UK-based Israeli academic and longtime Israel critic Avi Shlaim has weighed in on the Gaza war in the Guardian’s Comment is Free section, and predictably, he unleashed a scathing critique of Israel.
To do so, however, Shlaim invokes a logic so twisted, it’s hard to believe he himself subscribes to it.
For example, he insists that Israel is responsible for starting the war and for “initiating the cycle of violence.” This is how he puts it:
What did Israel gain by unleashing the deadly firepower of the IDF against the caged population of this tiny coastal enclave? Virtually nothing. Israel had in fact provoked this crisis by its violent crackdown against Hamas activists on the West Bank following the murder of the three teenagers. Hamas rocket attacks – the ostensible reason for the war – were a response to Israel’s aggressive security measures. The prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, defined the operation’s objective as “calm in return for calm”. But calm prevailed before Israel initiated the cycle of violence.
But if Israel’s actions came after the initial Palestinian provocation, then the Palestinians provoked the crisis, not Israel.
And how exactly does Shlaim define “calm” it if it included the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli youths? What sort of calm is that, and why is the response to that the act that set off a “cycle of violence,” not the act itself?
Put another way, whether Hamas is kidnapping innocent Israelis or firing rockets at Israeli civilians, the violence only begins when Israel fires back.
The effort to whitewash Hamas, however, doesn’t end there. Further down the article, Shlaim offers his advice to Israel on moving forward. The first step, he writes, is for Israel “to end its relentless campaign to demonise the people of Gaza” – a campaign that consists of a single op-ed from a former IDF general from the beginning of August and a blog post published – and removed – by a writer who represents no one but himself.
The Hamas whitewash comes next:
Second, it is time to remove from Hamas the terrorist tag. This is a powerful weapon in the propaganda war but useless in the quest for peace. Hamas is indeed guilty of terrorism but it is also a legitimate political actor, having won a fair and free election in 2006.
If Hamas is, indeed, guilty of terrorism, it would be dishonest to remove the terrorist tag until the group at least renounces the use of violence. But for Shlaim, waiting for that would be inconvenient for peace – presupposing, of course, that peace can be reached with an organization that is “guilty of terrorism.”
The question he should be asking, however, is whether peace is even on the Hamas agenda. Threats to restart the violence if Israel refuses to meet its demands seems to indicate that Hamas, Shlaim’s wish notwithstanding, is clearly a terror group, not a “legitimate political actor.”
[sc:bottomsignup ]
40 Comments
He is no Academic…flawed logic and a large chip on his shoulder. I am a firm believer in freedom for all to express their views but am very sure his lack of a critical and unbiased judgement makes him a laughing stock.
Los que odian a Israel como este tipo, simplemente no ven lo pendejos que se ven tratando de inculpar a Israel de iniciar una Guerra defensiva, y querer hacerla pasar por una guerra ofensiva . ¡Estúpidos, el antisemitismo les atrofia el cerebro!
Nobody should give the smuck any stage. Silence is the only way to respond to his crap !
He may be considered to be an academic in some circles, [ of those who favor the Guardian as having any value, other than to wrap fish and chips ] but he’s simply a sick, twisted individual with an anti-Israel bias and agenda and anything he says has no value to anyone but anti-Semites.
He has been won over. He believes Jewish lives have no value and is not worth defending. I partially agree. I believe HIS Jewish life has no value.
Municipal services are more suitable for his occupation than academic activities.
Mr. Shlaim is verbal diarrhea producer not an academic.
All I can say is the man is a complete and utter idiot!!!
This is despicable. No honest reader could believe these lies. Avi Shlaim is that lowest of the low, a Jew hating Jew. But we see this time and again from the Israel hating left!
