Murray set to Present at JCC BookFest

Journalist Douglas Murray poses, “When faced with a choice between supporting a democracy like Israel or a death-cult like Hamas, why did so many people in our societies choose the death-cult? The answer to that poses a challenge not only to Israel but to the rest of us.”

Label him provocative, sharp-witted, polemical, and incisive: then call him one of “Israel’s best friends.”

British journalist, essayist, public intellectual, and political analyst Douglas Murray will appear at the Book Festival of the MJCCA at 8 p.m., Saturday night, Nov. 15. Through the sponsorship of philanthropist and minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Ed Mendel, Murray will present his book, “On Democracies and Death-Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization,” in conversation with Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist Greg Bluestein.

Mendel stated, “There’s only one Doug Murray; and he’s remarkable on so many different levels. Israel and the Jews have had no better friend for a long time.”

Murray added, “I admire my Jewish friends and acquaintances who have used the horror of the last two years to become more engaged with their faith, culture and tradition. It’s one of the few positive things to come out of recent times.”

In an interview with the AJT on Sept. 29, Murray, a non-Jew, revealed the following:

Jaffe: What’s the real takeaway from the book?
Murray: “On Democracies and Death-Cults” is an account of the Oct. 7 atrocities and the war that resulted from that terrible day. It draws on my first-hand reporting from the scenes of the massacres and my subsequent time spent over the past two years reporting from Gaza, Lebanon and other parts of the conflict. The second main aspect of the book is a broader reflection on why the rest of the civilized world went mad in response to Oct. 7. Why was it that from the day itself major protests broke out in every Western country not in support of the people who had been massacred but in support of the people who did the massacres? Why did support for Hamas turbo-charge everywhere in our societies, from elite institutions like universities and elected representatives to street protests, online platforms and more?

Jaffe: Has Charlie Kirk’s murder changed your security detail and the topics you’re addressing?
Murray: I never talk about my own security arrangements. But no, it has not changed the way I live and certainly not the topics I address. I liked and admired Charlie and his murder is a terrible tragedy, firstly for his family, but secondly for American democracy as a whole. But I have encountered the assassin’s veto before in my life and career, and my views remain. When people try to silence opinions at the barrel of a gun, you only have two choices as individuals and as a society: silence yourself or keep going (and indeed even speak out more). I choose the latter … and encourage everyone else to do the same.

Jaffe: What outcomes do you see for the Gaza war?
Murray: President Trump’s peace plan has only just been announced and at the time of speaking we’ll see if Hamas accepts it. The deal is a more generous deal than Hamas deserves, and I’m exceptionally nervous about convicted Palestinian terrorists being released from Israeli jails as part of the deal. We will see if Trump’s overall plan works. The best outcome would be a totally new arrangement in Gaza and not simply a return to the post-2005 status quo (that is endless rocket fire and attacks on Israel, followed by wars every few years). I would like to see the paradigm change completely. After the hostages are returned and the war is over, I would hope to see the Abraham Accords extended to other Arab countries. I hope that the Iranian Revolutionary Government is deterred for the foreseeable future. As for a final agreement end to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, (especially the two-state solution) I’m doubtful. There are plenty of long, insoluble conflicts. This may simply be one of them.

Jaffe: Do you think liberal Jews will continue in their same trajectory?
Murray: Its not for me to say. But as a non-Jew, my advice would be to ignore the fringe extremists and not elevate their significance. There will always be Naturei Karta types. Now there is a sort of radical-left version of them, of the kind that only a few years ago said Kaddish in Parliament Square, London, for Hamas terrorists. We might call these people “Trans Jews for Hamas.” A movement that will not thrive for long. More important are the large number of totally mainstream left- and right-wing Jews, often secular, who have noticed the backlash against the Jewish state and Jewish people in general since Oct. 7. I think these people are on an inevitable trajectory. And it seems to me to be a trajectory that is broadly good.