Alfred Lilienthal, a leading anti-Zionist writer, died last week. Here's his obit from the Washington Post:
M. Lilienthal, Age 94, died peacefully Monday, October 6, at his home
in Washington, DC. Born in New York City, December 25, 1913. He is
survived by a niece Maria Maravillas Lilienthal Ortells of Madrid,
Spain. A service of remembrance is being planned.
Jack Ross writes:
age of 16 when I discovered sitting on my grandparents' bookshelf a
copy of Lilienthal's first book, What Price Israel?, written in 1953. These were followed by There Goes The Middle East in 1957 and The Zionist Connection in 1978.
Lilienthal
became active in the Washington chapter of the American Council for
Judaism in the 1940s as a young State Department lawyer and began his
rise to national prominence with his article "Israel's flag is not
mine" in Readers' Digest in 1949. By the mid-50s however he began to
part ways with the ACJ over what was perceived as his sensationalism
and unabashed pro-Arab partisanship.
From what I have heard from
many who knew him, both these charges were quite fair and possibly even
understated, as some even believed him to be seriously mentally ill.
But perhaps this was necessary for him to speak out for decades with
his unpopular but prophetic views. Reflecting on all this the day
after Yom Kippur, it is a powerful reminder of the human condition.
Though honored on his 90th birthday at the height of the Second Intifada
with a dinner thrown by the Jewish peace leaders Jeff Halper and Josh
Reubner, Lilienthal was probably most analogous to the surviving
Spanish anarchists after the death of Franco – completely lost in a
world that passed him by once he was finally vindicated. Even so, he
should not be forgotten.
