Road to Utopia: The Origins of Anti-Zionism on the British Left - Colin Shindler

The British Left in the twenty-first century has exhibited high levels of ideological antagonism toward Israel per se. The easy-to-hand explanation is that this is a manifestation of "the new antisemitism." While there is undoubtedly commentary that many would interpret as repeating anti-Jewish stereotypes of the past, this does not explain how the British Left has moved from embracing Israel in 1948 to its present position.

It is argued here that this transition began to take place before the settlement drive on the West Bank and Gaza during Britain's period of decolonization, but the seeds of such an approach were planted by Lenin well over a century ago.

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About the Author:
Colin Shindler is Professor of Israeli Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. The updated paperback version of his The Triumph of Military Zionism: Nationalism and the Origins of the Israeli Right has recently been published by I. B. Tauris.

This article is based on Colin Shindler’s inaugural lecture as Professor of Israeli Studies at the School of Oriental Studies, University of London on November 18, 2009.

USA, Israel & Iran - John Podhoretz

John Podhoretz served as speechwriter to former U.S. President Ronald Reagan as well as former President George H.W. Bush. He also served in the capacity of special assistant to White House Drug Czar William Bennett. He was co-founder as well of the White House Writers Group, a corporate speechwriting and public-relations firm in Washington, D.C.

To view the original movies, click here, then scroll to view the complete John Podhoretz interview by Peter Robinson

Politics and policy with John Podhoretz
Hoover research fellow Peter Robinson interviews John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary magazine, concerning politics and political combat. Podhoretz states that politics begins when elections end.