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Gilad Atzmon's 'antisemitic rhetoric' denounced at film premiere

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Pro-Palestinian supporters denounced jazz musician and Israeli-born activist Gilad Atzmon in a documentary film premiering this week, accusing him of damaging their cause with his antisemitic rhetoric.

The film, Gilad and All That Jazz by Golriz Kolahi, premiered at the London International Documentary Festival on Wednesday.

In the film, Mr Atzmon claimed Jewishness was fuelled by a “superiority complex” and accused Jews of having undue influence in the pro-Palestinian movement. Journalists David Aaronovitch and Oliver Kamm, interviewed for the film, each called Mr Atzmon a “classic antisemite.”

Jewish Palestinian activist Tony Greenstein said Mr Atzmon was no threat to Jews but his words “discredit the cause of Palestinian solidarity.”

Many fellow musicians and critics compared him and his activism to US saxophonist and civil rights activists Charlie Parker.

But even his colleagues seemed to imply Mr Atzmon was obsessed with Jews, with fellow musicians from The Blockheads claiming they had banned him from talking about Israel and Jews.

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