This anthology of essays, book reviews and interviews provides a broad insight into Manfred Gerstenfeld's unique renaissance personality. It encompasses the extensive canvas of contemporary Jewry and the challenges it faces. It also includes some essays on subjects related to Gerstenfeld's other than exclusively Jewish interests such as architecture, science and the environment which reflect the breadth of his knowledge and scholarship. from the preface by Isi Leibler
Today, well over 150 million Europeans embrace a satanic view of the State of Israel. They believe that Israel is exterminating the Palestinians, despite their major population growth in recent decades. This current widespread demonic view of Israel is a new mutation of the diabolical beliefs about Jews which many held in the Middle Ages, and those promoted more recently by the Nazis and their allies. This demonization has been exacerbated by the consequences of the massive and non-selective immigration into Western Europe from Muslim countries, where incitement against Jews and Israel is often fanatic and ongoing. This collection of 57 interviews with scholars, politicians, and the like, depicts how extensive and intense the hate-mongering is. In his opening essay, Gerstenfeld puts the facts and views presented in the book into context. Praise: "Gerstenfeld helps us all understand the world's oldest hatred." -Rabbi Marvin Hier Founder and Dean Simon Wiesenthal Center "An authoritative, up-to-date guide to the cultural-ideological war being waged against the democratic Jewish state." -Prof. Frederick Krantz Director, Canadian Institute Jewish Research "This superb collection of incisive interviews on the demonization of Israel and the Jews should be located on the bookshelves of every committed Jewish activist." -Isi Leibler Former Chairman Governing Board World Jewish Congress "Manfred Gerstenfeld's collection of interviews on anti-Semitism and its proxy, delegitimization of Israel, is brilliantly selected and encyclopedic in scope. His own essay tying the interviews together makes this required reading for those who want to understand where anti-Semitism is today." -Richard B. Stone Chairman Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
European-Israeli Between Confusion and Change? reassesses the current interactions between Europe and Israel. It is a sequel to Israel and An Expanding Abyss? which was published in spring 2005. By the end of 2004 the European Union was on the way to greater integration. Its proposed constitution was expected to be ratified. It was anticipated that this would lead to a more powerful Europe. After the rejection in 2005 of its constitution by France and the Netherlands and the rise in Muslim intimidation and terrorism, the EU has lost part of its self-assuredness and finds itself in a period of confusion and Europessimism. In Israel, the disengagement from Gaza, the breakup of the political scene, and the armed confrontation in Lebanon have introduced new uncertainties about the future. Also affecting European-Israeli relations are the deepening quagmire in Iraq, the emergence of an explicitly genocidal anti-Semitic regime in Iran, and a Hamas government in the Palestinian territories that has backtracked on previous Palestinian commitments. The developments of the past two years have made an Israeli-European dialogue more possible and potentially useful to both sides. That is why Israel should invest efforts in it. Another important action Israel should take is to organize its friends in Europe. In the second part of the book, fifteen interviewees from Europe and Israel discuss European-Israeli relationships in several areas.
