Max Blumenthal is an award-winning investigative journalist whose insight and integrity I trust, and I don't really trust all that many people.
I put off reading this book for quite a while, even for two months after purchasing it sat on my bookcase waiting its inevitable turn. I knew that I would face emotional and ethical conflicts from its contents, this is not a book to be read lightly.
Simply put, "Goliath" is powerful, much like the mythical character that is its namesake. It is a brutal reminder of the uncivilized origins of Judaism and not only through the state of Israel, but in its influence around the world as Judaism's barbaric offspring continue daily to assault reason.
You find that Israel learned too well the cruelties of ethnic and religious persecution from the Spanish Inquisition, Russian pogroms, Nazi Germany, Apartheid South Africa, and pre-Civil Rights United States and used these places as blueprints for their new ethno-state starting in 1947.
The tactics employed daily throughout the occupied territories are eerily reminiscent of these historic mistakes and its tactics and propaganda are now being reimported to the United States in particular.
I now find myself reluctant to call Israel a nation as that lends an air of respectability to what has be perpetrated. Interestingly, utilizing largely American taxpayer money to foster the narrative of "civilization", "democracy" and "progress", a ethno-fascist regime has grown in place of these ideals.
The culture of Israel shamelessly continues to use the atrocities of The Holocaust as a propaganda smokescreen to obscure the behavior that so well mirrors the villains of that same history. I never thought I would feel a sense of shame in participating in the opening ceremonies of my local Holocaust Museum as a child, but the quoted words and fanatical behavior of Israelis definitely pushes me in that direction. As I continued to read of the daily desecration of that memory in the name of ethnic nationalism I must say that I am disgusted.
"Goliath" covers some of the background of the Israeli colonial territories in the Arabic Peninsula as far back as 1947, but mainly focuses on the era of 1990-2012, with an emphasis on the 5 year period Blumenthal spent witnessing history in Israel firsthand. He came to know its internal politics and struggles intimately as this was made easier for him due to his Jewish ethnic background. From besieged Gazan villages to the halls of the increasingly fascist Knesset, Blumenthal probes the striated layers of Isreali-Palestinian social constructs to the best of his ability.
I won't go into too much detail, but I must say that this book will turn your stomach one way or another. It may also turn your views on the subject as well, whether you actually care for human rights, international integrity and democratic ideals or whether you have fallen for the Israeli propaganda that the revisionists have sold to the world and US in particular. You will not forget this document, ever.
If Israel is truly the shining beacon of democracy in the middle-east, then religious ethno-nationalism should be its mortal enemy. However, in this troubled land, that enemy has been embraced with open arms and panicked heart, a slap in the face to all Holocaust victims and survivors, Jewish or otherwise, alike.
"Tapuz, a website for Israelis living abroad, hosted a 2005 forum on the topic of leaving Israel. According to the site's administrator, Limor Abis, the most frequently cited explanation for why they left was, 'The question is not why we left, but why it took so long to do so'." (Chapter 73, "Exodus")
This discussion is not over, unfortunately in many ways it is still just warming up and beginning to burn through the fog of state and religiously-sanctioned propaganda shrouding this small territory. All it may take for this fascist kettle to boil over is one more rash action. Whether the action of a government with no standing Constitution after 70 years, its ghetto-living minority, or of their neighbors, the cousins of the ghetto-living minority. If you wish to be prepared to understand this nearly inevitable day, this book is an excellent place to begin your education.
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Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel Hardcover – October 1, 2013
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Print length512 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherNation Books
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Publication dateOctober 1, 2013
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Grade level8 and up
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Reading age18 years and up
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Dimensions6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
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ISBN-101568586345
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ISBN-13978-1568586342
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Armed with a critic's eye and a sharp pen, Blumenthal sets out to document what he regards as the fulfillment of Yeshayahu Leibowitz's darkest prophecy regarding the Israeli occupation. Exposure to the impressions from his journey through the Land of Israel-Palestine might be outrageous, unsettling, often heart wrenching. But those who fear for the image of this land would be well advised to respond to the challenge and to deal with his flowing descriptions of the struggles he witnessed and of the brave souls he met in one of the most divided and conflict-ridden places in the world."
Akiva Eldar
Goliath lifts the carefully maintained veil concealing the reality of Israel as it actually is today, a reality that is elided in most reportage from the region Blumenthal's book is packed with remarkable vignettes illustrating the dangerous path Israel is currently following.”