The writer does not state that Hamas found its way to be voted in by at first seeming to be “caring” for its population after Arafat’s behaviour and corruption.After becoming more secure,they had a coup,killing many of Abbas’ people and banished them.They were firing rockets since 2 years after Israel completely pulled out of Gaza,and it was only after this behaviour that there began an Israeli blockade to try to eliminate weapons build up,even whilst tunnels were being built interconnecting,between houses schools hospitals and mosques,in which hamas operated and fired rockets at Israel,using their own civilians as people to forcibly hide behind..You may argue that the killing of the teenagers was “the last straw” and/or that Hamas was trying to get Israel to attack for its own ends,in order to get worldwide sympathy from putting its own people in the line of fire!Now they have said that tunnel rebuilding and repairing has begun.So why do the”jewish controlled press” not report the truth? Answer; because of Arab propaganda and coercion because THEY seem to have the press in the palm of their hand,even as the world sees what is happening in their own countries.
Prof. (Emeritus) Shlaim has apparently taken a post-graduate course in “Orwellian Doublethink”. Let’s look at his statement for a moment:
“Hamas is indeed guilty of terrorism but it is also a legitimate political actor, having won a fair and free election in 2006.”
First of all, whatever its other activities, an organization that commits acts of terrorism is a terrorist organization. It would be hard to imagine anyone arguing against that.
As for being a “legitimate political actor”, that legitimacy ended when Hamas’ elected term of office expired in January 2010. Even without the violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas has no legitimacy other than that of a dictator in power, since 2010.
Of course, And when a woman injures a man who attempts to rape her, she should be immediately arrested and charged with aggravated assault.
He’s no academic. He’s a fool.
Well what he is trying to say is that Israel has the ability not to fight. Palestinians are always violent and wars start when Israel fights back. If Israel would just let the Palestinians shoot their rockets and kill a couple kids a year there won’t be any larger scale violence.
Since we have such large and deadly mechanisms of war, anything we do will be worse than what the Palestinians do, therefore, they are allowed to do whatever they want because in comparison, their attacks aren’t as bad as ours.
The conflict escalates when Israel uses deadly force against the normal murderous activities of Hamas and other extremist groups. Avi Shlaim simply thinks since we have the mental capacity to restrain from violence that all escalations are our fault.
I agree- Avi Shlaim person is a self-hating Jew…one of many….I don’t understand this at all but it is common…. and clearly he gets attention for it….look at Wolf Blitzer from CNN..during the recent War, he turned into one as well…..does self-hate (in a any group) emanate from an urge to assimilate and fit in?
They won an election in 2006. It is now 2014, almost 9 years later. No general election in Gaza is on the cards. I’d say that not only is democracy in Gaza is pretty much dead and buried, but it’s also off the Hamas agenda for the foreseeable future!
Once you get away from Torah and its blessings, the curses will follow. This writer is insuring himself a miserable future. One of his current curses appears to be a twisted mind that has no clue how illogical and evil his arguments are. Liberals like to play the Devil’s advocate so much that they frequently end up joining his side. God gives men up to a reprobate mind when they continue in evil and this guy is probably in that category.
Is it not time to put in paid advertisements in these newspapers correcting all the lies and innuendos peddled by their writers? It might be the only way to get something pro-Israel past their editors.
Shmuely Boteach has the right idea, but it needs to be expanded to directly confront biased articles published by these “rags”.
The article is self explanatory . AVi Schlam is described as an academic, That should explain why the warped stupidity/ I know that I should not stereotype. Not all academics are morons, but please name one who has the pulse of reality.
Is this “academic” worth such detailed arguments in this space?
The tittle “Academic “does not bestow knowledge. According to this “expert” one should remove Hamas from the list of terrorists after all according to Avi they are a benevolent misunderstood society , who build tunnels not to shelter the Gaza populace, but for arms. The leadership meanwhile are fretting & wringing their hands in the luxury houses of Qatar. Avi Shlaim no doubt would find good cause to proclaim ISIS a benevolent society who loves sporting severed heads. What a hypocrite.
We are not short of anti-Semites and then we have these Quisling Jews.
When millions of outstanding Jews were murdered, why were his grandparents spared to give birth to such vermin?
