tune for several years. But his advocacy has become both more blatant and more pathetic recently, as evidenced by his promotion of the Israeli organ theft libel. The products of his fervid imagination on that subject have now been broadcast around the world, along with the twisted fantasies of Israel Shamir, T. West, al-Manar, and Alison Weir (read here and here and here), and thanks to those like Baroness Jenny Tonge who take those fantasies to be reliable information.
Bigots are said to use their targets as scapegoats for shortcomings they fear having themselves, projecting their sins onto those they hate. But the self-hater has a special problem which calls for extraordinary measures. When he looks in the mirror, his scapegoat stares back. The self-hater feels a need to continually prove that he is different from -- better than -- the others of his group. For Atzmon, this need to differentiate compels increasingly extreme demonizing of the Jewish community; and as his critique becomes stronger, it verges on overt opposition to Jewish existence.
Atzmon recently wrote a review of the film "Defamation" which is noteworthy for both for its anti-Semitic opposition to Jewish participation in public life and its attempt to blame Jews for European anti-Muslim sentiment. (Read here.) That review includes the following defense of anti-Semitism:
Atzmon first admits that he sees that anti-Semitism is on the rise, then that he supports it, although he would prefer that it not be called anti-Semitism. Atzmon writes that he supports opposition to "Jewish ideology", a vague term which can mean virtually any manifestation of Jewish existence in public life. This is an extraordinary limitation to which no ethnic or religious group should be subjected. Opposition to "Jewish ideology" comes very close to opposing Jewish existence itself. Atzmon goes on to deride the term "anti-Semitism" as a "Judeo-centric notion", as if opposition to this particular brand of bigotry (his brand) is itself a form of bigotry.
Atzmon recently wrote a review of the film "Defamation" which is noteworthy for both for its anti-Semitic opposition to Jewish participation in public life and its attempt to blame Jews for European anti-Muslim sentiment. (Read here.) That review includes the following defense of anti-Semitism:
"Unlike Uri Avnery and Norman Finkelstein who appear in the film and argue that anti-Semitism is exaggerated, I actually believe that resentment towards Jewish politics is rising rapidly and constantly. However, I do differentiate between the Judeo-centric notion of anti-Semitism and political resentment towards Jewish ideology. I do not regard anti-Jewish activity as a form of anti-Semitism or racial hatred because Jews are neither Semites nor do they form a racial continuum whatsoever. The rise of hatred towards any form of Jewish politics and Jewish lobbies is a reaction towards a tribal, chauvinist and supremacist ideology."
Atzmon first admits that he sees that anti-Semitism is on the rise, then that he supports it, although he would prefer that it not be called anti-Semitism. Atzmon writes that he supports opposition to "Jewish ideology", a vague term which can mean virtually any manifestation of Jewish existence in public life. This is an extraordinary limitation to which no ethnic or religious group should be subjected. Opposition to "Jewish ideology" comes very close to opposing Jewish existence itself. Atzmon goes on to deride the term "anti-Semitism" as a "Judeo-centric notion", as if opposition to this particular brand of bigotry (his brand) is itself a form of bigotry.
Atzmon justifies this form of discrimination by saying that he merely wants to protect the rest of the world from the "tribal, chauvinist and supremacist" Jews. What could possibly be wrong with that?
The musician, jazz writer and blogger David Adler wrote about Atzmon in Jazz Times in October 2005. (Read it in pdf here.) David wrote in that article that, in spite of Atzmon promotion of Holocaust denial literature and other manifestations of extremism on his part, music writers tended to portray Atzmon's activism in polite terms, such as, amazingly, "a plea for understanding". David has emailed to tell me that the journalist John Pilger has written recently in support of Atzmon, citing him outrageously as "being at the heart of a battle for a better world"! Adler provided me with a link to Oliver Kamm's column on this. (Read here.) Kamm writes of Atzmon that
(h)e wrote (in a passage on his website that he later partially sanitised):
"American Jewry makes any debate on whether the 'Protocols of the elder of Zion' are an authentic document or rather a forgery irrelevant. American Jews (in fact Zionists) do control the world.. So far they are doing pretty well for themselves at least."
