If I Am Not For Myself: Journey of an Anti-Zionist Jew - Softcover

Marqusee, Mike

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844674355 ISBN 13: 9781844674350

Publisher: Verso Books, 2010

Synopsis

If I Am Not For Myself is a passionate, thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be Jewish in the twenty-first century. It traces the author’s upbringing in 1960s Jewish-American suburbia, his anti-war and pro-Palestinian activism on the British left, and life as a Jew among Muslims in Pakistan, Morocco, and Britain. Interwoven with this are the experiences of his grandfather’s life in Jewish New York of the 1930s and 40s, his struggles with anti-Semitism and the twists and turns that led him from anti-fascism to militant Zionism. In the course of this deeply personal story, Marqusee refutes the claims of Israel and Zionism on Jewish loyalty and laments their impact on the Jewish diaspora. Rather, he argues for a richer, more multi-dimensional understanding of Jewish history and identity, and reclaims vital political and personal space for those castigated as “self-haters” by the Jewish establishment.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Advance praise for If I Am Not for Myself:

"In this extraordinary journey through family memory and New York leftwing history, Marqusee introduces us to unforgettable Jewish heretics and heroes, including his brawling grandfather and the Prophet Amos. In proudly reclaiming the Jewish radical tradition, he reminds us that cultures are not the exclusive franchises of nation-states, and that Zionists and anti-semites share the same sinister, racialized concept of group identity. Both in the eloquence of his writing and the deep humanism of his vision, he stands shoulder to shoulder with the spirits of Isaac Deutscher and Edward Said."
- Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums

"In If I am Not For Myself, Mike Marqusee confronts some of the most sensitive political issues of our time, weaving them into a compelling personal narrative. Re-appropriating his own past, the author reclaims an authentic secular Jewish identity that is not centred on Israel. A clear, distinctive, provocative voice speaks throughout the book. You do not have to agree with Marqusee's central contentions to respect the clarity and integrity of his voice. This-worldly and life-affirming, scathingly candid and painfully honest, If I am Not For Myself is in the best tradition of ethical, diasporic Jewish writing."
- Brian Klug, Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy, St. Benet's Hall, Oxford, and Co-founder, Independent Jewish Voices

"Mike Marqusee confronts in his characteristically lucid manner the dilemma of being an internationalist secular Jew opposed to all forms of oppression, including those that speak in his name. Weaving personal reflections with political insight and biographical and autobiographical narrative with historical analysis, he sets forth a principled, thoughtful, and compelling anti-Zionist vision that is urgently needed today."
- Anthony Arnove, coauthor, Voices of a People's History of the United States

About the Author

Mike Marqusee‘s books include Wicked Messenger: Bob Dylan and the 1960s, Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties, War Minus the Shooting, Anyone but England and If I Am Not for Myself. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian and writes a fortnightly column for the Indian newspaper The Hindu. He lives in London.

Edition details

• Publisher: Verso Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1844674355
• ISBN 13: 9781844674350
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 320