Attacks on Max Blumenthal’s “Goliath” Escalate, Veer Into Wingnut Land – Updated
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The initial attack on Max Blumenthal’s new book, released October 1st, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel (currently No. 2 on Amazon’s history of Israel best seller list), was led by Eric Alterman, writing for the November 4th edition of The Nation. Alterman condemned the book, using the now widely reported terms for it as “The ‘I Hate Israel’ Handbook,” and “Hamas Book-of-the-Month” selection. Within days of Alterman posting his first critical essay at The Nation, he posted another. Then, in response to detailed critiques of Alterman’s analyses of the book by Blumenthal and others, Alterman jumped in a third time.
Alterman initially refused to appear in any forum with Blumenthal, to discuss or debate the book’s content and subject matter, but has now indicated he might show up “for $10,000 plus expenses, paid in advance.”
Goliath has received a number of positive reviews. Perhaps the most comprehensive was that by Chris Hedges, posted at Truthdig:
There are very few intellectuals or writers who have the tenacity and courage to confront this reality [the self-adulation and latent racism that lie at the core of modern Zionism].
This is what makes Max Blumenthal’s ‘Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel’ one of the most fearless and honest books ever written about Israel. Blumenthal burrows deep into the dark heart of Israel. The American journalist binds himself to the beleaguered and shunned activists, radical journalists and human rights campaigners who are the conscience of the nation, as well as Palestinian families in the West Bank struggling in vain to hold back Israel’s ceaseless theft of their land. Blumenthal, in chapter after chapter, methodically rips down the facade. And what he exposes, in the end, is a corpse.
Even as Alterman led the attacks, he was quickly outdone in the dismissive, yet somewhat shallow tone he introduced. Wall Street Journal Assistant Book Editor, Sohrab Ahmari, announced on Twitter:
@Eric_Alterman rips to shreds @maxblumenthal‘s “Goliath,” of which two review copies currently sit in my trashcan.
What may have turned out to be the most disturbing element introduced by Alterman, was his bringing Max Blumenthal’s father, Sidney Blumenthal, into the argument. What seemed to some as an innocuous comment in Alterman’s first article, has turned into a sordid campaign by even more sordid people, to attack both the elder Blumenthal, and Hillary and Bill Clinton, and their foundation. The hits have devolved from Buzzfeed.com to Breitbart.com to white supremacist Robert Stacy McCain’s blog, as the threats have escalated.
On November 6th, Buzzfeed.com carried an article by Rosie Gray, centering on Max’s father:
