Israel Unveiled

An attack on ancient and modern Israel and those who lay claim to it.

In his debut book, Brown aims to answer a question: “If Israel was the chosen nation, what exactly was it chosen to do?” The author soon turns to aggressive appeals for his readers to understand his version of the truth, employing a gross misunderstanding of Judaism and broad racism along the way, despite his claim that “this…information is in NO WISE (sic) meant to be what is considered anti-Semitic.” Brown then tries to prove why Israelites are likely not those of the Jewish faith; he determines that Jews have no claim to the historical idea and modern incarnation of Israel. In a chapter titled “Will the real Israel Please stand up?,” he somewhat incoherently discusses biblical writings on slavery and spends a great deal of time in misguided, hurtful conversations regarding skin color and so-called “mud people.” Brown decides that ancient Israelites were not as fair-skinned as some people imagine them to have been; a reasonable assertion colored by him referring to Africans and African-Americans as “an appalling people” and “a difficult bunch.” Most of his statements are cyclical, apropos of nothing, or insensitive. There doesn’t seem to be a real conclusion, either; besides the bizarre conflation of racism and anti-Semitism—“Judaism [is] not all it’s cracked up to be”—the reasoning mostly revolves around a repetitive refrain: “Why does the identity of Israel matter? Truth liberates and truth always matters.” But whose truth is it? This brand of zeal will only appeal to like-minded readers; even if targeted groups weren’t offended, the writing is rarely strong enough to persuade. The weak, often inadequately cited research is frequently drawn from biblical passages, and at one point, he quotes Wikipedia—not a specific article or footnote, either; just Wikipedia. Amid the emoticons and all-caps phrases, the broiling convictions have trouble solidifying.

An unconvincing and offensive riot act.