Dear all,

Now that Brian has sent Shamir's letter to the Time to the list, I think
everyone - if they feel they can bear it of course - should read the other
letters, including letters from Paul Eisen and Gilad Atzmon. As I said, these
letters, in their cumulative effect, are not for people of nervous disposition.
I thought I was hardened by now, but I have been very shocked and upset by them.
So I do advise strong drinks before starting to read these letters. I don’t
know if any of them have been published by the Times, but I doubt it as they are
so unspeakable.

Notice too that the Just Peace UK list is at the end, with all our messages on
it (including this one!) Which means we should continue these discussions off
line.

Deborah


>---Original Message-----
>From: Deborah Maccoby
>Sent: 11 April 2005 13:27
>To: 'CharlesPottins@...'
>Cc: 'ornaneumann@...'; 'debopera.fink@...'
>Subject: FW: SHAMIR: LETTERS TO THE TIMES
>
>
>
>I just had a look at Shamir's website to see if he had any comment on the Times
and JC attacks on him, and he does indeed, as do others, including Paul Eisen
and Gilad Atzmon…I don’t know if any of their letters to the Times have
actually been published; probably not because they are so unspeakable. . I
actually can't bear to send this to the Just Peace UK list, but I thought you
should see it…just have a strong drink beforehand...…just a warning
beforehand that it is not for people of nervous dispositions…
>
>
>Deborah
>
>
>
>From SHAMIR'S WEBSITE: www.israelshamir.net
>
>
>"Simultaneously with the Jewish Chronicle (All this wild conspiracy talk…)
The Times of London published a poisonous piece by Stephen Pollard on Shamir’s
talk at the House of Lords, attacking Lord Ahmed:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-1557932,00.html -
>
>
>
>Here are some responses:
>
>
>
>Coin of Henry the VIII
>
>
>From Israel Shamir to the Times editor
>
>Letters@...
>
>Sir,
>
>Re: Lord Ahmed's unwelcome guest
>
>
>
>I was the “Lord Ahmed's unwelcome guest”, according to Stephen Pollard
(April 07, 2005). I was not unduly impressed by the appellation of ‘a
notorious antisemite’ for this term has been thoroughly debased like Henry the
VIII’s coin. The Jewish Week (April, 1 2005) condemned the Good Samaritan
parable as ‘an antisemitic slur’; the Webster dictionary describes
‘antisemitism’ as ‘adverse attitude to Israel’s policies’; while
Bar-Ilan University's Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Hayman told his listeners that "as long
as Christians keep Jesus as God, they will be antisemitic”. Mr Pollard’s
worldview was made clear by his reference to Ken Livingstone’s affair. If a
person who considers a Jewish hack being above reproach because of his
Jewishness were to fail to consider me ‘an antisemite’ I would be worried
for I am adverse to Israel’s policies, venerate Jesus Christ and admire the
Good Samaritan. Moreover, I stand for full equality of Jew and non-Jew, in
Palestine and elsewhere, and this is clearly an ‘antisemitic’ position for
Pollard and his kin.
>
>
>
>I was even less impressed by Pollard’s reference to my assumed Swedish name.
Next time he may call Salman Rushdie “actually a Mr Wiggins, a resident of
Bienfait, Saskatchewan”. Writers’ lot is not always an easy sailing. I walk
under a fatwa not less scaring than that of Rushdie, for my name is on the hit
list of Jewish Defense League, and I do not intend to be as accommodating to
them as Mr Pollard perhaps would like. (This comparison goes a long way, for I
am not less critical to Judaism than Mr Rushdie to Islam; but Jewish assassins
are more successful than their Muslim competitors, and the British readers may
remember Lord Moyne and many others.) Israeli newspapers are quite critical of
me, but they never published such rubbish (“actually, a Swede…>”) for I am
quite well known locally.
>
>
>
>Pollard’s attempts to establish my guilt by association are equally futile. I
wrote not only for “Zavtra, Russia’s most anti-Semitic publication” (on a
par with Ken Livingstone and Prince Harry, I presume), but also for Haaretz, the
leading Israeli newspaper that published an advertisement calling for
‘vengeance to the evil nation’ of Palestinians; but somehow nobody mentions
this moral fault of mine.