Rashid Khalidi
"It is about time someone wrote this book. Anyone who thinks he knows what is happening in Israel and its occupied territories will think again after reading this great work."
Charles Glass
"[Blumenthal is] genuinely interested in the truth, and knows that the truth in politics often lurks in those dark caves of viciousness... [Goliath is] the kind of book that you just open to any chapter and quickly get a sense of both the particular and the whole. You'll find yourself instantly immersed in an engrossing family romance-one part tender, one part train-wreck-and wish you had the entire day to keep reading. Put it down, and pick it up the next day, and you'll have the exact same feeling."
Corey Robin, associate professor of political science at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center
"A rich, roiling examination of 'the State of Israel during a period of deepening political and societal crisis' ... Blumenthal is an enterprising reporter."
Kirkus Reviews
Brash, gritty, personal and close to the ground, this is a report from an Israel and a Palestine we seldom see in the mainstream media. The sharp-edged scenes and portraits in this disturbing book shows why the chances for lasting peace in the region have gone from bad to worse.”
Adam Hochschild
"I would like to send a copy [of Goliath] to every Jew I know...This is the sort of book that even if you want to diss it, you can't dismiss it."
Charles H. Manekin, Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center of Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland
"Blumenthal's new book offers an unflinching look at the racist reality of Israel that America's establishment media simply does not have the guts to confront."
Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada
"Brave reporting of a sad, even tragic tale. Makes me wish he wrote for the New York Times."
Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
"Erudite, hard-hitting, [Goliath has] the potential to influence American public opinion on Israel..."
Rayyan Al-Shawaf, Mondoweiss
Akiva Eldar
Goliath lifts the carefully maintained veil concealing the reality of Israel as it actually is today, a reality that is elided in most reportage from the region Blumenthal's book is packed with remarkable vignettes illustrating the dangerous path Israel is currently following.”
Rashid Khalidi
"It is about time someone wrote this book. Anyone who thinks he knows what is happening in Israel and its occupied territories will think again after reading this great work."
Charles Glass
"[Blumenthal is] genuinely interested in the truth, and knows that the truth in politics often lurks in those dark caves of viciousness... [Goliath is] the kind of book that you just open to any chapter and quickly get a sense of both the particular and the whole. You'll find yourself instantly immersed in an engrossing family romance-one part tender, one part train-wreck-and wish you had the entire day to keep reading. Put it down, and pick it up the next day, and you'll have the exact same feeling."
Corey Robin, associate professor of political science at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center
"A rich, roiling examination of 'the State of Israel during a period of deepening political and societal crisis' ... Blumenthal is an enterprising reporter."
Kirkus Reviews
Brash, gritty, personal and close to the ground, this is a report from an Israel and a Palestine we seldom see in the mainstream media. The sharp-edged scenes and portraits in this disturbing book shows why the chances for lasting peace in the region have gone from bad to worse.”
Adam Hochschild
"I would like to send a copy [of Goliath] to every Jew I know...This is the sort of book that even if you want to diss it, you can't dismiss it."
Charles H. Manekin, Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center of Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland
"Blumenthal's new book offers an unflinching look at the racist reality of Israel that America's establishment media simply does not have the guts to confront."
Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada
"Brave reporting of a sad, even tragic tale. Makes me wish he wrote for the New York Times."
Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
"Erudite, hard-hitting, [Goliath has] the potential to influence American public opinion on Israel..."
Rayyan Al-Shawaf, Mondoweiss
About the Author
Max Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author whose articles and video documentaries have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, The Nation, The Guardian, The Independent Film Channel, The Huffington Post, Salon.com, Al Jazeera English and many other publications. His book, Republican Gomorrah: Inside The Movement That Shattered The Party, was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller. He blogs at maxblumenthal.com
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Product details
- Publisher : Nation Books; 1st edition (October 1, 2013)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 512 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1568586345
- ISBN-13 : 978-1568586342
- Reading age : 18 years and up
- Grade level : 8 and up
- Item Weight : 1.5 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#903,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,137 in Israel & Palestine History (Books)
- #1,739 in Violence in Society (Books)
- #1,739 in Middle Eastern Politics
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
494 global ratings
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4.0 out of 5 stars
The one-star reviews of this book highlight the emotional backlash to being presented unwanted truths.
