Watch this space for more developments in the coming weeks/months.
Last Friday Crikey ran a story about a letter Federal Labor MP Michael Danby wrote to the Australian Jewish News calling on the Jewish community to boycott a book by journalist Antony Loewenstein. Today Danby responds:
Your story is headed “Danby’s silly attempt at censorship.” This is very misleading. I have made no attempt to censor Mr Antony Loewenstein, or anyone else. Mr Loewenstein is entitled to his opinions, and to publish them.
What I have done is to exercise my right to criticise his views, which I find abhorrent, and to urge people not to reward those views by buying his book. Readers are free to reject my advice.
I don’t need to read Mr Loewenstein’s book to know what he thinks. He has described himself as “a Jew who doesn’t believe in the concept of a Jewish state,” which he calls “a fundamentally undemocratic and colonialist idea from a bygone era.” He has described the Australian Jewish community as “vitriolic, bigoted, racist and downright pathetic” and as “incapable of hearing the true reality of their beloved homeland and its barbaric actions.” (These quotes appear at Mr Loewenstein’s own website.)
As a representative of mainstream, moderate Jewish opinion, who supports both Israel’s right to exist and defend itself and the right of the Palestinian people to a viable state, I find such opinions disgusting, and I did no more in my letter to the Jewish News than express that disgust. The response from the Jewish community to my comments has been overwhelmingly positive.
Finally, I am curious to know why Melbourne University Press thinks it is appropriate to be publishing two anti-Israel books at a time when Israel is making such a painful withdrawal from Gaza, when we have a new and more moderate Palestinian leadership and when the prospects for peace are improving. I can only conclude that someone at MUP has an axe to grind on this subject.
UPDATE: Phil Gomes offers insights into the latest Danby letter:
“How does Danby know how many books about Israel MUP has in development? Why is it inappropriate for a publisher to have them in the pipeline? And what do Israel’s moves in Gaza have to do with when a book is or is not published?
“Danby still has not really given us any answers or insights on any of this or the supposedly offensive questions Loewenstein originally posed to him, and continues to attack the publishers with a veiled reference of “an axe to grind” at MUP, which, in this fight, is a seriously coded term that might be interpreted as an accusation of anti-Semitism.”
I have it on good authority that Michael Danby is ,technically, not even Jewish!!!
He is only a quarter Jewish from his paternal grandmother and since it has to come from your mother, he misses the cut!!
Furthermore, it is revealing that he thinks he has the right to question the publishing decisions of my publisher MUP.
Damn right! He should accept everything MUP publishes unquestioningly! There are too many people in the world who think they can just, like, have an opinion on matters like this. Cretins!
In the comments section of his last read thread on the issue (which I just read) — one person compared the situation to Finkelstein/Dershowitz in the US and Lowenstein proudly agrees.
So Antony, in the tradition of following in the path of FInkelstien — will your up and coming book contain references to the Holocaust industry/Holo-hoax? WIll it contain any of that “extensive historical research” (as Chomsky and Finkelstien brand Holocaust denial). And I wonder if your mates at the Adelaide insitute are already promoting your lastest work? Just like they promote FInkelstein who is also supported by other white supermacist racists ( David Duke to name but a few) ….and concidentially you.
What right does the Minister for Melbourne Ports have to comment so harshly on a sensitive issue like this? What did Howard say when Church leaders like Pell wanted to have a say on industrial relations reform? Danby should stick to what he knows - there are plenty of better qualified individuals out there who can take Ant to task if they see fit. Danby is a politician - a mouthpiece for someone else. Why don’t they just speak for themselves.
TimT, that’s a pathetic attempt, mate.
Where is this tangible support by Danby and his ‘mainstream, moderate Jewish opinion’ for the ‘right of the Palestinian people to a viable Palestinian state’? Danby immediately proceeds to the claim that ‘the prospects for peace are improving’.
Pure hyperbole.
As for the above anonymous commenter’s denigration of Finkelstein and Chomsky, two Jews or heroic stature in their fight for universal human rights - contemptible beyond measure.
You’ve got to be hitting the right chords to elicit such a response! Well done Antony.
The criticism reminds me of those op eds decrying Chomsky you see from time to time. The newspapers that run these critiques rarely, if ever, publish anything written by Chomsky, but are quite happy to publish rebuttals.
Always a tell tale sign when someone is critical of a book they haven’t even read yet.
Danby sees himself as the representative of the Jewish community in Melbourne and Oz. He doesn’t like anybody questioning his predictable positions.
Sorry, Michael, no such luck.
And, thanks for the support, guys. Much appreciated.
