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Israel Shamir is an Israeli writer and journalist of Russian origins. He is an advocate of Palestinian rights, and generally believed to be an antisemite.
He believes that Israel should be done away with, and that the responsibility of the tragedy of Palestine lies in Judaism itself.
He has made a number of incredible claims in his writings, for instance that the Israeli secret services were responsible for the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and that Jews run the world economy. He is accused of using openly antisemitic language and stereotypes, for example comparing Israel's treatment of the Palestinians to the Jews crucifying Jesus, and claiming that attacking synagogues around the world is acceptable and just.
When in Russia Shamir used to write Antisemitic articles for far-right newspapers.
In Israel he is generally not taken seriously even in the peace camp. Although he claims to be jewish, he is well known to be one of the many russian non-jews who entered Israel during the nineties. Even so, his articles have become very popular in some quarters, and on the internet they are avaible in sites belonging to groups ranging from Palestinian solidarity organizations to neo-fascists. Two prominent Palestinian activists, Ali Abunimah and Hussein Ibish have written an open letter regarding Shamir's antisemitism being unhelpful to the Palestinian cause. They cite a number of 'serious concerns' about Shamir's antisemitism and then end by saying:
- "We do not have any need for some of what Israel Shamir is introducing into the discourse on behalf of Palestinian rights, which increasingly includes elements of traditional European anti-Semitic rhetoric. Such sentiments will harm, not help, the cause. We urge all our friends in the movement for Palestinian rights to seriously consider the long-term effects this rhetoric will have on the cause, and act accordingly."
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