By Gilad Atzmon

Yet again, I have managed to unite them all, the Zionists, the so called ‘anti,’ you name it. For the last few days the Berkshire Orthodox Chief Rabbi has been working hard to cancel my book launch at Reading International Festival. Next, Jonathan Arkush, the chairman of the BOD, a body that claims to ‘represent British Jews,’ who also hates my guts begged others to cancel my Reading talk.

The mere idea that Reading International Solidarity Centre refused to follow Jewish institutional orders left the Jewish community in “horror,” no less, according to the Jewish Chronicle. Is it possible that the Goyim are nostalgic about freedom of speech? Is it possible that they are tired of the constant Zionist witch hunt that has been set to silence criticism of Israel and Jewish power?

In a desperate attempt to make a change, Hope not Hate, an offshoot of the ultra Zionist Searchlight Magazine, was called into action. And guess what, even they couldn’t make a change. Paul Meszaros, apparently a spokesperson for Hope Not Hate wrote: “Gilad Atzmon is due to launch his latest book at an event in Reading, yet as a friend to Holocaust deniers and revisionists he should not be given a platform.”

One may wonder what is it in this message that conveys hope? Hate towards dissent is a better description.

“Atzmon is an antisemite (http://www.israelnationalnews.com)* who has promoted the works of Holocaust deniers.” Meszaros shamelessly links to Arutz Sheva, the rabid rightwing outlet of the Israeli West Bank Settlers. Is this where progressives and New Leftists now find validity?

My worst crime, it seems, is supporting ‘Holocaust denial’ by sharing Paul Eisen’s The Holocaust Wars with my email list back in 2005.

To support his accusation of my ‘Holocaust denial’ Meszaros writes, Atzmon “made his position clearer in his controversial book, The Wandering Who?, from which the following excerpts are taken…”

Let’s read the quotes he chose and figure out what the people who promise us ‘hope not hate’ do not want us to discuss:

“The question of whether there was a mass homicide with gas or ‘just’ a mass death toll due to total abuse in horrendous conditions is no doubt a crucial historical question. The fact that such a major historical chapter less than seven decades ago is scholarly inaccessible undermines the entire historical endeavour.”

Meszaros, prefers to suppress questions to do with our past.. I wonder why? Is he trying to hide something?

“…Furthermore, unless one approves and repeats the official Holocaust narrative, one may find oneself locked behind bars. This happened lately to three rightwing history revisionists who dared to suspect the official Auschwitz narrative. ….I can see these three outlaws: [David] Irving, [Ernest] Zundel and [Germar] Rudolf, the three rightwing historical revisionists who happen to be locked behind bars.”

Can anyone see a problem with the above? Because so far I am pretty proud of my observations.

“…While left academics are mainly concerned with signalling out Holocaust deniers telling us what is right and who is wrong, it is the revisionists who engage themselves in detailed archive work as well as forensic scrutiny.”

If anything, this provides a good description of Meszaros’ enthusiasm. He is desperate to silence my voice. But he is unable to point out where I am wrong.

And finally comes ‘the last nail in the coffin.’

“… We should also ask for what purpose do the holocaust denial laws serve? What is the holocaust religion there to conceal?… Holocaust religion robs humanity of its humanism. For the sake of peace and future generations, the holocaust must be stripped of its exceptional status immediately.”

Let me assure you. I stand firmly behind the above statement. I am against the holocaust as a religion and, if it is a religion, I insist upon being an atheist!!!

Meszaros who, just few lines above associated himself with the ultra fascist West Bank Settler’s magazine, didn’t manage to do very well, so he tries to open another front.

“Many individuals and organisations on the Left, as well as supporters of Palestinian rights and statehood who once feted Atzmon, have realised their error in once feting him.”

Three things here. 1. In my work I am extremely critical of New Left. My dispute with segments of the Left are no brainers. 2. A lot was written about my split with the SWP. To start with, I was never a member of SWP although I played a few concerts and also gave a number of talks on Palestine at SWP's festivals. At a certain stage, some members of the SWP leadership urged me to concentrate on Zionism and never to write about Jewish culture and politics. I told them that I prefer to be truthful to myself. We split on good terms. 3. In my work I am critical of that I believe deserves criticism. Indeed, I have managed to upset many political Jews as well as more than a few Palestinians and their supporters. This would suggest that I, actually, upset everyone equally, a proper impartial thinker. I would admit that truth is an upsetting concept, unless one can learn to enjoy the ride.

Meszaros wrote that I claim that all Jewish politics is “tribal,” and essentially, Zionist. He is correct. I do not have an issue with ‘the Jews’ (the people) or with ‘Judaism’ (the religion), but I have a serious problem with all form of Jewish political identifications: left, right, and centre, Zionist as well as ‘anti.’ And why? Because Jewish politics is always exclusive, and my vision of hope and diversity actually demands inclusiveness.

When Meszaros runs out of arguments he reverts to blatant lies: “Atzmon claims one cannot self-describe as a Jew and also do work in solidarity with Palestine.” Obviously, Mr. Hope cannot provide a single quote to support his assertion. “Atzmon is an anti-Semite,” Meszaros adds, but also fails to substantiate. Instead he refers us to a ultra Zionist settler magazine that offers very little support. “He has openly attacked Jews.” Really? Where, exactly? Surely this could seal his case against me. Atzmon attacked “the established facts of the Holocaust.” Really? Where? And, what is an established historical fact? Can a historical event that last over a decade be a 'fact' or is it a multi-layered narrative that demands a constant examination? This is one of the questions I address in my work.

I have been accused by my detractors and Meszaros of making the suggestion that the Grenfell Fire was a Jewish job. Of course I never did. What I did instead was suggesting that “[the] Grenfell fire was the outcome of Jerusalemite culture.”

I will repeat this in an effort to save my Zionist enemies from celebrating their duplicitous inclinations. Athens is the capital of philosophy, the place where we think things through: Jerusalem is the city of Mitzvoth, where we obey first and think later. The culture of safety & regulations is the exact outcome of Jerusalemite culture. It replaces ethics and responsibility with predetermined conduct. Jerusalemites cover houses with flammable claddings because they don’t think things through, instead they operate within set regulations.

Meszaros says, “Unfortunately, there are still some who do not understand how vicious and reactionary Atzmon’s views and claims are.” People, I believe, will have to choose between my vision of ethics that may well be nostalgic and even ‘reactionary,’ and the Zionised vision of ‘progress’ offered by Meszaros and other book burners. I guess that the panic around me may have something to do with the fact that my enemies know pretty well that I am on the right side of history. It is Jerusalem that is at the core of the current Dystopia, and the only HOPE is in a return to Athens.

If they want to burn it, you want to read it!

Being in Time - A Post Political Manifesto, Amazon.co.uk , mazon.com and here (gilad.co.uk).

* Update: Once being exposed linking to the Israeli Fascist outlet Arutz 7, Hope not Hate removed the link and replaced it with a new link to another ultra Zionist Jews-only outlet: the CST. However, I predicted their move and saved the original article with the link to the West Bank settler's outlet. Yet, a question rises, how come the so-called 'anti fascist' Hope not Hate insists to see a 'fascist' in me for advocating freedom of speech, while failing to recognise Jewish fascist outletsthat openly support racist, expansionist and nationalist ideology (Arutz, CST, CAA etc). The answer is obvious. Hope not Hate resemblesthe CST, CAA, Arutz 7 and the BOD. It is a Zionist apparatus and an offshoot of the ultra Zionist Searchlight Magazine.