My book will speak for itself and I dearly hope that people will judge it on its merits. And not try to censor a work BEFORE it’s out.
Yes embracing Holocaust denial supporting white supermacist, racist neo-nazis and funding + promoting their work is part and parcel of “fighting for universal human rights.”
Hardcore leftists (whilst using Orwellian newspeak to call anyone whom they disagree with “racist”) may deny it, but they are more than willing to go to bed and unite with not just 7th century Islamo-facists, but racist white supermacist neo-nazis in their hatred of Jews, the US, capitalism etc.
Orwell had your type in mind, when he lambasted leftit-wing extremists for siding with Hitler’s third Reich.
And not much has changed since then — what Orwell said over sixty years ago is unfortunatley very relevant today.
Er, I’m like Hitler, or Stalin or is it Saddam?
I’m confused. Back to the book.
I really wonder if people like Comical Ali read what they’ve written, take a step back and a deep breath.
If he wasn’t so serious about his delusions, it would be hilarious.
Comical Ali, what have you been smoking? And why don’t you get your own blog? Then we can CHOOSE when we have to see your vitriolic nonsense.
Quote 1
….it is revealing that he thinks he has the right to question the publishing decisions of my publisher MUP.
Quote 2
Danby sees himself as the representative of the Jewish community in Melbourne and Oz. He doesn’t like anybody questioning his predictable positions.
Sorry, Michael, no such luck.
Hmmm ….
Game. Set. Match.
Some people never seem to have a problem with censorship. Oh, I forgot, we’re at war.
Which lobby group are you with, TimT?
You contradicted yourself and you know it, Antony. This blows your hysterical claims of ‘censorship’ right out of the water.
I contradicted myself? Whatever.
Mate, if that’s the best you can do - and you can’t understand the underlying agenda - it’s best you stay sucking on the Blair tit for a little longer…
Just a simple question - are you denying that Chomsky and Fimkelstein both promoted Holocaust denial, Neo-Nazi literature, associated with Neo-Nazis and shared public forums with rabid racists and anti-semities?
comparing you to Hitler and Stalin? Dont even flatter yourself.
As for your book, have the Adelaide Institute been promoting it on their website yet?
“what have you been smoking”…”why dont you get your own blog”…”which lobby group are you with”
All very revealing.
As for lobby groups - he might be from the one with the most oil.
Comical - the best way to describe your madness - the less said the better. Chomsky and Finkelstein are brave souls, standing up to bigoted little trolls like yourself.
Have they shared a stage with anti-Semites and Nazis? Probably. Have they been praised by them, too? Yes. If you can’t do better than simply accuse somebody because Nazis love their work - hello? far right Christian nutters love Bush - then there ain’t much more I can say…
Your lack of nuance is hilarious. As is your ignorance of….(insert word here.)
But, you’re right, WE’RE AT WAR! don’t question official dogma. It must get so tired defending the indefensible day in, day out….
Bye…. forever…
On reflection, I don’t know why I even bothered responding. I’ve learnt my lesson…
What can one say to a faceless man with brains the size of Bush’s inverted claw?
Are brave souls standing up to bigoted trolls like myself…but when hit with the question “have they shared the stage with neo-nazis” you answer “probably.”
Pretty pathetic, Antony.
And the quetion wasnt really centered around whether “Nazis love their work” the crux of my question was — do you deny that they promoted and participated in activley propogating white supermacist propaganda and Holocaust denial?
For someone who denied that 1 million people were massacered in Cambodia…I’m sure Chomsky is a brave soul who fights for universal justice with no sinister Stalinist motives.
Far right christians loving Bush? You sure about that —
http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/flierarchive2005.html
Sorry for getting you all upset.
Not upset. Just sad…
The Chomsky is a “Stalinist” line is about as old as the hills. And false. But it’s convenient to smear one of the greatest minds in the world. Besides, who do you admire?
Let me guess…
Hey Ant, I’m starting to think that this is a waste of time. Shall employ an “ignore” policy from here on in.
Really, in this day and age who has time to waste on bullshit like that? I struggle to log in, read, and make a couple of comments a day, let alone carry on like that. Do these idiots have jobs? Or lives?
Keep on blogging, Ant, and don’t feed the carrion. They’ll eventually squawk somewhere else.
Thanks DBO.
I’m agree, I’m moving on and thanks for your support.
pretty pathetic that you are unable to answer a very simple yes/no asnwer.
Tne closest to an answer as we can get is accusssations of “Smearing one of the greatest minds in the world…” pretty revealing stuff that speaks for itself.
But dont be sad and take DBO’s advice…its the best way to aviod making yourself look like a fool and salvage some credibility.