Author Archives: Antony Lerman

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 →

Posted in British Jews, Middle East | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Middle East | Leave a comment

In Praise of Altruism: The Antidote to a Morally Bankrupt Ethnocentrism

Posted on 24/03/2011 by Antony Lerman

This piece is cross-posted from Eretz Acheret where it was published today. It’s been fashionable in recent decades to be sniffy about altruism. Self-interest, we are told, is the most important instinct that leads to action in support of people … Continue reading →

Posted in British Jews | Leave a comment

Israel’s Cynical Exploitation of the Murder of Jewish Settlers in Itamar on the West Bank

Posted on 22/03/2011 by Antony Lerman

The horrific murder of three children and their parents in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Itamar on 11 March was a shocking and sickening event. Even in a long-running conflict which has seen the bloodiest of murders and the … Continue reading →

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Shami Chakrabarti’s Comments on Antisemitism Distorted in Jewish Chronicle Headline

Posted on 19/03/2011 by Antony Lerman

I greatly admire Shami Chakrabarti, the head of Liberty. Britain would have been a much more repressive society without her having taken such strong, consistent and brave stands on justice, freedom of expression and civil and human rights generally over … Continue reading →

Posted in Antisemitism | Leave a comment

Israel Doesn’t Reciprocate Devotion of Diaspora Jews

Posted on 18/03/2011 by Antony Lerman

This piece is cross-posted from Eretz Acheret, where it was published today. Clear signs of changing attitudes towards Israel among British Jews have been emerging in recent years. And yet old thinking dies hard. Whereas a very significant proportion of … Continue reading →

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Pro-Israel Jewish Organizations Are Likely to Have a Negative Impact on the Object of Their Affection

Posted on 18/03/2011 by Antony Lerman

Apart from running down the battery on my BlackBerry at a phenomenal rate, the Twitter feed I activated recently does have its positive side. Tweets about breaking developments in Egypt and Libya gave me a sense of immediate and uncanny … Continue reading →

Posted in British Jews | 2 Comments

Libya: Arab League Supports No-Fly Zone. Now What About Egyptian Military Help for the Rebels?

Posted on 13/03/2011 by Antony Lerman

On 23 February I doubted whether the West would agree to intervene militarily in the Libyan crisis. It still looks that way and there are good reasons why the West shouldn’t. But the discussion about outside help for the rebels … Continue reading →

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