When Hamas calls for the obliteration of Israel in the second paragraph of its Covenant, when it seeks to fly the banner of Hamas over every inch of Israel (Article 6) and change the Infidel state into an Islamic one (Six); when it refuses to negotiate and states categorically that Jihad is the only solution (Article 13) and when it states that no part of the Islamic-only land trust handed down from the 7th century can be partitioned with any Infidel state (Eleven) this jerk proclaims that Israel is the terrorist state?
That rectal terminus ought to be drawn and quartered. Of course, that’s the Brits for you. I met Ian Ballentine several years ago, he was handing out buttons that read WE SERVE ACADAMIAN NUTS. (I was an academic publisher’s rep) Some of the people I had to work with were so ignorant of the real world that it astounded me that they had as much power as they had. After almost a decade I had to flat-out quit, I couldn’t stand the morons a minute longer. Brits in their ivory towers are among the least intelligent people I’ve run into when they were visiting here in the states. All I can say is that I’ve upped my attitude and as far as I’m concerned up theirs!
The suggestion that Hamas won a fair and free election, after the violence they perpetrated to ensure the vote went their way, is plainly ridiculous. To describe Hamas a ‘legitimate political actor’ is equally ridiculous when it’s a proscribed terrorist organisation. For a scholar of Avi Shlaim’s standing, his views are disturbing
How about the 161 rockets Hamas fired at Israel during 2013 and up until the end of May 2014, before the kidnappings? Along with the constant threats to destroy Israel and make it unlivable?
A tragic self-hater that projects onto Israel: the only place that would take his sorry ass in if another Holocaust were to happen. Note to Jewish non-Zionists: this goes to you too. Morons.
Prof. Shlaim’s article is a perfect 21st example of naarishkeit (foolishness.) I understand that he is now hard at work on his sequel “Hamas’ New Clothes” patterned after the tale we know as “The King’s New Clothes.” Can’t wait to read it.
There surely was no calm, but a constant barrage of rockets launched by Hamas before Israel started retaliating! They are lying through the teeth when they say that Israel started it all!
Avi Shlaim was also an apologist for Arafat.
Google the article.
Israel and Palestine : The real obstacle to peace is Sharon, not Arafat
By Avi Shlaim
Published: September 24, 2003
In the article, Avi Shlaim says
The real obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians is Ariel Sharon, not Yasser Arafat. Killing Arafat would not bring peace but ring the death knell of Palestinian moderation.
What world is Shlaim in.
Arafat was a mass murderer not a moderate.
I hope Avi Shlaim is eating crow supporting this mass murderer Arafat.
Google this article.
Bodyguard: Arafat Would Lie When Denouncing Killing of Israeli Civilians (VIDEO)
APRIL 7, 2014 17 COMMENTS
———————————-
Shlaim thinks Arab terrorists like Arafat who glorify slaughtering Israeli kids at a disco is a moderate.
Google this article.
Arafat’s Condolences to Dolphinarium Bomber’s Family: The Heroic Martyrdom Operation’…’A Model of Manhood and Sacrifice
July 9, 2001
——————————————————–
During the 12 year Civil War in Lebanon, caused by Yassir Arafat’s assuming power through terror, his terrorists committed mass murder. Whole villages of Christians like Damour were massacred, chopped into pieces with machetes. Out of the 30,000 Christians, 10,000 were slaughtered by Arafat’s PLO. The town was then occupied and kept as Arafat’s stronghold. David Shipler of the New York Times wrote the story of Damour June 21, 1982. There were individual murders.! One horrific, but typical, example is when the Muktar (leader) of a village refused to be cooperative with Arafat and his terrorists. The Muktar’s teenage daughter was abducted and raped. Her breasts were cut off and she was delivered to the doorstep of her father in a sack.
——————————————
On the same day in 1993 on which Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn, he spoke the following words on Jordan TV:
“Since we cannot defeat Israel in war we do this in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel.”
————————————-
Arafat’s Stockholm speech in 1996 to Arab diplomats
“The Impending Total Collapse of Israel,” Stockholm, Sweden.
Arafat said that the PLO plans “to eliminate the State of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian State. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion; Jews won’t want to live among us Arabs.”