>
>
>
>But I was thoroughly annoyed by Pollard’s references to Lord Ahmed of
Rotherham. Pollard presents elevation of Lord Ahmed, ‘the first Muslim peer’
as an action connected to his faith, not to his personal achievement; he implies
that Ahmed is under an obligation ‘to behave’. This is quite shocking racist
remark. There were and are dozens of Jewish peers, though Jewish community of
Britain is many times smaller than the Jewish one. None of the Jewish peers
considers himself admitted ‘on condition’, and there is no reason to impose
such a condition on a Muslim peer. That is, unless you have two different
measures, one for Jews, another for ordinary mortals, as Mr Pollard apparently
has.
>
>
>
>The full text of my talk, The Jews and Empire, can be read on my site
www.israelshamir.net and it will be soon published in a book. And by the way,
none of many Jews present at the talk considered it as 'antisemitic'.
>
>
>
>Israel Shamir
>
>Jaffa
>
>Email: info@...
>
>
>
>From Ian Buckley, England:
>
>
>
>Pollard says that your views and background should be apparent from doing a
Google search on you.
>
>Well, I did a single page Google search on him, finding out that :
>
>
>
>1) He is associated with the Adam Smith Institute - one of those bizarre think
tanks that issues research papers complaining that 'Lady' Thatcher didn't
dismantle enough of Britain's industry.
>
>2) A sensible fellow at Oxford thinks that 'Stephen Pollard is an ignorant
git'.
>
>3) One of Pollard's own articles begins : 'I am a warmonger. I am bloodthirsty.
I am rabid.'
>
>
>
>Enough said!
>
>The Times has gone downhill a lot under Murdoch, becoming the paper for people
who are too ignorant to read the Sun...
>
>
>
>Ian
>
>From Kristoffer Larsson, Sweden
>
>
>
>Dear Editor,
>
>I noted that You too have adopted the myth that Israel Shamir is in fact a
Swedish anti-Semite named Jöran Jermas. As a Swede, I happen to know a little
about the organization behind this "revelation". I'm talking about Expo, who has
existed since 1995 with the outspoken purpose of fighting racism in any form.
However, their devotion to Zionism has remained unknown to many.
>
>In their magazine they used to send a "Thanks to" different organizations, with
which they cooperate. Among those organizations Expo was so eager to openly
promote, we find the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). That ADL has a habit of
always defending Israeli war crimes is in no way differential to other of Expo's
friend (for instance, they openly cooperate with the German anarchy-communist
AntiFa, who every year arrange demonstration in memory of the bombing of Dresden
- not to condemn the bombing of civilians, but to support it! "Bomber Harris, do
it again!" they yell with Israeli flags in their hands. However, Expo also
cooperates with British Searchlight, led by the Zionist Gerry Gable).
>
>But openly having ties with the Israeli spy organisation ADL must of course be
taken serious. According to Jeff Blankfort, who was exposed to ADL's spying,
they still continue with paying of spies (read more on www.adlwatch.org)
>
>When referring to ADL in a footnote in an article on Shamir, Expo wrote that
"Anti-Defamation League, ADL, is an American Jewish organization that monitors
and watch over right extremism and anti-Semitism."
>
>As far as I know Expo has never denounced ADL.
>
>I'd also like to mention in particular of the people at Expo. I'm speaking
about Fredrik Malm, chairperson of Liberal Youth and an enthusiastic defendant
of Israel's apartheid>. And as a matter of fact, he's a personal friend of Zvi
Mazel, the fascist who destroyed Dror Feiler's art work at a museum here in
Stockholm.
>
>I hope this will help You understand why Expo spends time making up stories
about anti-Semitism. Expo exists in the interest of Israel.
>
>
>
>Best regards,
>
>Kristoffer Larsson
>
>
>
>Stockholm, Sweden
>
>kristoffer.larsson@...
>
>
>
>
>
>From Richard Wilcox, Tokyo
>
>
>
>To The Times of London,
>
>The recent hack job done on the Lord Ahmed/Israel Shamir affair
>regarding Shamir's book Flowers of Galilee was unfair, hypocritical,
>and arrogant. Shamir's critique of the culture of Jewish supremicism is
>extraordinarily nuanced and knowledgeable. Smearing him as a Swedish
>Anti Semite is false and merely a cowardly way to avoid discussing the
>substance of the issues Mr. Shamir so courageously raises. I call for
>the Times to issue an apology to Shamir and to publish a more objective
>review of the fine work, Flowers of Galilee.
>
>R. Wilcox
>wilcoxrb@...
