On December 13, 2018, the NY Times published an interview with author Alice Walker where she said one of the books on her nightstand was “And the Truth Shall Set You Free,” by David Icke, a notorious British anti-Semite politically associated with fascists & Assad propagandists Eva Bartlett & Vanessa Beeley. The core of Icke’s ideas, which Walker explicitly & repeatedly defends, is that the world is run by the Jewish Illuminati, a corporate & banking elite of blood-sucking, flesh-eating, shape-shifting extraterrestrial reptiles trying to create a new world order of global fascism. There was an immediate furor of criticism against Walker even though she has long publicly promoted Icke’s deranged views on her website. Walker is not just a famous American author but is also well-known as a Palestinian supporter–as are fascists David Duke, Bartlett, & Beeley, most likely as a way to hate on Jews rather than from respect for Palestinian self-determination.
Unfortunately, Palestinian-American author Susan Abulhawa has answered the criticism of Walker–some from Zionists, some from anti-Zionists like myself–with a piece in Al Jazeera titled “In defence of Alice Walker” where she incredibly admits she has never read Icke but claims Walker is being indicted for guilt by association & is only being criticized for supporting Palestinians. Abulhawa would be advised to do her homework before making such an embarrassing defense. Some Palestinian organizations & activists, including myself, believe Walker should not be invited to speak or represent Palestinian solidarity until she publicly severs & denounces her association with David Icke. Her shameless association with Icke should absolutely exclude her from participation in Palestinian solidarity events of any kind, including as a forum, rally, or honored keynote speaker, or in any formal capacity whatsoever.
Palestinians are fighting a life & death struggle against genocide & Palestinian supporters cannot allow their struggle to be tainted with the stinking odor of hatred for Jews.
NY Times article about Walker: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/books/review/alice-walker-by-the-book.html?
Susan Abulhawa’s defense of Walker in Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/defence-alice-walker-190104043720518.html?
A critique of Abulhawa’s article by British anti-Zionist Tony Greenstein: https://medium.com/@tonygreenstein_84728/from-alice-walkers-color-purple-to-david-icke-s-shape-shifting-lizards-5de9459437ad?
(Photo of Icke & Walker was tweeted by Icke on September 27th, 2016)