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2018Verified Purchase
34 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2018
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I must confess, there is every reason under the blooming sun for me to read, and to thoroughly enjoy my reading of, this book, but so far, after more than one year of owning it, I have only dipped my toes in it. Why? The very last thing I want is some excuse to hate Israel more than I already do, for the barbaric treatment that it has doled out since 1948 to the Palestinians. I have been to Israel a number of times. I am an American Jew; someone who not only takes great pride in being Jewish, but one who considers himself Jewish before being American. I have read widely in the literature about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict-by now the slow annihilation of the Palestinian people by a rabidly chauvinistic Israeli government, and its mobilized ranks of racist, Zionist fanatics, as well as an infrastructure dedicated to wiping the historic memory of the Palestinians, and Israeli respect for their human and civil rights, off the page. For many years I taught college-level courses on the Conflict and on Middle Eastern history. Blumenthal offers my views to be confirmed, in spades. Again, if you want a rather hostile look at Israeli government and society, in its treatment of the Palestinians, this book is recommended. If you are a confirmed Zionist, or support the existence of the State of Israel in its present form, I do not at all recommend this book.
18 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
Max Blumenthal is not only a great speaker. He is also a great writer. He weaves together facts and anecdotes to paint a picture of contemporary Israel that our media never presents. Max goes beyond the media filters of Manufactured Consent, to tell us what contemporary Israeli society is really like. It is a frightening portrait of a nation that has operated with impunity for the last 50+ years. shielded from accountability by the USA. Max's book was shunned by the MSM, which tells you that is provided unfiltered truth. As usual, Max was met with the de rigeur smear that his criticism of Israeli policy means that the is "anti-semetic." Fortunately, Max has enough fortitude to withstand these baseless smears that are intended to stifle criticism of Israeli policy. A very good read.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries
CharlesA
5.0 out of 5 stars
Each chapter reads like a very good quality magazine article and as a ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2017Verified Purchase
This book is a masterpiece. It is informed by a very deep and humane intelligence. Blumenthal reveals with detail upon accreting detail just how horrific life is in Israel (and the occupied territories), and not just for the Palestinians who are daily humiliated, abused, intimidated, attacked, shot at, murdered or imprisoned, but also for the occupiers themselves. After all to run a massive jail, you have to become the jailer.
He makes a strong case that Israel has drifted very far from its western Ashkenazy roots and with a massive influx of Eastern jews from the old Soviet Union, it has become an extreme right-wing race to the bottom with a rabble of political demagogue trying to outdo each other in the extremeness of their pronouncements, actions and laws, in appealing to the baser instincts of their constituents.
He writes so so well, this is a terrifically well-crafted expose of life in the most dysfunctional 'democracy' on the planet. Each chapter reads like a very good quality magazine article and as a whole it all flows very well.
He makes a strong case that Israel has drifted very far from its western Ashkenazy roots and with a massive influx of Eastern jews from the old Soviet Union, it has become an extreme right-wing race to the bottom with a rabble of political demagogue trying to outdo each other in the extremeness of their pronouncements, actions and laws, in appealing to the baser instincts of their constituents.
He writes so so well, this is a terrifically well-crafted expose of life in the most dysfunctional 'democracy' on the planet. Each chapter reads like a very good quality magazine article and as a whole it all flows very well.
7 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anything by Max Blumenthal is worth reading!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2021Verified Purchase
I have read a few chapters so far, but will be set to return to it soon. The man is a good writer, and chronicles the Palestinian struggle for liberation as well as anyone out there. like Ken O'Keefe, George Galloway, Ramsy
Baroud and others to numerous to mention. Yes! Israel has a right to exist, but so do the Palestinian's, so no better writer than Blumenthal to level the playing field so to speak.
Baroud and others to numerous to mention. Yes! Israel has a right to exist, but so do the Palestinian's, so no better writer than Blumenthal to level the playing field so to speak.
Mikalina
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peace through knowledge
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2017Verified Purchase
The situation in Palestine cannot be understood or addressed today without an in-depth knowledge of the history of the development of Israel in this region. Max Blumenthal does this by being on the ground and talking to the people.
3 people found this helpful
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lane8981
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2019Verified Purchase
This book is full of alarming information regarding the intentions of the Zionist agenda in Isrealhell
J. D. D
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2015Verified Purchase
Gripping read.