>
>
>
>
>
>From Gilad Atzmon to the Times
>
>
>
>Dear Sir
>Re: Lord Ahmed’s Unwelcome Guest
>
>I was present at Israel Shamir’s book launch at the House of Lords. Not only
>that Lord Ahmed wasn’t mistaken in inviting Shamir, he should rather be
>praised for hosting a politically balanced and ideologically enlightening
>event. And yet the man who should be shamed is in fact Stephan Pollard who
>fails in dismissing the long history of the extensive collaboration between
>Zionist leaders and the British Empire. It is Pollard who managed somehow to
>forget Balfour declaration and Weitzman role behind it. Does Suez War (1956)
>ring a bell?
>
>If this isn’t enough, Pollard proved to be pretty ignorant when Jewish
>religious issues are concerned. Somehow he has managed to forget the clear
>Jewish pray demanding 'God’s vengeance upon goyim'. As it seems, the Jewish
>religion, like many other religions, has its dark corners. And yet, to
>insist that Shamir or anyone else should remain quiet about it is a clear
>act against intellectual scholarship.
>
>Being myself an Ex Israeli, I would argue that Shamir’s exposure of some
>unacceptable Jewish religious perceptions is enormously important. I would
>argue as well that Jewish people would be the first to benefit from
>listening and reading Shamir. To conclude, Lord Ahmed willingness to invite
>such a brave man is in itself a courageous act and a necessary step towards
>a deeper realisation of the current cultural and political crisis.
>
>Gilad Atzmon
>
>London
>http://www.gilad.co.uk
>
>
>
>From Rixon Stewart
>
>http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/print.asp?ID=2969
>
>
>
>Fiction as Journalism
>Comments by Rixon Stewart - April 7, 2005
>
>
>
>In the wake of a meeting he addressed at Britain’s House of Lords,
yesterday's Times launched a libellous attack on writer Israel Shamir. Penned by
Stephen Pollard, it was fraught with untruths and is reprinted in part, below,
along with this website’s comments in italic.
>
>Lord Ahmed's unwelcome guest
>Stephen Pollard – The Times April 7, 2005
>
>
>“A term has returned to the lexicon of political debate in recent months; a
term for which, in a decent world, we should have no need. That term is
“anti-Semitism”…
>
>On February 23, Lord Ahmed hosted a book launch in the House of Lords for a man
going by the name of Israel Shamir. “Israel Shamir” is, in fact, a
Swedish-domiciled anti-Semite also known as Joran Jermas.”
>
>Here Pollard begins his work of character assassination using half-truths,
careful omissions and downright lies. For example, far from living in Sweden,
Israel Shamir usually resides in the Israeli town of Jaffa, as even the most
cursory research would have revealed. As would the fact that Shamir is also
descended from a long line of prominent Rabbis and Jewish intellectuals. >
>
>However Pollard does not mention any of this, nor does he mention that Shamir
is a former Israeli paratrooper who fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War under the
command of Ariel Sharon. Instead Pollard implies that Shamir, “also known as
J>цran Jermas”, is an impostor and a “rabid anti-Semite”.
>
>Pollard continues:
>
>“The gist of Shamir/Jermas’s speech at the meeting (which Pollard did not
attend but which this writer did) can be gleaned from its title, “Jews and the
Empire”. It included observations such as: “All the [political] parties are
Zionist-infiltrated.” “Your newspapers belong to Zionists . . .”
>
>As indeed does the Times, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, a known Zionist who
is said to exert dictatorial control over his editors. Which is maybe why the
Times published Pollard’s libellous article in the first place.
>
>He continues:
>
>“Why would Lord Ahmed have hosted such a man in the Lords? It is, of course,
possible that Lord Ahmed had no idea that Shamir/Jermas was a rabid anti-Semite.
Yet it takes only a quick Google to discover his views and background. He has
worked for Zavtra, Russia’s most anti-Semitic publication, and is allied with
the Vanguard News Network, set up by an American, Alex Linder — a man so
extreme that he was even ostracised by the US neo-Nazi National Alliance.”
>
>Here Pollard is very selective in his use of the Internet and in using
Shamir’s employment record; making no mention of the fact that Shamir also
worked for Israeli national radio, the BBC and the Israeli daily newspaper
Haaretz. Pollard omits this, even though it is clear from a brief visit to his
website, because mentioning it would undermine the fiction he is trying to
create of “Shamir/Jermas” being neo-Nazi resident of Sweden.
>
>Pollard continues:
>
>“If, however, Lord Ahmed does feel that he made a mistake in inviting him, he
has yet to demonstrate it. Shamir/Jermas’s speech was made nearly two months
ago. On learning of its contents, I wrote to Lord Ahmed, asking him two
questions. Did he consider the invitation to have been a mistake? Did he condemn
the remarks? He did not reply.
