arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

In 1994 Israel Shahak, an Israeli human rights activist, published a work: "Jewish History, Jewish Religion: the Weight of three thousand Years". Shahak from 1968 led the Council against the destruction of (Palestinian) houses, and later was part of the Civil Rights League. While he in other contexts repeatedly has criticized the rabid anti-Semitism of the Arab world and Arab intellectuals, his book in this case criticizes Zionism on the basis of among other Rabbinic literature.

In November 1996, Peter Edel, who also is critical of the way religious extremism in Israel leads to not only the killing of Palestinians, but also led to the killing of prime minister Rabin, wrote a positive article on the book, "Israel Shahak en het joodse chauvinisme" (Israel Shahak and the Jewish chauvinism) in the Dutch Journal Kleintje Muurkrant. The article can be found (in Dutch) at http://www.stelling.nl/kleintje/edelfask/018f.htm

Peter Zegers, who has criticized Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophy for anti-Semitism, has also criticized Peter Edel for his criticism of Zionism in a number of articles in Kleintje Muurkrant. Zegers also thinks that not only the views of Peter Edel and Israel Shahak, but also of Noam Chomsky are expressions of Jewish self hatred and that Shahak has misused the Rabbinic literature as a foundation of his criticism of Zionism.

The criticism by Peter Zegers has been answered in a number of articles by Peter Edel in Kleintje Muurkrant; May/356, June/357, July/358, August/359 and September/360 2001.

According to the "Discussie Zegers - Edel deel VI" (Discussion Zegers - Edel part 6), Kleintje Muurkrant Nr 360, 28th Sept. 2001, Noam Chomsky finds the accusations by Peter Zegers of Shahak for anti-Semitism to surpass absurdity.

From the discussion:

Peter Edel:

"Even if Weininger was a good example of jewish self hatred, (...) any comparison (by Zegers) between him and jewish anti-Zionists like Lenni Brenner, Noam Chomsky and Israel Shahak is futile. (...) I know the concept of jewish self hatred mostly as a means to kill criticism on zionism in the jewish community."
(nr 359, August 2001)
"When Shahak was still alive, I asked Noam Chomsky what he thought about Zegers' accusation of "an old antisemitic tradition" (...):"Noam Chomsky: "Shahak is an old personal friend. We disagree on many things, but I haven't the slightest doubt about his integrity, courage and remarkable scholarship. The charge of "anti-Semitism" surpasses absurdity. Is it because he is "anti-Semitic" that he was selected a few years ago as the person to be honored on the annual "Day of remembrance of the Shoah", with his autobiographical article (including the Warsaw Ghetto and Bergen-Belsen) prominently published? Or that he has hundreds of letters published in Hebrew press? Or is that the reason why so much of his writing (articles and letters) consists of attacks on the Palestinian Authority and the rabid anti-Semitism of the Arab world and Arab intellectuals?

I don't know Zegers, but I have to wonder whether he knows anything at all about Shahak and what he does. Of course, Shahak is making "selective use" of the Rabbinic sources he cites (rarely the Talmud, incidentally). That is true of 100% of the finest and most careful scholarship. The question is whether his choices distort the original texts. If Zeeger believes he can show that, I am impressed with his scholarship; few people have the deep knowledge of the Rabbinic literature that would be required to have any judgment on the matter. I would certainly await with interest his demonstration of this charge with a careful scholarly analysis of the original sources that Shahak cites; a demonstration that has not yet been attempted, to my knowledge. Lacking that, one can only regard his charges as sheer slander." "
(nr 360, September 2001)

While fighting racism, including anti-Semitism, is one of the essential tasks of our time, it cannot mean a prohibition to critizise racism and violation of human rights when that occurs in Israel as an expression of Zionist extremism. Zeger's accusations of not only Rudolf Steiner, but also Israel Shahak and Noam Chomsky for anti-Semitism indicates that he at present seems to tend in a somewhat extreme black/white position and perspective on the issue.
Mr. Zegers need not see enemies of Jews and Jewry everywhere. To most people, anthroposophists as well as non-anthroposophists, Evangelical Christians and non-Evangelical Christians, and Muslims as well as non-Muslims, it is completely uninteresting if someone is a Jew or not, or coloured in some way or not, or a Muslim or not, in relation to their personal qualities as individuals. When I become a pensionist, I look forward to meeting with him for a beer in a pub somewhere in Holland, if he is still there then.

Sune Nordwall, Stockholm

See http://www.stelling.nl/simpos/anthroposophy.htm why there is not only racism against Jews, but also against Africans, American Indians, etc. in Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy. Steiner by the way also believed in astrology, auras, life on Venus, and other gobbledygook.

This is what I wrote in response to Sune Nordwall, a Swedish Anthroposophist:

Dear critics,

I guess Sune Nordwall has not read my four long articles in Dutch on the
use of antisemitic stereotypes by the Dutch conspiracist Peter Edel
(who, by the way is very much opposed to Anthroposophy). So it is a
mystery to me on what exactly Nordwall's view is based. After all, he
wrote: "Zegers also thinks that not only the views of Peter Edel [not a
Jew] and Israel Shahak, but also of Noam Chomsky are expressions of
Jewish self hatred [I never used this word] and that Shahak has misused
the Rabbinic literature as a foundation of his criticism of Zionism." He
even gets elementary facts the wrong way. I don't see what my criticism
of Edel and Shahak (I didn't criticize Chomsky) has to do with my
criticism of Steiner. Or maybe he just wants to discredit me by alleging
that I see every person as an antisemites (Nordwall writes: "Mr. Zegers,
you need not see enemies of Jews and Jewry everywhere"). I never said
such a thing, I have always been very specific.

