Thursday, August 10, 2006

Atzmon Brings the Hate

Music can be a healing force, bringing people together, but if you are expecting anything like that from Gilad Atzmon, think again. Multi-reed musician Atzmon, the self-described Israeli-born Palestinian, is a darling of the British far-left, known for extreme rhetoric, bordering on, if not outright anti-Semitism (more background here). The toast of Counter-Punch and al-Jazeera has been writing on events in Lebanon, in three pieces quoted from below. Unfortunately, his poison pen is probably all too representative of Euro Leftist thinking.

Here is how he sees Israel:

“Since the end of the cold war, things changed. Israel isn’t threatened anymore by its neighboring states.” (Pour Your Fury p. 2)

“As far as the Israeli political game is concerned, the rule is very simple, the more Arab blood you have on your hands the more you are suited to get on with your governing job.” (Pour p. 4)

“Olmert and Peretz were very quick to use the ultimate military measures. They probably realise very well that arrogance, violence, brutality and barbarism is the Israeli raison d’etre.” (Never Again p.4)


On Hezbollah:

“a tiny paramilitary group of patriotic warriors. (2=500 p. 2)”

“Those Arabs have a good reason to be cheered by the Hezbollah. It is the Hezbollah that gives them a very good reason to look forward with pride.” (2=500 p.3)


On Syria and Iran:

“It is Syria and Iran who support the oppressed people of this battered region. i.e.. the Palestinians and now the Lebanese. For me this is more than enough to suggest that at least ethically, Iran and Syria are the most progressive powers around.” (2=5 p. 3)

On Jews:

“Without referring to the truth value in the Medieval tales of blood libel; without trying to suggest whether or not Jews made Matzos out of young gentile blood, the growing quantity of images of orchestrated murderous Israeli activity helps us realise where such accusations may have come from.” (Never p. 5)

There we have it. Israel, a free democracy, is the war-mongering state. Hezbollah, responsible for the deaths of scores of innocent people through terrorist operations like various embassy bombings and the hijacking of TWA flight 847—considered by many a graver threat than al-Qaeda—are “patriotic warriors.” Syria, implicated in the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, is the savior of Lebanon. Iran, where Holocaust denial is official state policy, and activists like Ahmad Batebi face long prison sentences or worse, is the “most progressive power around.” And medieval blood libel is excused as understandable given how Jews act. That is how Gilad Atzmon and far too many of his extremist socialist cronies see the current conflict in the Middle East. They represent an organized marshalling of hatred within the far left that the old media willfully ignores.