The Zionist Connection: What Price Peace?

One of the prize possessions of this reviewer is an autographaed copy of Alfred M. Lilienthal's THE ZIONIST CONNECTION. Alfred M. Lilienthal has shown courage and toughness in refuting myths regarding the creation of the State of Israel and status of U.S.-Israeli relations beginning in 1948. THE ZIONIST CONNECTION can be considered the final book of a trilogy that Lilienthal wrote. The other two books are titled THERE GOES THE MIDDLE EAST and ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN which are also instructive of events in Israel and Palestine. Lilienthal begins THE ZIONIST CONNECTION by reciting some forgotten problems and history of zionism. He details the planned atrocities of some of the zionist units especially those of the Irgun and the Stern Gang. For example, Lilienthal cites the Deir Yessin Massacre in April in which old men, women, and children were massacred by Begin's "soliders" who wiped out the inhabitents. Lilienthal cites sources that the people of this village had just repulsed a Palestinian attempt to enlist their support against the zionist forces, and these people just wanted to be left alone in the midst of the war taking place. Readers may be surprised at other zionist outrages which occured. Lilienthal also makes some procative remarks that some of the zionist leaders collaberated with some of the German authorities during World War. Lilienthal details the Kastner Affair whereby Kastner made deals with Adolf Eichmann in 1944 to leave poor Hungarian Jews their fate when they only had to walk three miles from Hungary to Soviet occupied Romania to avoid concentration camps. Kaster refused to alert these poor souls and left them to their fate by prior arrangement with Eichmann. When Kastner tried to file criminal charges against an Israeli journalist for making these allegations against Kastner, an Israeli exonerated the journalist, and Kastner was assassinate because of the political embarrassment this could cause. As an aside, Hannah Arendt has a good section of this event in her book titled EICHMANN IN JERUSALEM. Lilienthal also refutes the nonsense that the "wicked Arabs" started the Six Day War in 1967. Lilienthal cites public sources such as journals and newpaper articles whereby Israeli generals and military advisors bluntly admitted that the Israelis started the Six Day and provoked the hostilities. There is nothing arcane in Lilienthal's report of this war. Lilienthal indicates why many Americans are kept ignorant of events in the Middle East. Lilienthal cites the cowardly media types who are too timid or two biased to give an accurate assessement of events in Israel and Palestine. Yet, what disturbs these media cowards is the fact that some folks are not easily impressed with lying media accounts and have made significant contributions which have been embarrassing to political "experts" and media gurus who are easily refuted by honest research and writing. Lilienthal does not have any political partisan ax to

_The Zionist Connection_ is written from the perspective of an antiZionist Jew. The author takes a look at the situation in the Middle East, the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israeli Jews, and places the blame on the state of Israel. The book basically tries to show that support for Israel is contrary to America's best interest (as they were defined in 1978 when the book was written) and is also morally suspect. The author contends that a single special interest group, the Zionists, have wrapped America and its leaders in a stranglehold in their attempt to maintain an "Israel First" foreign policy. The author distinguishes Zionism from Judaism, and he views Zionism as an idolatrous usurper. By appealing to emotion and memories of the Holocaust and cries of "antiSemitism" this single group of Jews has basically forced the United States into this position. The author contends that much of the press is Zionist controlled and that it is by appealing to "Christian guilt" that these Jews have gained their position of prominence. The book concludes with a section on the wars between Israel and the Arabs, as well as a discussion of such events as the U.S.S. Liberty attack.... The gory details of the brutal killing of a Palestinian child are spelled out in the chapter "Terror: The Double Standard", but the details of Palestinian terrorism are totally suppressed by the author. Nevertheless, the book is highly interesting and worth reading for the author's perspective on the Middle East, even if it is far too idealistic.

This book, out of all books on the Middle-East conflict goes beyond the Orient and examines the Zionist Web that has Entangled the American beauracracy, Media, etc.. Lilienthal proves a very significant fact, and that is the Holocaust is being exploited for political purposes, being used as a justification for the existence of Israel. when its clear, as he points out, that Zionists did nothing to help their fellow Jews in the genocide. This and other significant issues are discussed in detail in this most comprehensive book. It is strongly recommended for evereyone with a keen interest in the Mid-East conflict and even in U.S. politics and the Israeli lobby group. I'am grateful for Mr Alfred Lilienthal, that as a Jew, he had the courage to expose the reality that has been hidden to Westerners away from them. Blinded by the Holocaust from seeing that a traditionaly persecuted people (ie the Jews) are capable of becoming the chief persecutors...

Alfred Lilienthal, a prominent Jewish critic of Zionism, has remarkably presented a candid picture of the dangers of equating Judaism, the world's oldest monotheistic faith, with Zionism, an essentially political movement emanating from largely socialist, secular European Jews in the nineteenth century. This work is well researched and documented to prevent any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of his thesis that the obstacles to a just solution to the Middle East conflict between Israelis and Palestinians arise from what he feels are the "racist" origins of Zionism and a consistent misuse of the word "anti'-Semitism " to stifle legitimate criticism of Israeli miltary actions against Palestinian civilians. The text is not inflammatory or denunciatory towards any ethnic community, contrary to what the title may imply. Lilienthal reiterates throughout the text that his sole purpose is to make an attempt for Westerners to understand, so that current and future generations may contribute positively towards a just settlement of the Middle East conflict, a conflict that has shed the blood of thousands of Israeli and Palestinian lives over the past fifty years. I highly recommend this scholarly work to anyone interested in understanding the nature of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict and the obstacles that are preventing a peaceful settlement.