In one of his articles Peter Edel wrote that he got a note from Noam
Chomsky. When I asked Chomksy to authenticate the letter, he wasn't able
to do so. He wasn't sure if it was he who wrote it or not, but he was
sure he hadn't given permission to Edel to publish any of his letters
(speaking of integrity). If Chomsky did write this letter, it is strange
that he didn't contact me (he obviously had to rely on Edel for
information if he wrote the letter since he doesn't read Dutch).
"Chomsky" wrote: "few people have the deep knowledge of the Rabbinic
literature that would be required to have any judgment on the matter."
Neither Shahak nor Chomsky are trained talmudists, so this judgement
includes them as well.

It is very strange that allthough Nordwall and Dottie don't read Dutch,
they are absolutely certain that Peter Edel is right. Edel is convinced
that the Zionists helped Hitler to power and actually planned the
Holocaust in order to get their state of Israel. He was sued some years
ago by a Dutch Jewish organization for upholding the accusation that the
Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith supports the Ku Klux Klan and the
Neonazis. He also said in this article from 1995 that the Nazis Alfred
Rosenberg (whom he called Albert), Richard Heydrich and Adolf Hitler
were of Jewish descent. He was acquitted because the judge ruled that
Edel was speaking about the American branch and not the Dutch branch of
B'nai B'rith that sued him. For those of you who are interested in this
whole affair, you can find Edel's and my articles at:
http://www.stelling.nl/kleintje (Dutch). My first article appeared in
November 2000. The others in February, March and April 2001.

I have been working on Israel Shahak's book "Jewish History, Jewish
Religion" for over a year now. I am still busy researching Shahak's
accusations against the Talmud and the Kaballah. In due time I will
return to this topic. For now I only want to mention that his book has
been published by extreme right wing antisemites in Italy, France,
Sweden and Germany. You can also find his book at the website of Radio
Islam, an antisemitic organization that also offers the Protocols of the
elders of Zion and wants to outlaw the Old Testament (like some Nazis).

Best,

Peter Zegers

http://www.topica.com/lists/waldorf-critics/read/message.html?mid=1708927702

And:

Dear critics,

One more remark on Shahak. Nordwall seems to think that the discussion
is about the issue that "Shahak has misused the Rabbinic literature as a
foundation of his criticism of Zionism." Nordwall is dead wrong as
usual. The issue is that Israel Shahak argues that Judaism (Talmud) and
the Jewish tradition as such are racist/xenophobic. This, of course has
a long history in European history. He gives some quotes from the Talmud
to prove his point of view. This also has a long history, dating back to
the eightteenth century. Some of the same quotes he gives have been used
by notorious antisemites. To give just one name in this long list: the
catholic priest August Rohling (1839-1931), writer of the infamous
"Talmudjude" [Talmudjew] (1871). Rohling's work was continued by Theodor
Fritsch (Hammer Verlag, a notorious antisemitic publishing house) and
Julius Streicher (editor of "Der Stürmer", the extreme antisemitic paper
and executed as a war criminal in 1946). Maybe it is of interest for
Nordwall to know that Lars Adelskogh translated Shahak's book into
Swedish. Adelskogh is an extreme antisemite in Sweden and leader of a
Theosophic cult.

Best,

Peter Zegers

http://www.topica.com/lists/waldorf-critics/read/message.html?mid=1708928146

For those who are interested in the 'debate' Peter Staudenmaier and myself had with the Norwegian and Swedish Anthroposophists, here is the url of our replies to Peter Normann Waage:

http://www.social-ecology.org/learn/library/staudenmaier/anthroposophy.html
http://www.social-ecology.org/learn/library/staudenmaier/anthroposophy_defenders.html
http://www.social-ecology.org/learn/library/staudenmaier/janus.html
http://www.social-ecology.org/learn/library/staudenmaier/history.html

or:

http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles.html
http://www.stelling.nl/simpos/anthroposophy.htm

Because Peter zegers thinks that conspiracies don't exist, read this!

"3. A "Remember the Maine" incident could be arranged in several forms:
a. We could blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba.

6. Use of MIG type aircraft bu US pilots could provide additional provocation. Harassment of civil air, attacks on surface shipping and destruction of US military drone aircraft by MIG types planes would be useful as complementary actions. A F-86 properly painted would convince air passengers that they swa an Cuban MIG, especially if the pilot of the transport were to announce such fact.... However, reassonable copies of the MIG could be produced from US resources in about three months.

7.Hijacking attempts against civilair and surfaces craft should appear to continue as harassing measures condoned by the government of Cuba. Concurrently, genuine defections of Cuba civil and military air and surface should be encouraged.

8.It's possible to create an incident which will demonstrate convincingly that a Cuban aircraft has attacked and shot dowm a charterd civil airliner enroute from the united States to Jamaica,...The destination would be chosen only to cause the flight plan route to cross Cuba. The passengers could be a group of students off on a holiday or any grouping of persons with a common interest to support chartering a non-scheduled flight.

http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/news/20010430/doc1.pdf