Comments on: David Shasha’s ‘Obsession’ Review

By: RichardHutton

RichardHutton — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:09:39 +0000

It’s a discussion of the film ‘obsession’ – not a history of Jews in Arab lands. If that’s what you’re after see Norman Stillman’s study

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jews-Arab-Lands-Modern-Times/dp/0827607652/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254222496&sr=1-2

“Similarly, Iran has unitl the last 30 years, had good relations with Jews. Now the leadership of Iran is obsessed with exterminating Israel”

Israel is a state, not a people. There is a Jewish community in Iran thousands strong; we’re not in 1930’s Europe. Time has moved on.

By: RichardHutton

RichardHutton — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:06:30 +0000

“The Arabs pass out the “Protocols”. They says horrific things about Jews (I have been there to hear it). They commit heinous acts against Jews like suicide bombings. Where are you, buddy?”

Aye – and who wrote the Protocols, pray tell? Presumably – by the same logic – Russians must be Nazis – including the 21 million the German army killed, of course. The only real short-coming in Shasha’s article is that he doesn’t mention the decidedly seamy fact of Martin Gilbert having contributed in his own insular fashion to ‘Obsession’.

“I think the Pyrrhic victory will be that of assimilated Enlightenment Jews who spent furious energy denouncing their own religion”

Is that the old self-hating Jew trope? You know, the one that denies particular points of view to people because they’re Jewish?

By: B.BarNavi

B.BarNavi — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:15:27 +0000

AN, you’re missing the context. The Iraqis rallied around Nazi ideology not because they intrinsically hated Jews, but because it was a response to British imperialism. That Jews somehow became associate with the Britannic enemy was an unfortunate situation that they had no control over. And let’s not forget the British role in the Farhud – quite ironic considering the Nazi-inspired association.

By: deborah

deborah — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:34:28 +0000

my god. the responses to this essay by David Sasha are worrying in their extremism. The idea that god plays favorites in terms of dispensing land is a radical and extremist idea that has nothing to do with modernity or the enlightenment.

The ideas of racial purity in notions of Jewish intermarriage with non-Jews will be taken over by Orthodox Jews belong to the 19th c. not the 21st.

By: A.N.

A.N. — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:42:16 +0000

I think that Shasha is trying to ingratiate himself in the Ashkenazi world. Nowhere is it stated that upon the creation of Israel, hundreds of thousands of Sephardi Jews were discriminated against and expelled from countries like Iraq, Egypt, and Yemen. Nowhere is it mentioned that pro-Nazi pogroms were carried out in Baghdad in 1941 (before the Israeli occupation of Palestine) under Rashid Ali. Nowhere is it mentioned the role of Hajj Amin el Husseini in fomenting anti-Jewish violence for personal gain.
If it were 1930, and I were asked to predict which country would try to kill all the Jews, Germany would not have been my first choice. I would have picked Russia, with Poland as number 2, and perhaps France as number 3. Similarly, Iran has unitl the last 30 years, had good relations with Jews. Now the leadership of Iran is obsessed with exterminating Israel. The lesson is that past relationships are no guarantee of future performance, as they say on your Wall Street. Shasha may be your court Jew, but with us Amcha, he has no street cred

By: LobeLog.com » Blog Archive » ‘Obsession’ Gets Some Overdue Mainstream Attention

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:28:33 +0000

[...] for a penetrating analysis of “Obsession”, read a review by David Shasha featured on Richard Silverstein’s blog at the Tikun Olam [...]

By: Manchester

Manchester — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:19:11 +0000

““The Arabs” do this? Since when does an entire ethnic group engage in collective hatred? No, I’m afraid it’s you who are engaging in racist rhetoric.”
Watch Obsession! Stop listening to just your OWN voice!

“the Land of Israel is on loan to Jews from God.”
This sounds very Reform. The Land Of Israel, G-d, and the Jews are one entity. This is the view from Orthodox sources. Jews were exiled because they didn’t follow the commandments and for senseless hatred.

“Orthodox Jews are a distinct minority and will remain so for quite some time.”
The Orthodox are 20-25% of the population in Israel, but the birthrate is 2-3 times that of secular Jews. The reason Orthodox are a minority is because of the Holocaust and assimilation! You NEVER mention assimilation on your site, I think because you are afraid to admit it.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:34:39 +0000

@Manchester:

The Arabs pass out the “Protocols”. They says horrific things about Jews (I have been there to hear it). They commit heinous acts against Jews like suicide bombings.

“The Arabs” do this? Since when does an entire ethnic group engage in collective hatred? No, I’m afraid it’s you who are engaging in racist rhetoric.

The fact that the Land Of Israel belongs to Jews is part of the Jewish religion.

The Land of Israel “belongs” to Jews? No, I’d say more that the Land of Israel is on loan to Jews from God. And if we ever show we’re not worthy of the loan, God’s entitled to take it back from us. With Jews having views like yours, our lease is definitely shaky.

Religious Jews are having more and more children and will inevitably be the majority. Thus, all of your ranting and raving is not naught.

You wear so many hats & now you’ve added a new one, that of Jewish demographer. You’ll have to excuse me if I say you’re “expertise” is full of crap. Orthodox Jews are a distinct minority and will remain so for quite some time.