>
>Yesterday, I phoned him. When I told him that I planned to write a piece
drawing attention to his actions in hosting Shamir/Jermas and that I wanted to
give him every opportunity to respond, he replied: “I am not even going to
speak with you.” He then put the phone down”.
>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-1557932,00.html
>
>And who can blame him? For Pollard displays all the traits that have caused
journalists to be likened to “intellectual prostitutes”, ready to do the
bidding of rich newspaper owners without any regard for the truth. Here he
reports on a book presentation he did not attend, to a mixed crowd of Muslims,
Jews and Christians all searching for peace in the Middle East. A book written
by a man Pollard describes as a “rabid anti-Semite”, without mentioning his
true origins or the fact that a former speaker from the Israeli Knesset also
addressed the same book presentation. Nor does Pollard mention that Shamir also
worked in the Knesset himeself as the spokesman for the Israel Socialist Party.
>
>None of this is mentioned by Pollard because it would undermine the fiction he
is trying spin: a story about “anti-Semitism” which masquerades as
journalism. Like a growing number of Jews, Shamir is speaking out against the
injustice perpetrated by Zionism, a political body that has effectively hijacked
Judaism for its own purposes. Which is why Pollard never once refers to Shamir's
origins or background. To do so would completely undercut his arguement and
expose him for the liar he is.
>
>
>
>
>
>From Lynda Mortl to the Times
>
>The Editor:
>
>When is it going to end? This obsession with anti-Semitism. Again today we have
Stephen Pollard telling us that Lord Ahmed must apologize for hosting an evening
at the House of Lords to launch Israel Shamir's book (Lord Ahmed's unwelcome
guest). Lord Ahmed has nothing to apologize for.>
>
>I was at that book launch and I heard nothing that I would call anti-Semitic
although Lord Ahmed felt he had to make a point that he did not agree with
everything Mr. Shamir says. I have since read the book, Flowers of Galilee. It
is a courageous, timely and vitally important book written by a man whose
greatest desire is to see peace between Palestinians and Jews. To rebuild a
country where the two peoples can live side by side in harmony. And he knows
that unless some unpleasant facts are addressed this can never happen. For too
long Israel has been getting away with murder. It is a time for honesty.
>
>The solution to the problem is with the US. With this powerful sponsor
uncritical of its atrocities, billions of dollars in US aid and a gullible US
electorate mislead by biased news coverage, Israel has been running roughshod
over its Palestinian population for years. Unless this changes there will be no
chance of peace, no chance for Jews and Palestinians to live together. In short,
there will be no future. These nasty truths Stephen Pollard would like us to
ignore and that to even think such things is anti-Semitic. But he is wrong and
very shortsighted.
>
>Lord Ahmed was correct to bring Israel Shamir to the House of Lords. To not
have done would have been cowardly.
>
>Thank you for reading my views.
>
> Lynda Mortl
>
>London NW6
>
>
>
>From Paul Eisen to the Times:
>
>
>
>Dear Sir or Madam
>
>I was present at the Israel Shamir book launch at the House of Lords and I
applaud Lord Ahmed for giving Shamir a place to speak and to be heard.
>
>Is Shamir an anti-Semite? Well, it all depends what you mean by the term. If
you mean hating all Jews simply because they are Jews, then that is just plain
insane. But if you mean having serious criticisms of the way many Jews sometimes
behave, both individually and collectively, or even considering the possibility
of a mindset of "specialness" within many Jews which, when empowered and
unbalanced, can lead to notions of supremacism, then that is another matter
altogether.
>
>
>
>Paul Eisen
>
>London N5
>
>
>
>Responses of leftist Jews:
>
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JustPeaceUK/messages
>
>
>
>from Colonel Maguire, Dixie:
>
>
>
>Dear Friend, Anti-Semite, Internal Enemy Number 1 and Enemy of the State,
>
>Congratulations, m'lord! You have certainly risen in the world, addressing
>the House of Lords no less. And imagine that I, a humble son of a factory
>worker knew you way back when. Where to next? The College of Cardinals to
>advise on selecting the new Pope?
>
> We were indeed fated to live in "Interesting Times".
>
>Your Friend,
>"Maguire"
>
>_________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>
>
>Home
>
>

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain
personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically
stated.
If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system.
Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in
reliance on it and notify the sender immediately. Please note that the
BBC monitors e-mails sent or received.
Further communication will signify your consent to this.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]