Yesterday I noted that Foreign Affairs turned to an Israeli, Shlomo Ben-Ami, to positively review Israeli Benny Morris's book 1948 (a book I wasn't wild about). One of my tipsters sent me this squib from two years back, in which a smart cookie, Brian Hennessey (there used to be Yiddish jokes using that name), makes something of the fact that the Washington Post assigned Michael Oren to review Haim Waitzman's book, and Waitzman to review Jeffrey Goldberg's book, and Goldberg to review (and of course trash) Jimmy Carter's book–Oren, Waitzman, and Goldberg being Americans who emigrated to Israel. (Goldberg returned to prosecute his career, Oren seems to have exercised the revolvingdoor option). Hennessey asks us to imagine a "cabal" of Afrikaaners writing about apartheid books in American publications in the 80s. Well they wouldn't have got their nose into the tent. Morris's book was reviewed in big publications by Jews, so was Walt and Mearsheimer.
My point is not to establish quotas, or diminish these writers. The ones I've read, Ben-Ami, Morris, and Goldberg, all have their points. The issue is simple: diversity. Do you ever see an Arabist reviewing this stuff in major American publications? An Arab? A non-Zionist? (I recommend the playwright David Zellnik. A comer, and all heart.)
Are works by Zionist writers respectfully reviewed in the Arab press?
Why are you recommending an anti-Zionist Jew? Why not a cosmopolitan Arab?
The New York Times reviews of Zionist authors is balanced, containing appreciation and criticism.
Do you know of Arab reviewers that you would recommend to provide similarly non-polemic to New York Times pages?
"Are works by Zionist writers respectfully reviewed in the Arab press?"
Does that mean that you consider the American press to be a Zionist press?
Witty made a freudian slip clearly revealing he views the USA Press as a Jewish domain.
I don't. It has been repeated and repeated here by those that do consider the New York Times a liberal Jewish press. (You know Sarah Palin).
?????? This is not you Richard? Is it?
It was me.
The question did not imply that the New York Times is Zionist press.
Only, that it was odd that Phil recommended a leftist Jew to review the books sited, rather than a respected Arab.
"Are works by Zionist writers respectfully reviewed in the Arab press?"
An extraordinary and disgraceful counter-statement from Richard Witty.
On Phil's post, the Afrikaaner/apartheid comparison is 'the gift that keeps on giving' in terms of understanding jewish colonialism.
How is it disrespectful to ask if prominent authors get reviewed in the Arab press?
Or, is it ok to discrimminate against Zionists because they are Zionists?
If you are going to inquire into prejudicial editorial position, why not do it consistently?
'Do you ever see an Arabist reviewing this stuff in major American publications? An Arab? A non-Zionist?'
Who will they get to review Schlomo Sand's new book? If indeed it gets reviewed.
Jonathan Cook via Antiwar:
'No one is more surprised than Shlomo Sand that his latest academic work has spent 19 weeks on Israel's bestseller list – and that success has come to the history professor despite his book challenging Israel's biggest taboo. Dr. Sand argues that the idea of a Jewish nation – whose need for a safe haven was originally used to justify the founding of the state of Israel – is a myth invented little more than a century ago…
In addition, he argues that the Jews were never exiled from the Holy Land, that most of today's Jews have no historical connection to the land called Israel and that the only political solution to the country's conflict with the Palestinians is to abolish the Jewish state. The success of When and How Was the Jewish People Invented? looks likely to be repeated around the world. A French edition, launched last month, is selling so fast that it has already had three print runs.
Translations are under way into a dozen languages, including Arabic and English. But he predicted a rough ride from the pro-Israel lobby when the book is launched by his English publisher, Verso, in the United States next year.'
Indeed.
Sand himself says:
'"I was not raised as a Zionist, but like all other Israelis I took it for granted that the Jews were a people living in Judea and that they were exiled by the Romans in 70AD. But once I started looking at the evidence, I discovered that the kingdoms of David and Solomon were legends.
"Similarly with the exile. In fact, you can't explain Jewishness without exile. But when I started to look for history books describing the events of this exile, I couldn't find any. Not one…
It is not taught in Israeli schools but most of the early Zionist leaders, including David Ben Gurion [Israel's first prime minister], believed that the Palestinians were the descendants of the area's original Jews. They believed the Jews had later converted to Islam."
I can't wait for the Wittian non-sequiturs this will provoke.
The proper response to Witty is to ask, "How many pro-apartheid books were respectively reviewed in the press of African nations outside of South Africa?" My guess is probably even less than the number of Zionist works given respectful reviews in the Arab press.
I find the American press to be an excellent resource.
I get informed.
I don't get informed from the left press (unless I combine it with the conventional). I get abused by the right press.
I don't get informed by blogs, unless I combine it with thoughtful read of the conventional.
None is complete, but a story is only a story.
I'd rather end up informed, as a tool to do good.
"Do you ever see an Arabist reviewing this stuff in major American publications? An Arab? A non-Zionist?"
That's why more and more people such as myself have moved away from not only "mainstream" news outlets but also from so many of the "left" news outlets, which are often no more than Zionist gatekeepers, whether intentional or not. I just couldn't take Amy Goodman (who I think often does a good job of investigative reporting) and three other Jewish people talking about Palestinians and Muslims and Arabs anymore (with maybe a token one of the aforementioned groups thrown in for good measure). It's just not right.