Arafat said: “I have no use for Jews..they are and remain Jews! We now need all the help we can get from you in our battle for a united Palestine under total Arab-Muslim domination!”
——————————————
Its not looking good for Shlaim
March 14, 2002
CAMERA ALERT: “Terrorists say orders come from Arafat” — USA Today
In a March 14, 2002 USA Today article (“Terrorist says orders come from Arafat”), Palestinian terrorists in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, as well as one of Arafat’s foreign media spokesmen, have confirmed that the terrorists are under the command of Arafat, and that most of them receive salaries from the Palestinian Authority. Please remind the media and the public of this connection.
Below are quotes that were included in the article confirming the essential link between Arafat and the terrorist group Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that is part of his Fatah movement.
Maslama Thabet, leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Tulkarm, who was responsible for kidnapping and executing two Israeli restaurateurs who had stopped in Tulkarm for lunch “Our group is an integral part of Fatah.”
(Fatah, headed by Arafat, is the largest group in the Palestinian Authority, the government of the autonomous Palestinian territories.)
Maslama Thabet: “The truth is, we are Fatah itself, but we don’t operate under the name of Fatah. We are the armed wing of the organization. We receive our instructions from Fatah. Our commander is Yasser Arafat himself.”
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Arafat’s chief spokesman: “The president has nothing to do with these things, he has nothing to say about this issue.”
Mohammed Odwan, Arafat’s foreign media spokesman: “[The brigade] is loyal to President Arafat. They are working for the interests of the Palestinian people. They are fighting because they think these kind of operations —and I agree— will push forward their independence and their dream of freedom.”
Hussein A-Sheikh, a Fatah political leader in the West Bank (who appeared insulted when asked whether the brigade was under Arafat’s control): “Of course, there is control. What do you think? That we are just a bunch of gangs?”
The article also describes Palestinian Authority officials as verifying that most members of the brigade receive salaries from Arafat’s Palestinian Authority and points out how the Palestinian leadership has openly allied itself with a terrorist group.
——————————
Avi Shlaim was also an apologist for Arafat.
Google the article.
Israel and Palestine : The real obstacle to peace is Sharon, not Arafat
By Avi Shlaim
Published: September 24, 2003
In the article, Avi Shlaim says
The real obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians is Ariel Sharon, not Yasser Arafat. Killing Arafat would not bring peace but ring the death knell of Palestinian moderation.
What world is Shlaim in.
Arafat was a mass murderer not a moderate.
I hope Avi Shlaim is eating crow supporting this mass murderer Arafat.
Google this article.
Bodyguard: Arafat Would Lie When Denouncing Killing of Israeli Civilians (VIDEO)
APRIL 7, 2014 17 COMMENTS
———————————-
Shlaim thinks Arab terrorists like Arafat who glorify slaughtering Israeli kids at a disco is a moderate.
Google this article.
Arafat’s Condolences to Dolphinarium Bomber’s Family: The Heroic Martyrdom Operation’…’A Model of Manhood and Sacrifice
July 9, 2001
——————————————————–
During the 12 year Civil War in Lebanon, caused by Yassir Arafat’s assuming power through terror, his terrorists committed mass murder. Whole villages of Christians like Damour were massacred, chopped into pieces with machetes. Out of the 30,000 Christians, 10,000 were slaughtered by Arafat’s PLO. The town was then occupied and kept as Arafat’s stronghold. David Shipler of the New York Times wrote the story of Damour June 21, 1982. There were individual murders.! One horrific, but typical, example is when the Muktar (leader) of a village refused to be cooperative with Arafat and his terrorists. The Muktar’s teenage daughter was abducted and raped. Her breasts were cut off and she was delivered to the doorstep of her father in a sack.
——————————————
On the same day in 1993 on which Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn, he spoke the following words on Jordan TV:
“Since we cannot defeat Israel in war we do this in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel.”
————————————-
Arafat’s Stockholm speech in 1996 to Arab diplomats
“The Impending Total Collapse of Israel,” Stockholm, Sweden.
Arafat said that the PLO plans “to eliminate the State of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian State. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion; Jews won’t want to live among us Arabs.”
