23:45     25 June 2022    

Baku Tribune presents an interview with Alan Dershowitz, former Trump lawyer, professor emeritus for Harvard Law School, is the author of numerous books, including “The Case Against the New Censorship,” and “The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics.” Follow him on Twitter @AlanDersh. His podcast, The Dershow, is available on Rumble. Mr. Dershowitz represented Donald Trump at the impeachment hearings in 2019-2020.

Baku Tribune presents an interview with Alan Dershowitz, former Trump lawyer, professor emeritus for Harvard Law School, is the author of numerous books, including “The Case Against the New Censorship,” and “The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics.” Follow him on Twitter @AlanDersh. His podcast, The Dershow, is available on Rumble. Mr. Dershowitz represented Donald Trump at the impeachment hearings in 2019-2020. - How do you assess the level of antisemitism in the world today? How has hatred of Jews changed in the world? - It depends on how what a time frame you use. Antisemitism has been with us for since the time the Jews were in Egypt, the times the Jews were in Persia, in Megilat Ester. There they talk about antisemitism in the book of Shmot. It's always been when was the moratorium up to show up after the Holocaust, antisemitism slowed down and stopped between, say, 1945 and maybe 2000. But it's now picked up again. And the interesting thing is today it comes largely from two groups, not the traditional group, the traditional group that opposed Jews were well to do fancy, corporate types of America, mostly Republicans. Today, antisemitism comes from two sources, from the hard left, the progressive, woke hard left - antizionist groups and from Muslim groups. Not all Muslims. Many Muslims get along wonderfully with Jews in many of the countries in the area around which you are Muslim and Jews get along fine. But in USA not so much, and obviously in Middle East not so much. So, I think what we're seeing is not a new antisemitism, but a new type of antisemitism, but a reflection of the traditional antisemitism that's been with us for so many thousands of years. - What is the situation regarding this issue in the USA? Are you satisfied with the results of the fight against antisemitism under the current Biden administration? - Oh no, I'm not. But you know, Jew is never satisfied. Uh, we always want more. We always want to fight for progress, for liberty. For me, the greatest danger is on university campuses. Why university campuses? Because that's the future. My students, who I've taught become Justice of the Supreme Court, Presidents of the United States, Members of Congress, editors of New York Times, and so the blatant antisemitism that we see today on so many university campuses. So, this is not only in the United States. We see it in Oxford University. We see it in Cambridge University. We see it in this Sorbonne. Most in Holland, we don't see it much in Italy, interestingly enough. Not as much in southern Europe as in northern Europe and massively in the United States, we're beginning to see it a little bit in Australia and so it's spreading around the world and starts with universities. And, universities are our future, and that's what's so dangerous. - What measures should be taken to prevent the problem of antisemitism? What are the current and solutions for that? - Well, the first solution is to make a better case for Israel in a better case for Jews. I've written many books on the subject. I wrote a book, the case for Israel. I wrote a book, the case for Peace, a case against Israel's enemies. "Chutzpah" trying to present a public argument against antisemitism. That's important, but second for Jews united politically, and Jews vote Republican. They vote Democrat. Someone left, someone right. We ought to unite around the issue of anti-Semitism. And every Jew should be fighting anti Zionism and antisemitism. And we shouldn't allow anti Zionism to become the cover for antisemitism, which is what it's become. - As you know, a large Jewish community lives in Azerbaijan, mostly the Mountain Jews Community. The first and only Mountain Jewish Museum in was built in Red Village, Azerbaijan. Without exaggeration, this is a unique place - the first and only settlement in the world, with the exception of Israel, where Jewish people live compactly, making up mostly population here. What do you know about the Jewish community in Azerbaijan? How important is the creation of this kind of museums in the countries where the Mountain Jews have historically lived and are currently living? - I think it’s very important. Then, I plan, you will send me an invoice out to make a small contribution to the museum, which I think is very important. I first heard about Azerbaijan from a friend of mine who was rescued from the Holocaust in 1942 and 1943. And her family escaped from Poland and came all the way to Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Jewish community welcomed her and her family, and she lived there and I knew there