The least objectionable aspect of this remark is that Atzmon regards it as an open question whether the Protocols, a notorious Czarist antisemitic forgery, are an authentic document. And the whole sentiment is quite moderate when you compare it with the rest of Atzmon's output. Consider his belief that Hitler has been unfairly maligned:
"To regard Hitler as the ultimate evil is nothing but surrendering to the Zio-centric discourse. To regard Hitler as the wickedest man and the Third Reich as the embodiment of evilness is to let Israel off the hook."
That says it all, doesn't it? According to Atzmon, Jewish discussions of the worst forms of anti-Semitism are part of a "Zio-centric" plot to expunge their own, far worse, crimes. That is pathetic.
7 comments:
The rise of antisemitism you are talking about, does it include explicit anti-Jewish legislation? Are there jobs that only Jews will do, and at low pay like sharecroppers?
The material basis for antisemitism doesn't exist, because of modern capitalism, Jews have no unique role in the economy. There was a time Christians frowned on going into show business. Another example is under feudalism, when power resided in owning land, Jews had jobs involving handling money.
Regards.
Renegade Eye:
That's like saying that, because blacks are no longer enslaved in the U.S., racism no longer exists. Is that what you're arguing?
Here's an explanation: Gilad Atzmon is really an undercover Israeli agent sent to Europe to make the loony left look even more ridiculous, thus helping to discredit them. He knows how outrageous his prattlings are, but he is willing to perform his distasteful-but-necessary duty.
OK, OK, I know it's ridiculous. But you have to permit me my pleasant fantasies.
I'm on the left myself, but it's a sad statement on Western left-wing culture that wingnuts like Atzmon get so much attention. He may be a good musician, but as a political commentator he doesn't deserve the light of day.
Joanne
Israelis support RON PAUL!!
http://israelfinancialexpert.blogspot.com/search/label/Ron%20Paul
Renegade, I think you are completely wrong. Antisemitism empirically exists. There is plenty of data to show that violent antisemitism has been on the rise in many parts of Europe since 2000, that verbal hate crimes continue, that people all over the world in large numbers hold racist attitudes towards Jews. To be sure, it is nothing like it was in, say, 1930, but it exists. There may not be structural discrimination in the labor market, but it exists. Racism has more than one form.
This means that it must have a material basis, and a theoretical framework that says that it can't exist because it's social basis does not exit is a demonstrably false theoretical framework.
I would suggest, for example, that the material basis for some antisemitism today is in the rise of finance capital in relation to productive capital; this is what Marxist theorist Moishe Postone argues. A material base for another kind of antisemitism is the utter defeat of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, combined with the economic underdevelopment of the Middle East, which requires a scapegoat.
A little late here but since Adam just posted it on Facebook, wtf...
Bob, resorting to the notion that antisemitism or any form of prejudice--whether it is a personal bias or institutional discrimination/racism--needs some sort of "material basis" is totally played out vulgar Marxism. I know Renegade Eye subscribes to this discredited worldview but I expect more from you.
Prejudices are often based on paranoia that has no foundation in a materialist worldview and this lack of "material basis" does not lesson the impact on peoples (both the discriminator and the discriminated) lives.
As Hoftadter noted in "The Paranoid Style in American Politics":
"We are all sufferers from history, but the paranoid is a double sufferer, since he is afflicted not only by the real world, with the rest of us, but by his fantasies as well."
Joanne, for all the attention Atzmon and his ilk receive in "Western left-wing culture" they receive even greater attention in Islamic world.
I'm a bit late to this discussion but since Adam just posted it on Facebook wtf...
This belongs in the "well, duh" category. Anyone who has spent the slightest bit of time reading what this nitwit has to say knows he is a self-hating piece of excrement.
The notion that prejudice--whether individual bias or institutional discrimination/racism--has to have some sort of "material basis" is a played out vulgar Marxist fiction. I expect this sort of claptrap from Renegade Eye but I expect more from you, Bob.
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