Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Friday 24 August 2012

Loewenstein In London

All Aussie administrations save Whitlam's have been pro-Israel
Certainly untypical of a scion (so to speak) of the robustly pro-Israel Melbourne Jewish community, and of the splendidly pro-Zionist Temple Beth Israel (led in succession by two extraordinary rabbinical greats, the charismatic Drs H. M. Sanger and J. S. Levi, with their deep and infectious love for Eretz Israel and for Medinat Israel), Antony Loewenstein is indeed an anomaly.

His extreme hostility towards Israel, exhibited in his polemic My Israel Question  –  which to the disgust and consternation of many observers was published by a prestigious academic publisher, Melbourne University Press –  is reprised on his blog (see, for instance, this early post of mine) and in articles such as this recent one.

With Ahmed Moor, Mr Loewenstein has co-edited After Zionism: One State For Israel and Palestine, which is being enthusiastically plugged by Stephen Sizer and the usual suspects.

Last week it was launched at a bookshop on Saladin Street in Jerusalem, at which, I'm told, Canadian lawyer and former PLO spokesperson Diana Buttu criticised Abbas for allegedly preventing Palestinians from engaging in (armed) "resistance".

And last night Loewenstein and Moor discussed their book in the Khalili Lecture Theatre at SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies.  Those doughty defenders of Israel Jonathan Hoffman and Richard Millett went along.

Wrote Jonathan Hoffman, convinced  that a one state solution would be achieved only in a bloodbath, after the meeting:
'"How many have to die to achieve "One State"?
That's the question I always ask advocates of 'One State' - meaning the antisemitic act of eliminating Israel as a Jewish State, the one Jewish State alongside 57 Muslim States.
 I ask it because the vast majority of Israelis –  Jews and Arabs –  do not want 'One State' under any circumstances, so it could only be achieved by force.
 I asked it of Antony Loewenstein tonight at SOAS. Loewenstein ("As an atheist non-practising Jew") has co-edited a book advocating "One State".
 Of course the 'One State' antisemites can never answer my question. Loewenstein at first tried to turn the tables on me by asking me a question. But I pressed him. Was it one million? Two million?
 "Six million" came back the answer with a smirk. How utterly despicable –  and from a man who then said –  without a hint of irony - "I have spent my life fighting antisemitism"! (He also said that Iran is no threat to Israel!).
 Thank heaven that Israel haters like Loewenstein have made no headway whatsoever in Australia - where there is strong bipartisan support for Israel.'
That's cross-posted  from the Jewish Chronicle blogs, and another person present has commented there:
"Jonathan was focussing on the appalling comment made by Loewenstein when asked how many dead Jews it would take to satisfy the blood lust of those demanding a one state solution . Without the smirk it could have been regarded as an unfortunate random plucking of a number and given the dubious benefit of the doubt .
 With the smirk it was quite apparent that Loewenstein knew what he was saying .
Following the debate, a Pakistani gentleman introduced himself to us. He mentioned that he was a journalist and that he was very disappointed by the comment as it was overtly antisemitic...."
Richard Millett has much more here
See also my next post, a sequel of sorts.

3 comments:

  1. I try to avoid comment on this attention hussy, Loewenstein - so as not to give him any more oxygen. I cannot resist here tho: This shallow opportunist uses Jew Hatred (yes I say Jew Hatred) as an admission ticket to the left dominated media at every occasion. He has now "made it" to the ABC panels like "The drum".

    I have a lot of contempt for individual like that but will spare you my theories as to what position this crub would have occupied when 6 million men, women and children were murdered in my country of origin, a number which you can multiply many times when it comes to the potential the world has lost - you have only to look at how much Jews have/are contributed/contributing in every field.

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  2. He's that dead end Communist with the rat as his symbol on his website, yes?

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  3. Loewenstein is just a walking talking cliche Marxist as-a-Jew.

    The sinister alliance of the Islamist-Marxist axis
    http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-sinister-alliance-of-the-islamist-marxist-axis/

    This Jpost editorial has unfortunately disappeared, maybe paywalled?
    Israel and the Jewish Left
    Jewish support for the enemies of Israel represents the triumph of leftism over Jewishness.
    http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=282076

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