Author Archives: Antony Lerman

Anti-Jewish hostility provoked by the Gaza offensive: Is antisemitism the right word for it?

Posted on 04/08/2014 by Antony Lerman

With his permission, I am publishing on my blog a Facebook post by Dr Steven Beller, an independent scholar based in Washington DC, which presents an alternative analysis of the anti-Jewish hostility currently being experienced in Europe as a result … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | 18 Comments

Another faulty, pseudo-academic antisemitism initiative

Posted on 29/11/2012 by Antony Lerman

It was inevitable. Another Gaza offensive by Israel begins, ostensibly to stop Hamas from firing rockets into southern Israel, and within a couple of days accusations of antisemitism were flying around. Two particularly caught my attention. The first was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Antisemitism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

The abuse of dissenting Jews is shameful

Posted on 22/08/2012 by Antony Lerman

If you missed my op-ed – which was a kind of trailer for my just-published book – in the Guardian on Tuesday 21 August, here it is below. Judging by the over the top reaction from Jeremy Newmark of the … Continue reading →

Posted in British Jews, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Gunter Grass, antisemitism and the inflation of evil

Posted on 17/04/2012 by Antony Lerman

My post on openDemocracy, published on 16 April 2012: The Israel factor has politicised the business of assessing antisemitism such that the vitriolic disagreement surrounding it has become about far more than just facts, intelligent judgment and expertise. What does … Continue reading →

Posted in Antisemitism, Europe | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Now Ken has apologised to London’s Jews, was Freedland right to say ‘I won’t vote for him’?

Posted on 30/03/2012 by Antony Lerman

A day or two after Jonathan Freedland wrote an op-ed published in the Guardian announcing that he could not vote for Ken Livingstone as Mayor of London, because ‘he doesn’t care what hurt he causes Jews’, I started to write a … Continue reading →

Posted in British Jews, British politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The one-state solution’s unlikely ‘supporters’: AIPAC and British Jewish leaders

Posted on 06/03/2012 by Antony Lerman

Despite the dire warnings, it seems that civilisation as we know it did not collapse after last weekend’s student conference at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, on Israel/Palestine and the One-State Solution. Who’d have guessed? US Senator Scott … Continue reading →

Posted in British Jews, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Like going down Memory Lane’: Brits For Peace Now raises hopes but offers nothing new

Posted on 29/02/2012 by Antony Lerman

The launch of Brits For Peace Now (BFPN) at Portcullis House, London, on 27 February reflected well on its young leadership whose energy and dynamism ensured a good turnout — testament to the continuing desire for a peaceful resolution of … Continue reading →

Posted in British Jews, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Muslims and Jews: beyond clichés and mutual demonisation

Posted on 27/02/2012 by Antony Lerman

A fascinating and important workshop on relations between Muslims and Jews, organized by the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism at Birkbeck University of London, began with a nuanced account of the treatment of Jews and Muslims in English … Continue reading →

Posted in Antisemitism, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My book’s done, now back to blogging

Posted on 16/02/2012 by Antony Lerman

Dear Blog: I missed you. Yes, it’s true. I gave up blogging temporarily while I worked intensively on my book, an exploration of my engagement with Zionism and Israel going back 50 years. Much of the last four or five … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Hungarian Jewish novelist meets the challenge of being different in difficult times

Posted on 26/09/2011 by Antony Lerman

Gabor Szanto is a Hungarian novelist, short story writer, poet, translator and cultural entrepreneur whose Jewish identity informs all that he does. A key figure in the revival of Jewish life in Hungary post-1989, Szanto is the founding editor of … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Jews worldwide | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment