Monthly Archives: April 2011

When the New is Not So New: The Radical Right in Europe Today

Posted on 27/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

Political observers and analysts always seem to be on the lookout for the ‘new’; that new political movement – on the right, or left, or even in the middle – marking a significant break with the past and telling us … Continue reading →

Posted in British politics, Europe | Leave a comment

Wisdom From a 20-Something Elite Marathoner for a 65-Year Old 4-Hour+ Plodder

Posted on 25/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

Shod in my new Asics Nimbus, I’m suddenly running on air again. 30 to 35 miles a week. Satisfying long runs on Sunday mornings. Uncomplicated – light-hearted even? – medium-distanced midday runs during the week. And what a difference a … Continue reading →

Posted in Running | Leave a comment

The Aftermath of Goldstone’s ‘Reconsideration’: Debunking Two Myths and Assessing the Damage

Posted on 21/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

Unless and until Justice Richard Goldstone writes a full-exposure memoir, we will probably never fully understand what made him write the 1 April Washington Post op-ed in which he reconsidered the conclusions of his eponymous report for the UN Human Rights … Continue reading →

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Is an Israeli Think Tank Behind the New SOAS Israel Studies Posts? Ben White vs. the Reut Institute

Posted on 19/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

When I wrote about the establishment of two new academic posts in Israel studies at SOAS, funded by the Pears Foundation, I was unaware that Ben White had already posted a piece on Mondoweiss giving his take on the announcement. … Continue reading →

Posted in British Jews, Middle East | 1 Comment

Making a Meal Out of Migrants: Cameron’s 14 April Speech on Immigration

Posted on 18/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

Most of Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech on immigration delivered in Hampshire on 14 April was a detailed exposition of how the coalition was succeeding in coming to grips with the ‘problem’ of ‘too high a level of immigration’ into … Continue reading →

Posted in British politics, Multiculturalism | 1 Comment

SOAS’s New Israel Studies Posts: Promoting Academic Excellence or Israel Advocacy?

Posted on 12/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

Two new academic posts in Israel studies are to be created at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, funded with a grant of £485,000 over 4 years from the Pears Foundation, which describes itself as a ‘British … Continue reading →

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Celebrating the Jewish Renaissance in Poland: A European Story

Posted on 08/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

It seems rare these days that good news stories about Jewish life in Europe make it into the mainstream media. And if such news comes out of Poland it’s as likely as not to be diluted by the usual stress … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Religion | Leave a comment

Pessimism Has its Place, But it Doesn’t Define the Jewish Condition

Posted on 01/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

This piece is cross-posted from Eretz Acheret where it was published on 31 March 2011. The great Jewish writer Shalom Aleichem (1859-1916) said: ‘April Fool is a joke—repeated 365 times a year.’ Does this encapsulate the uniqueness of Jewish pessimism? History … Continue reading →

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Moussa Koussa May Be a Criminal But He Knows Where the Bodies Are Buried. Will He Ever Be Prosecuted?

Posted on 01/04/2011 by Antony Lerman

The defection of the Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa adds some spice and immediacy to current arguments over universal jurisdiction. There’s probably good prima facie evidence that he was involved in criminal acts in Libya, Britain and other countries contrary to … Continue reading →

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