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I wonder if this diary is in keeping with my New Year’s Resolution to avoid all ad hominem comments and arguments, because I definitely care about the backgrounds of various authors and always wish to know about them before reading them. Is it appropriate to cite an author based mainly because of his background and not primarily on a judicious review of his arguments? Because, I chose to read Avi Shlaim’s article (cited in the next paragraph) and to look into his background primarily because he is Jewish, he served in the IDF, and he is critical of Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
In any event, I though it might bring some balance to the ongoing reporting about the Israeli invasion of Gaza to cite Avi Shlaim. He was born an Iraqi Jew, moved to Israel, served in the IDF, studied history at Cambridge University and International Relations at the London School of Economics. He is currently an Oxford professor of international relations. Although he supports idea that Israel is a legitimate state, he is sharply critical of Israel’s recent invasion of Gaza (“How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe”), and he is considered a “revisionist” historian who has published critical interpretations of the history of Zionism and Israel.
Background:
Who is Avi Shlaim?
2007 The Debate about 1948 is an article by Avi Shlaim published in the book, “Making Israel, by Benny Morris
2005 More on Avi Shlaim, “No peaceful solution”
2004 Interview With Middle East Scholar Avi Shlaim
