Steve Apfel is director of the School of Management Accounting, Johannesburg. He is the author of the book,'Hadrian's Echo: The whys and wherefores of Israel's critics' (2012) and a contributor to, "War by other means." (Israel Affairs, Special Issue. July 2012) and his new work, 'Bilaam's Curse: The enemies of Zion' will be published by Hamilton Books this year
Guess which industry just can't afford to boycott Israel
Teaser: Which multi-billion dollar industry just cannot afford to boycott Israel? Paradox: this industry calls for boycotts, but its life depends on it not doing so itself. Getting warmer?
- 5 March 2014
The lawless label: "Made by Jews"
Warning labels are in vogue. ‘Cigarettes can seriously damage your health’. ‘Caution -- hot liquid!’ Anti-Israel advocates also want to develop public fear and loathing. ‘Warning -- Jewish-made products can kill!’
- 27 February 2014
The International Community: A figment of the mind
The "international community" is a shifty and shadowy ideal. Demands and verdicts are made on its behalf. The casualty is usually Israel, which tells you pretty much all you need to know
- 17 February 2014
The Zionist Lobby: What's the big deal?
Why is the so-called Zionist lobby pilloried and not its pro-boycott adversary? A small but economically powerful Jewish minority has a perfect right to try its hand at some arm-twisting
- 11 February 2014
Jews on the Left take the dumb side
In a piece on the Left which is sure to stir the pot, Steve Apfel wonders aloud on how and why some Jewish Leftists adopt a position on Israel that, for all the world, could be seen as quintessentially dumb!
- 5 February 2014
Civilized Holocaust denial
Denying the Holocaust doesn't necessarily mean baldly saying it didn't happen. Denial can be accomplished by false parallel, and often is. Indeed, the whole shoddy business can be made to look quite "civilised"
- 28 January 2014
The two state solution. So, Israel and...?
Not even the UN could plan for a Palestinian state before there was a Palestinian people to govern it. Just who or what will scramble for Palestine if independence ever comes we don’t rightly know
- 19 January 2014
An Impossible standard: Anti-Semitic wolves and Israel
Who could dismiss the argument that if someone wants Jews to die, there’s no question: he has to be anti-Semitic? But they no longer dress up like Reinhard Heydrich (pictured)
- 6 January 2014
Borrowing Jesus
Palestinian-supporting Israel-haters -- "Christians" or otherwise -- "borrow" Jesus to promote ludicrous and almost amusingly poor, fake narratives of the Palestinian past, and contempt for Jews and Israel in the present
- 26 December 2013
Mandela legacy and Pink Floyd fallacy
It's almost impossible to find a way through to the mind of an Israel hater like Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters. But here's trying with a little context about life and death for Jews, Palestinians and South Africans
- 13 December 2013
How Nelson Mandela helped me fight anti-Israel media
The moral authority of a great man like Mandela is not always contained in landmark speeches. Sometimes a few short words of encouragement can go a long way, as this South African writer remembers from personal experience
- 8 December 2013
International "law" as the anti-Zionist Bible
“Our bible is international law” says Andrew Standley, the EU ambassador to Israel. But the Bible also speaks of evil. It all depends on which part you are reading, and what "law" and the Bible mean to you
- 29 November 2013
Anti-Zionism: the "big" ideology
Communism explained history in terms of a struggle between classes for political and economic power. Nazism explained history as a struggle between races for world domination. What claim does anti-Zionism make (that you haven't heard before) ?
- 4 November 2013
Oh dear. Son of Guardian (The Independent) gets all fisky fisky about Robert Fisk and the Jews
The Independent (laughable name, we know) is a very poor UK leftist relation to the Guardian. Talk about defensive over Israel and anti-Semitism...
- 8 October 2013
Christianity gone haywire, and going down
Tom Holland the historian reckons we’re witnessing the total extinction of Christendom in the Middle East. And Christian leaders' attitudes and actions in the Holy Land are far from standing in the way
- 30 September 2013
Latest on the blog
- NY Democrat pleads with Republican not to share document proposing confiscation of guns
- Sunday Times blood libel cartoon, on Holocaust Memorial Day no less
- Oregon woman raped after police refuse to send out response unit
- Palestinian jailed for Facebook like
- 'Muslim Patrol' vigilantes attempt to control London streets
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