Did you see the Washington Institute for Near East Policy book prizes for this year? And the winners are:
The 2010 Washington Institute Book Prize recipients were From Empathy to Denial: Arab Responses to the Holocaust by Meir Litvak and Esther Webman (Gold Medal), The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon's Life Struggle by Michael Young (Silver Medal), and Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World by Jeffrey Herf (Bronze Medal).
Not shocking that they would pick two out of three books linking the Arabs with the Nazis given the selection committee was Jackson Diehl of the WaPo, Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard, and historian of fascism Walter Laqueur. This is also a good illustration of how the Lobby uses financial heft (the first prize was $30k, second prize $15k, third prize $5k) to shape the intellectual discourse.
Those opposed to Israel’s occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians have yet to breach the ranks of those members of the Israel Lobby nestled in the upper branches of our media. Once NPR, the New York Times, and their ilk, actually report on what is happening to the Palestinians, then there can be progress. Making that breakthrough remains a formidable but critically necessary task.
Donilon is a lifelong lobbyist, a career panderer to special interests. Nothing more exposes the rotten heart of this presidency than his appointment to this position.
“Did you see the Washington Institute for Near East Policy book prizes for this year? ”
OMG! No, did you? I think you may be the only one.
Tell me, do Arabs or pro-Palestinian organizations give out prizes for books? Have they nominated any Zionist books recently?
So, the rule of prosperity’s thumb is to link the Arabs with Nazis but never, never link Israel with the Nazis (except the Shoah per se).
Citizen October 11, 2010 at 8:57 am
So, the rule of prosperity’s thumb is to link the Arabs with Nazis but never, never link Israel with the Nazis.
There are several aspects to this strategy.
1. Many in the Middle East are familiar with the Holocaust and its repercussions, but they refuse to publicly acknowledge so due to Israel’s ongoing intransigence and Israel’s continued denial of the Nakbah; quid pro quo.
2. Israel’s politicization of Judaism makes it all the more impossible for any Arab in the Middle East to sympathize with Jews who suffered at the hands of Nazis. Why? Because such sympathy would be considered by Israel as the legitimacy that which it craves in order to justify past and present ethnic cleansing and dispossession of Palestinians.
3. This third aspect is merely conjecture on my part, but it’s nonetheless practical from a public relations perspective. With Israel using more and more Nazi-like tactics, the best way to manipulate public opinion is by beating Israel’s critics to the punch.
Think of it this way, if a presidential candidate knew that his opponent was going to publicly accuse him of using illegal substances and had the evidence to prove it, what would be the best way to reduce the damage?
The best way would be for the presidential candidate to preempt his opponent’s announcement by either admitting to said activity while controlling the message in order to diminish from its effect, OR, to come out with a counter accusation before the opponent makes his. That way, the opponent would be on the defensive no matter what he’ll say or do.
Forgot the blockquotes…..
There are several aspects to this strategy.
1. Many in the Middle East are familiar with the Holocaust and its repercussions, but they refuse to publicly acknowledge so due to Israel’s ongoing intransigence and Israel’s continued denial of the Nakbah; quid pro quo.
2. Israel’s politicization of Judaism makes it all the more impossible for any Arab in the Middle East to sympathize with Jews who suffered at the hands of Nazis. Why? Because such sympathy would be considered by Israel as the legitimacy that which it craves in order to justify past and present ethnic cleansing and dispossession of Palestinians.
3. This third aspect is merely conjecture on my part, but it’s nonetheless practical from a public relations perspective. With Israel using more and more Nazi-like tactics, the best way to manipulate public opinion is by beating Israel’s critics to the punch.
Think of it this way, if a presidential candidate knew that his opponent was going to publicly accuse him of using illegal substances and had the evidence to prove it, what would be the best way to reduce the damage?
The best way would be for the presidential candidate to preempt his opponent’s announcement by either admitting to said activity while controlling the message in order to diminish from its effect, OR, to come out with a counter accusation before the opponent makes his. That way, the opponent would be on the defensive no matter what he’ll say or do.
Hophini
What about this soundbite ‘ Did Nazi or fascist ever decry the practices of Democracy? No. Then why should we condemn Nazism or Fascizm ?”
It is like the argument of Joe Liberman on Abu Ghraib torture-” Did terrorist apologize for 911? why should we apologize for Abu Ghraib?”
If Zionist want to rewrite the history , they should do that in Israel and not in US. They can force the moribund and sick culture of self -appeasemnt of Zionism in Israel but not in US. Award to these books shows how effective is the corrupt ensnaring of American instituion and American tradition s by Zionism.
Hophmi
It is very much possible that they ( Krystol and Krauthammer and Party Peretz and bunch of scattered Israeli supporters across US landscape ) dont want books
written by Chas Freeman, Stephen Walt, or by Geoffry Wawro to receive any attention from any corners of American minds which could become a posibility if ever the future Cordova Center decided to host a book reading or review on this or related topics. To preempt that scenario some of them with the active support of ADL went after Cordova center. Now you have an answear why other side to I-P debate dont get heard. Its all about taking over the medium of communication and violent prevention of any opportunity to the other side.