Henry Herskovitz: Max Blumenthal Shows His Stripes

 

Five members of Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends attended a panel presentation which showcased Ben White and Max Blumenthal, both signatories to an on-line document which attempts to marginalize and silence Gilad Atzmon. This document is entitled "Not Quite 'Ordinary Human Beings'—Anti-imperialism and the anti-humanist rhetoric of Gilad Atzmon", and prompted this writer to contact Gilad to ask him for a few questions of these gentlemen.
 
The student organization who hosted this event, SAFE (no acronym really necessary, because that's how they want to play this game), threw the usual curveball: no live questions from the audience, just write your questions on a card and we will screen them. So that meant my question -- Why will neither Mr. Blumenthal or Mr. White debate Gilad Atzmon? -- was given the deep six and never saw light of day.
 
Now, running concurrent with this event was the Michigan v. Kansas NCAA basketball game, shown one flight down from the SAFE event. After the final seconds of the game ticked away, Max came down and was interested in its outcome. I invited him to our weekly vigil at Beth Israel, a mere twelve hours away and was told he had an early morning flight. Asking what time the flight departed got no response. Then
 
Me: I was wondering why you signed that document against Gilad Atzmon
Max: Are you a supporter of Gilad Atzmon?
Me: Yes, I'm his friend
Max: Then I have nothing to say to you

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The Guardian: Songs of the Metropolis – review

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/mar/28/gilad-atzmon-songs-metropolis-review
(World Village)amazon.co.uk
By John Fordham

You might be fooled, by the playful waltz that opens this set's portrayal of Vienna, or by the solemnly marching chords introducing Moscow, into thinking that volatile reeds virtuoso Gilad Atzmon has grown tired of fighting battles and finally opted for the expected. But it's Atzmon, and he doesn't do expected – tensions, surprises, shocks and ambiguities are a lot more interesting. Concentrating on clarinet and soprano sax, and inviting equal participation from his three Orient House Ensemble partners, Atzmon draws the Paris romance toward more dangerous emotions in a tumult of rising glissandos against Eddie Hick's fierce drumming, and takes the initially vivacious dance of Tel Aviv into mysterious spaces more reminiscent of Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter's In a Silent Way. Buenos Aires expresses a pulsating heat in which motifs wander as if in a haze, Scarborough Fair arrives late in the song devoted to the town, before the track unexpectedly turns into a Coltrane-quartet modal storm for the excellent Frank Harrison's McCoy Tyner-inspired piano. The playing is generally stronger than the writing – but since it's such high-class playing, that hardly matters.

Tribunal slams academic for bringing anti-Semitism case


http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/tribunal-slams-academic-for-bringing-anti-semitism-case/2002841.article


TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION -- 27 MARCH 2013 | BY JACK GROVE

A Jewish academic who claimed the University and College Union’s policy on Palestine constituted harassment has been rebuked by an employment tribunal for misusing the legal process.

Ronnie Fraser, a further education lecturer and founding director of Academic Friends of Israel, argued that the UCU was institutionally anti-Semitic owing to motions passed in favour of a boycott of Israel.
Despite enlisting the services of Anthony Julius, best known as Diana, Princess of Wales’ divorce lawyer and a partner at Mishcon de Reya, all of his 10 claims of harassment have been “dismissed in their totality”.
During the 20-day hearing in December, Mr Fraser called several witnesses to give evidence, including Howard Jacobson, the Booker Prize winning novelist, John Mann MP, the former MP Denis MacShane and numerous leading Jewish academics.

 

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Lucid Culture: More Brilliant Cosmopolitan Tunesmithing From Gilad Atzmon

http://lucidculture.wordpress.com/tag/gilad-atzmon-orient-house-ensemble-review/

Israeli-British saxophonist/tunesmith/polymath Gilad Atzmon and his combo the Orient House Ensemble have an intriguing new album out, Songs of the Metropolis, a tribute to great cities around the world. Most of it is streaming at Atzmon’s album page. The band here is the same as on Atzmon’s excellent previous album: the bandleader on alto and soprano saxophones and accordion, along with Frank Harrison on piano, Yaron Stavi on bass and Eddie Hick on drums. As one would expect from an intellect as formidable as Atzmon, it’s no “look ma, I’m playing a tango now” type of genre-hopping; rather, it’s a series of impressions.

Paris, interestingly enough, gets a a staggered latin beat with quivery, bracingly microtonal soprano sax – and then Atzmon switches to accordion and lets the tune relax. Tel Aviv seems to have a split personality, a bounding, energetic groove and also an uneasy undercurrent that shifts from a Zorn/Sexmob cantorial theme to an unexpectedly neat, polyrhythmic reggae b-section. Don’t laugh: reggae is big in Tel Aviv!

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Corbett Report: The Art of Resistance (Osaka, Japan)

An Evening With Gilad Atzmon, a short video by James Corbett
We spoke about Jewish power, Zionism, Palestine, the Lobby. Controlled opposition, history & concealment,  Being & Time and more. James was very sharp and presented me with some serious questions.  I hope to meet his again soon. The band was incredible: Eric Wiegmann on drums and Koichi  Hara on bass.

http://youtu.be/RYHMc94qZTs

 

Deir Yassin Day 2013 commemoration

Deir Yassin Remembered

& the Palestinian Mission UK

invite you to join members of the Palestinian community and others for the

Deir Yassin Day 2013 commemoration

Directed by Justin Butcher and Ahmed Masoud

(Go to Gaza, Drink the Sea - London & Edinburgh 2009 & Escape from Gaza - BBC Radio 4 2011)

and in the presence of Mr Abdallah Eid

Deir Yassin resident, April 9th, 1948

 

At St John’s Wood Church, Lord’s Roundabout NW8 7NE 

On Tuesday April 9th (Deir Yassin Day)

Reception: 7-8 p.m. Commemoration: 8-9 p.m.  