Arafat said: “I have no use for Jews..they are and remain Jews! We now need all the help we can get from you in our battle for a united Palestine under total Arab-Muslim domination!”
——————————————
Its not looking good for Shlaim
March 14, 2002
CAMERA ALERT: “Terrorists say orders come from Arafat” — USA Today
In a March 14, 2002 USA Today article (“Terrorist says orders come from Arafat”), Palestinian terrorists in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, as well as one of Arafat’s foreign media spokesmen, have confirmed that the terrorists are under the command of Arafat, and that most of them receive salaries from the Palestinian Authority. Please remind the media and the public of this connection.
Below are quotes that were included in the article confirming the essential link between Arafat and the terrorist group Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that is part of his Fatah movement.
Maslama Thabet, leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Tulkarm, who was responsible for kidnapping and executing two Israeli restaurateurs who had stopped in Tulkarm for lunch “Our group is an integral part of Fatah.”
(Fatah, headed by Arafat, is the largest group in the Palestinian Authority, the government of the autonomous Palestinian territories.)
Maslama Thabet: “The truth is, we are Fatah itself, but we don’t operate under the name of Fatah. We are the armed wing of the organization. We receive our instructions from Fatah. Our commander is Yasser Arafat himself.”
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Arafat’s chief spokesman: “The president has nothing to do with these things, he has nothing to say about this issue.”
Mohammed Odwan, Arafat’s foreign media spokesman: “[The brigade] is loyal to President Arafat. They are working for the interests of the Palestinian people. They are fighting because they think these kind of operations —and I agree— will push forward their independence and their dream of freedom.”
Hussein A-Sheikh, a Fatah political leader in the West Bank (who appeared insulted when asked whether the brigade was under Arafat’s control): “Of course, there is control. What do you think? That we are just a bunch of gangs?”
The article also describes Palestinian Authority officials as verifying that most members of the brigade receive salaries from Arafat’s Palestinian Authority and points out how the Palestinian leadership has openly allied itself with a terrorist group.
——————————
Avi Shlaim is a well known revisionist liar about Israel.
He’s also an apologist for Islamo fascism.
Schlaim was a well known apologist for Hamas mass murderer Yassin.
Let me put this article Schlaim wrote about Israel killing Yassin.
Google this article.
Sharon has opened the gates of hell
Avi Shlaim
March 29, 2004.
Shlaim said.
Israel’s assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of Hamas, marked an extraordinarily dangerous escalation in the conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine.
My comments.
Schlaim thinks Jews live in some Roman colonialist name called Palestine.
Schlaim was a supporter of Yassin.
Terrorism went down 90% after Yassin was killed.
Hundreds of Jews who had there limbs torn off by homicide bombers sent by Yassin.
The PR shots of Yassin in his wheelchair will be remembered by those that don’t see the crippled Jewish bodies of all those that he ordered to be bombed by Hamas.
Yassin was a mass murderer of the same ilk as Saddam Hussein.
Saddam never killed a Kurd he just inspired others to do his dirty work.
Some of the Terrorist attacks Yassin ordered.
Then think, Shlaim opposed killing this Palestinian Nazi.
No32A bus, mainly carrying Israeli school children, Patt junction, Jerusalem 19 dead, 70 injured.
Sbarro Pizzeria, Jerusalem 15 dead, 130 injured.
Snooker club, Rishon Letzion 15 dead, 55 injured.
Student cafeteria, Hebrew University , Jerusalem
10 dead, 85 injured.
Park Hotel Passover meal, Netanya 30 dead, 140 injured. Teenagers on pedestrian precinct, Jerusalem bombed by Hamas
11 dead, 180 injured.
No2 bus carrying Jewish worshippers back from the Western wall 23 dead, 130 injured.
Shopping precinct, central Jerusalem (triple suicide bombing) 23 dead, 150 injured.
Moment café, Jerusalem 11 dead, 54 injured.
Shopping centre, Netanya 5 dead, 100 injured.
Matza restaurant, Haifa 15 killed, 40 injured.
