Manfred Gerstenfeld – The War of a Million Cuts
Recently there has been an ongoing stream of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel incidents and provocations throughout the world. To mention a few: UNESCO’s radical distortion of the history of Jerusalem, a large number of anti-Semitic expressions by elected representatives of the British Labour Party, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaigns which only target Israel, discriminatory labeling of products from the disputed territories by the European Union, and one-sided criticism of Israel by the U.S. State Department and the European Union while ignoring incitement to murder Israelis by the Palestinian leadership. All these phenomena and many more, as well as how to fight them, are discussed in The War of a Million Cuts: The Struggle Against the Delegitimization of Israel and the Jews, and the Growth of New Anti-Semitism by Manfred Gerstenfeld.
The book was published in 2015 by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and RVP Press. It has been very favorably reviewed and has been used frequently in the battle against the delegitimization of Israel.
The Jerusalem Center has now made this seminal book available without charge from its website.
Summary:
For the first time ever, a book unravels the complex process of the major delegitimization efforts directed toward Israel. The War of a Million Cuts explains how these attempts at the delegitimization of Israel, as well as anti-Semitism, can be fought. It describes the hateful messages of those who defame Israel and the Jews, details why anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism have the same core motifs, and discusses the main groups of inciters, including Muslim states, Muslims in the Western world, politicians, media, NGOs, church leaders, those on the extreme left and the extreme right, Jewish self-haters, academics, social democrats, and many others. It explains how the hate messages are effectively transmitted to the public at large, and discusses what impact the delegitimization has already had on Israel and the Jews.
From the Foreword:
Jose Maria Aznar, former President of the Government of Spain:
“Delegitimization campaigns have increased in number and extended in their reach….This book is a good analysis of the arguments and means used by those who want to suppress Israel through its delegitimization. As such it is an excellent contribution to better understand the indirect attacks against Israel.”
From the back cover:
John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations: “Delegitimizing Israel is a critical objective for its most determined enemies. Gerstenfeld explains what the dangers are and what to do about it in this important book.”
Daniel Herman, Minister of Culture, Czech Republic: “Manfred Gerstenfeld not only carefully documents the plethora of current expressions of hatred of Jews and Israel, its instigators and promoters – by connecting the bits and pieces, it confronts the reader with a chillingly accurate picture. It is a book not just to read but to act upon.”
Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy: “A compelling book; a vast canvas on misinformation and false propaganda; an effective antidote to the poison of anti-Semitism and double standards against Israel. It should be read carefully by policy makers in the Arab world as well as in Western countries, especially in Europe.”
From reviews:
Isi Leibler in The Jerusalem Post: “Gerstenfeld [is]…considered the most qualified analyst of contemporary anti-Semitism with a focus on anti-Israelism….His new book is a tour de force and undoubtedly his magnum opus. It is a readable, 500-page volume that provides encyclopedic coverage of the subject. It is probably the first book that reviews the delegitimization of Israel as an entity, identifying the motifs employed, the categories of perpetrators, how the hate themes enter society and the extent of damage to Israel and Jews.”
Ambassador Zvi Mazel in The Times of Israel: “The War of a Million Cuts is virtually encyclopedic in its portrayal of the new anti-Semitism….The book’s unique contribution is in its powerful presentation of the delegitimization of Israel that results from this global hatefest.”
Rabbi Abraham Cooper in Justice: “The coherence of Gerstenfeld’s analysis and the compelling, if sometimes depressing, narrative of this definitive work makes it a must read for Israeli officialdom and all lovers of Zion.”
About Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld
