Gilad Atzmon

Atzmon is a Jewish (ex-Israeli) Jazz musician who unfortunately supports Israel Shamir and has distributed Paul Eisen's articles. He has spoken and played music at the SWP's annual Marxism event and in 2005 he was invited to promote his book, "My one and only love", at Bookmarks, the SWP's London bookshop: this event was picketed by Jews Against Zionism. While I have never suggested that Atzmon is a nazi, he clearly has very poor taste in friends and politics. What can one make of someone who calls himself a "proud self-hating Jew"? I found his "Protocols of the Elders Of London" highly offensive, not least because it slagged off some of my closest Jewish comrades while cosying up to the highly dubious Israel Shamir.

Here are some links:

Palestine solidarity and anti-semitism Tony Greenstein in Weekly Worker, 27th March 2008.
Tony Greenstein; Why I am suing Gilad Atzmon for Libel and Defamation12th March 2008
Anti-Zionists against Anti-Semitism
New blog which focuses its attacks on Shamir (q.v.) and Atzmon.
"Gilad Atzmon – Now an Open Holocaust Denier" Tony Greenstein on the Socialist Unity site, 21st Jan 2008.
Sylvia Stolz, Ernst Zundel’s Lawyer Jailed! Romanian National Vanguard News Agency, 15th Jan 2008.
"In a public statement, Atzmon is quoted as having said that the written history of the Second World War and the Holocaust are a 'complete forgery, initiated by Americans and Zionists'."
A similar quotation attributed to Atzmon appears on the website of the Adelaide Institute, a notorious Holocaust denial site, citing the Westline archive as the original source.
"There are no gatekeepers, just anti-racists" Tony Greenstein versus Mary Rizzo and Atzmon, in the context of the academic boycott debate, 18th November 2007.
Inviting Gilad Atzmon to play is a bad move
Letter to Socialist Worker by Mike Rosen, 6th January 2007. Perhaps the SWP is starting to see the light? One can hope.
SWP statement about the Bookmarks picket
The SWP comment is entirely predictable IMHO and doesn't answer the crucial questions. Scroll down a bit and you will find a statement by Atzmon himself. Read it, compare it with other stuff in these links, and judge for yourself.
How did the far Left manage to slip into bed with the Jew-hating Right? David Aaronovitch in the Times, 28th June 2005.
Bizarre article by Mary Rizzo in Counterpunch - defending Atzmon while attacking Jewish socialist Tony Greenstein.
Why Palestinian Solidarity Activists Must Reject Anti-Semitism: A Reply to Mary Rizzo's "Who's Afraid of Gilad Atzmon" - Tony Greenstein's reply (published here since Counterpunch refused him a right of reply!)
Open Letter to Counterpunch: "Who's Afraid of Gilad Atzmon and the Holocaust Deniers?"
On Gilad Atzmon Report by Greg Dropkin on Labournet, 28th July 2005. This was circulated as part of an impromptu and free-running debate with Gilad Atzmon during his talk before the performance at the Manchester Jazz Festival.
The Socialist Workers Party - Apologists for Racism? Statement from Jews against Zionism, on the Socialist Unity website.

This site is owned and maintained by Sue Blackwell.
It was last updated on 1st May 2008.