are some Holocaust survivors there and it's a great mix because they're supporting Jews and Ashkenazi Jews. There are Jews from different place, and of course Jews of Azerbaijan had been there for many centuries. So, it's a wonderful Jewish community. I know you have a Chabad there and I'm very active in Chabad. I've been active in Chabad since 1952, you know how long ago that is? We are talking to 70 years ago, I met the Lubavitch Rebbe and I worked with him when the Soviet Union still existed and Azerbaijan was part of it. I worked to free Soviet Jews. I worked together with Chabad and I still work together with Chabad. I know a bit about the community. I'd love to visit there someday, but I've never had the privilege and the honor of being called up to the Torah and doing Aliyah in the Azerbaijan synagogue someday. - After the Second Karabakh War, the Azerbaijani-Israeli relations became stronger, both sides are interested in deepening relations. What do you know about the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel? What should be done in order to expand bilateral cooperation? - Look, Israel's great contributions to the world technologically, scientifically, economically, militarily are well known, and many Muslim countries and many countries in different parts of the world, Christian countries, Arab countries, many want to form closer relationships. With Israel, there's now rumors that Pakistan may form a closer relationship with Israel. We know that Morocco is doing, in Egypt and Jordan did it a long time ago. The Emirates, maybe Saudi Arabia. So, I think that Israel is expanding its relationships around the world. And, I think it should especially focus on countries with Jewish communities like Azerbaijan. And it's very important for the Jewish communities for there to be a good relationship between Israel and their country. And I hope that will continue and grow better and become even stronger "Kol-ha-kavod". May you go from strength to strength. Let's remember every day when we daven, we say a prayer: H-Ashem Oz Leamo Iten H-Ashem Yevarech Et Amo BaShalom. God will give the Jewish people "Oz", strength and only then will they get peace. And so, we're hoping that Israel grows stronger, that the Jewish communities go stronger and that they come, they get more "Oz" and only then will they get Shalom and Azerbaijan is an important part of that. - I am a participant in the 25th Youth Forum in Azerbaijan Republic, representing Mountain Jewish community. I was honored to ask from the Mr. President of Azerbaijan Republic, how Azerbaijan people should maintain tolerance and preserve it. Mr. President noted that Azerbaijan people have strength and our strength lies in the diversity of ethnic cultures and in the multitude that follows our unity. My question is: How does USA view the preservation of tolerance? - Well, not well enough. We think of diversity only skin deep only as color. Jewish people are among the most diverse people in the world. People don't realize they think every Jew comes from Warsaw or Krakow or Kiev. But that's not true. Jews come from all over the world, from China, from Australia, from Azerbaijan, from other areas. Israel for that reason is one of the most diverse countries in the world. In addition to having 20% of a Muslim population, and a couple of percent of a Christian population, its Jewish population is incredibly diverse and diverse in its achievement, diverse in its attitudes, diverse in its point of view. We are one people when it comes to certain issues, but we are a variety of people when it comes to other issues, issues of observance. When you go to a shul around the world, everybody says "Shma Israel”, everybody says "Shma Israel”, but not everybody says everything else in the same exact order. And so, we have to keep unity and diversity at the same time. That's not easy. You know, the symbol of America is a group of weeds put together and it says: " E Pluribus Unum", which in Latin means: "out of one comes many or out of many". There is one, and that has to be the symbol of the Jewish community. We have to maintain our diversity, our love for mountain Jews were city Jews, for Jews from all over the world and at the same time, we have to remember that we are one people at heart and we should all strongly support Israel. Support Jewish communities everywhere in the world. That's what Chabad does so well. It doesn't judge Jews. I was at Chabad last night on Martha's Vineyard where establishing a new Chabad on Martha's Vineyard. We had people with their Kipah. We had people there without a Kipah. We had people that they wearing Tzitzit. We had people who don't wear. It doesn't matter if you're a Jew. Chabad loves you if you're a Jew. I love you and will support you and will defend you. And again, I congratulate the Mountain Jews for keeping both unity and diversity within the Jewish community where so proud of. Your accomplishments and the wonderful things you've done and keeping up and may you go from strength to strength. Interviewed by Rolan Yusufov