Dolphinarium discotheque, Tel Aviv 21 dead, 120 injured.
Port facilities, Ashdod 10 dead, 16 injured.
Petrol station, Ariel 3 dead, 20 injured.
Beachfront bar, Tel-Aviv 3 dead, 60 injured.
Hitchhiking post, Tzfirin 9 dead, 30 injured.
Café Hillel, Jerusalem 7 dead, 50 injured.
Suicide bombings of Israeli passenger buses Number 11 bus, Haifa – 16 dead.
Number 960 bus, Haifa – 11 dead.
Number 361 bus, Meron – 9 dead Number.
4 bus, Tel-Aviv – 6 dead Number.
20 bus, Jerusalem – 11 dead.
No 37 bus, Haifa – 17 dead.
No 6 bus, Jerusalem – 7 dead.
No 14A bus, Jerusalem – 17 dead.
No 18 bus, Jerusalem – (the same bus route attacked on successive weeks) Two buses following each other in Beersheva – 49 dead.
Avi Shlaim is a well known revisionist liar about Israel.
He’s also an apologist for Islamo fascism.
Schlaim was a well known apologist for Hamas mass murderer Yassin.
Let me put this article Schlaim wrote about Israel killing Yassin.
Google this article.
Sharon has opened the gates of hell
Avi Shlaim
March 29, 2004.
Shlaim said.
Israel’s assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of Hamas, marked an extraordinarily dangerous escalation in the conflict between Jews and Arabs in Palestine.
My comments.
Schlaim thinks Jews live in some Roman colonialist name called Palestine.
Schlaim was a supporter of Yassin.
Terrorism went down 90% after Yassin was killed.
Hundreds of Jews who had there limbs torn off by homicide bombers sent by Yassin.
The PR shots of Yassin in his wheelchair will be remembered by those that don’t see the crippled Jewish bodies of all those that he ordered to be bombed by Hamas.
Yassin was a mass murderer of the same ilk as Saddam Hussein.
Saddam never killed a Kurd he just inspired others to do his dirty work.
Some of the Terrorist attacks Yassin ordered.
Then think, Shlaim opposed killing this Palestinian Nazi.
No32A bus, mainly carrying Israeli school children, Patt junction, Jerusalem 19 dead, 70 injured.
Sbarro Pizzeria, Jerusalem 15 dead, 130 injured.
Snooker club, Rishon Letzion 15 dead, 55 injured.
Student cafeteria, Hebrew University , Jerusalem
10 dead, 85 injured.
Park Hotel Passover meal, Netanya 30 dead, 140 injured. Teenagers on pedestrian precinct, Jerusalem bombed by Hamas
11 dead, 180 injured.
No2 bus carrying Jewish worshippers back from the Western wall 23 dead, 130 injured.
Shopping precinct, central Jerusalem (triple suicide bombing) 23 dead, 150 injured.
Moment café, Jerusalem 11 dead, 54 injured.
Shopping centre, Netanya 5 dead, 100 injured.
Matza restaurant, Haifa 15 killed, 40 injured.
Dolphinarium discotheque, Tel Aviv 21 dead, 120 injured.
Port facilities, Ashdod 10 dead, 16 injured.
Petrol station, Ariel 3 dead, 20 injured.
Beachfront bar, Tel-Aviv 3 dead, 60 injured.
Hitchhiking post, Tzfirin 9 dead, 30 injured.
Café Hillel, Jerusalem 7 dead, 50 injured.
Suicide bombings of Israeli passenger buses Number 11 bus, Haifa – 16 dead.
Number 960 bus, Haifa – 11 dead.
Number 361 bus, Meron – 9 dead Number.
4 bus, Tel-Aviv – 6 dead Number.
20 bus, Jerusalem – 11 dead.
No 37 bus, Haifa – 17 dead.
No 6 bus, Jerusalem – 7 dead.
No 14A bus, Jerusalem – 17 dead.
No 18 bus, Jerusalem – (the same bus route attacked on successive weeks) Two buses following each other in Beersheva – 49 dead.