 

 

RSVP:

deiryassinremembered@hotmail.co.uk

www.deiryassinremembered.org

 

 بارك الله في الشعب الفلسطيني

No to Lévy

 

By Gilad Atzmon

The Independent reported today that French ultra Zionist, pseudo philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy “was banned from joining the former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Libya this week because he is Jewish."

Mr Lévy was the leading voice behind the French and British-led military intervention led to the collapse Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. “He is credited with helping to persuade Mr Sarkozy to send French warplanes to protect rebels from Gaddafi’s forces.” However, the Libyans seem to be slightly suspicious of their ‘liberator.’ 

According to the French news website Rue89, Mr Lévy was banned from Mr Sarkozy’s visit to Libya earlier this week because the municipal authorities in Tripoli feared his Jewish background would make him a target for attacks by Islamist militia.  I guess that Lévy interventionist ‘philosophy’ should be realised as an exemplary case of the  of Zionists’ shift from promised Land to promised-planet.

Busy Here...

Hi everybody, I am touring extensively around the globe at the moment. No much time to write commentaries. However, I will do my best to keep the site updated.

This week I am giving talks and workshops in Japan (Palestine, history, music). From  April 1st I will be visiting Argentina for two weeks (music, literature, Palestine). On April 16th I will meet the OHE in Frankfurt, we will be touring Europe for two weeks.  In Early May I will be launching The Wandering Who in Italian. I ll be playing in Italy for a week  till May 11th..

Peace and love to all of you…

Gilad

Newsweek's Atzmon Special (Spanish)

 

My message is universal
Brilliant musician and controversial writer, Atzmon Comes to Argentina

Read PDF

By Cristian H. Savio

Translated by Carlos Omran

There are those who believe that in nowadays Argentina, politics traverses art in an inevitable merge, and that artists, should abstract themselves of any ideological manifestation.

Imagine being the most famous saxophonist of Israel, and for many, one of the most talented multi-instrumentalists in the world, and at the same time, a fervent advocate of the Palestinian cause, after having resigned his nationality.

 

Gilad Atzmon doesn´t set himself in this dichotomy between the writer and the musician that for years kept him confused, (he confesses). “Now I can see an intellectual, emotional and spiritual continuity in everything I do”, he says. And what he does, in reference to the most recent things, is to compose impressive recordings as `Songs of the Metropolis ´, and to write complex and polemical books like `La identidad errante´, The Wandering Who  (Canaán Editorial), in which he produces “a harsh critique of Jewish politics and identity”.

His philosophical and political ideas, as time unfolds, have rendered him a long list of enemies. Consequently back in time, used to experience incidents amidst his concerts, triggered by some angry spectators. “Not so much anymore”, he says.

“It´s never been a problem for me. The message I convey is universal and pacifist, a vast majority of people support it. That's why all campaigns against me end up backfiring; it only draws people towards my ideas”.

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PTSD Documentary Needs Your Help...

We are a documentary production team dedicated to helping those with PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder hurts everyone. We can help.

"War & PTSD" Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: a Documentary

PTSDDocumentary.com

We have already invested well over $50,000 into this important documentary project. We humbly ask you for help in assembling the remaining funds to fulfill editorial requirements and for the acquisition of some final interviews throughout the United States.

Our team consists of experienced documentary and news professionals,  primarily former members of the U.S. military, with people representing each branch of the Armed Forces. Luckily, some of us do not suffer from the affliction of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), though some do, including our oldest writer and medical expert, who served on the ground, during the United States' success in Europe, which ended WW II.

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Joyous, Wondrous Time as Atzmon Overwhelms

GA: This following is one of the most flattering reviews of my work as a writer, educator and a thinker. It probably explains why people are interested in my work, however,  it certainly explains why my detractors are in a state of constant tantrum…

 

By Jeff Merrifield

When we sat in the Mareel and heard Tim Garland’s Lighthouse Trio there was a general understanding that this was the pinnacle of performance, a truly enlightening experience, and we thought we would never see the like of it again. Just one month later, sitting in the Town Hall, Gilad Atzmon’s Orient House ensemble once more blew our minds and took us to heights of unimaginable musical rapture. However, there was an added ingredient here – entertainment. Gilad is a master showman with a hyperactive personality and knows very well how to give an audience a good time as well as musical thrills.

       The group were playing tunes from their latest album Songs of the Metropolis on the World Village record label. Atzmon is renowned for his virtuoso, high-speed, post-bop attack. This concept album explores more sober alternative territory, where nearly every song is a ballad and even the occasionally faster-paced tunes emit an aura of relative calm. Atzmon’s concept is to dedicate his pieces to individual cities, conjuring an atmosphere evocative of the essential flavour of these various places. Here we begin in Paris, with Atzmon putting down his sax in favour of a new interest in the accordion and he elicits a truly Parisian sound. Although he has long resided in London, that’s one of the obvious cities missing from this repertoire. He skirts from Berlin to Buenos Aires to Tel Aviv, and from Scarborough to ‘Somewhere in Italy’.

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Samir Abed-Rabbo on President Obama's Visit To Israel

As a Palestinian-American, I want President Obama to know that by visiting and laying a wreath at the grave of Theodore Herzl is tantamount to laying a wreath on the grave of Jefferson Davis and a clear indication of his support for racism, apart-ness (Apartheid) and segregation of Palestinians and Israeli-Jews based on ethnicity and religion and the Zionist colonialism of historic Palestine. Also by visiting the Israeli museum where he is to view the Dead Sea Scrolls, President Obama legitimizes Israel’s theft of Palestinian heritage including the very manuscripts that he will be reviewing.
 
Samir Abed-Rabbo