"You have not converted a man because you have silenced
him."
Lord Morley
Hoffman's
New Book on Judaism
is banned by Amazon.com
Updated
Nov. 21, 2008
See
the bottom of this page for the latest
updates
____________________________________________
RABBINIC
OPPOSITION TO
JUDAISM DISCOVERED
GROWS
Coeur
d'Alene, Idaho, August 5 -- Though the official publication
date for Michael Hoffman's new book, Judaism
Discovered: A Study of the Anti-Biblical Religion of
Racism, Self-Worship, Superstition and Deceit
(Hardcover,
1102 pages, ISBN: 978-0-9703784-5-3), is August 10, it has
already encountered an almost unprecedented ban on it by
"earth's largest bookstore," Amazon.com.
After Amazon pre-ordered eleven copies of the book, the
author was notified on August 3 by David Zapolsky, Vice
President and Associate General Counsel at Amazon.com, that
Amazon "will not continue distributing the book."
Though it may have been a coincidence, in roughly the same
time frame, Google Inc. e-mailed Hoffman to inform him that
his "On the Contrary" blog,
hosted by Google since 2006, was set to be permanently
deleted. Google accused Hoffman of running a "spam"
blog, in spite of the fact that Hoffman has written more
than 500 original columns for the blog over the course
of the nearly two years that Google has hosted "On the
Contrary." (Google has since retracted its threat). In
2006 Google Video banned two of Hoffman's videos, "World
War II Revisionists Charles Provan" and "Deborah
Lipstadt, Amalek and David Irving."
"While I did not anticipate the ban by Amazon," Hoffman
said, "which in the past has had a well-deserved reputation
as a bastion of freedom of the press, fierce opposition
to Judaism
Discovered was of course
expected. Mr. Zapolsky's Aug. 3 communication was so
partisan it was akin to a hazmana
from a
Beit
din. It seems that
when Judaism is radically challenged, there are no limits
to the tribal solidarity that coalesces to fight threats to
its immunity, an immunity not enjoyed by Christianity or
Islam."
Hoffman has exhausted his appeals to the Amazon corporate
hierarchy. Mr. Zapolsky informed Hoffman that until
rabbinic objections are lifted, the book cannot be
distributed by Amazon.
Hoffman added, "As I stated in my 'Desideratum' essay, the only
'argument' that Judaism
Discovered can't
overcome is the silent treatment. If the book is denied
distribution, advertising and publicity, the enemies of
truth will have carried the day in the only way they
can, through suppression and censorship."
Civil letters of protest of the ban on Hoffman's book may
be addressed as follows (persons who send abusive or
threatening letters will be regarded, and exposed, as
agents of our adversaries):
Jeffrey P. Bezos
C.E.O.
Amazon.com Inc.
1200 12th Avenue South, Suite 1200,
Seattle, WA 98144-2734
Michael Hoffman can be reached at
hoffman AT revisionisthistory.org
AMAZON'S RESPONSE TO A CUSTOMER WHO ORDERED
JUDAISM DISCOVERED
Aug. 6, 2008
--Yesterday we reported that David Zapolsky, vice-president
and corporate counsel for Amazon.com Inc. has informed us
that Amazon has imposed a ban on the sale of Michael
Hoffman's new book, Judaism
Discovered. A customer
who purchased a copy of the book in July, when Amazon was
still offering it for pre-publication sale, received an
e-mail from Amazon stating with regard to
Judaism
Discovered that: "Though
we had expected to be able to send this item to you, we've
since found that it is not available from any of our
sources at this time." (End quote from Amazon).
That's is not true, of course. Amazon can obtain
Judaism
Discovered directly from
Independent History and Research without any difficulty
whatsoever. It seems that Amazon is ashamed to tell its
customers that Amazon has banned the book after agreeing to
sell it. The complete e-mail from Amazon is below and we
publish it as it was sent by Amazon, with the exception
that we have altered the recipient's e-mail address to
protect his privacy.
We also heard from another reader, Mark B., who sent an
e-mail which makes the point that Amazon's ban suggests
that Judaism
Discovered is sui generis
in its field: "They (Amazon) sell, The
Synagogue of Satan, the
Protocols,
and
a vast array of semitically-incorrect literature --
but Judaism
Discovered was just
beyond the pale. All this will do is indicate to your
base how serious your work is to be taken --the 'Jews'
themselves take it seriously." (End quote from Mark B.).
Amazon's
response to a customer:
From: order-update@amazon.com
Date: Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 5:29 AM
Subject: Your Amazon.com order
To: "1080@gmail.com" <1080@gmail.com>
Cc: "order-update@amazon.com"
Hello from Amazon.com. We are sorry to report that we will
not be able to obtain the
following item(s) from your order:
Michael Hoffman (Author) "Judaism Discovered: A Study
of the Anti- Biblical Religion of Racism,
Self-Worship, Superstition and Deceit"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970378459
Though we had expected to be able to send this item to you,
we've since found that it is not available from any of our
sources at this
time. We realize this is disappointing news to hear,
and we apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you.
We have cancelled this item from your order.
...Your order is now closed.
Sincerely, Customer Service Department
http://www.amazon.com
____________________________________________
August 13 update:
More
responses from Amazon to protests about the ban on
Judaism Discovered
By Michael Hoffman
August 13, 2008
Amazon is getting ever more
tied up in the tangled web of deceit that it created when
it banned the sale of "Judaism Discovered."
I can't say how many letters of protest Amazon's CEO, Jeff
Bezos, has received concerning the ban on "Judaism
Discovered" but they are of sufficient number to elicit
responses from the corporate hierarchy.
That's an improvement over Amazon's previous response, a
form letter which mendaciously told customers who had
bought the book that Amazon was unable to obtain copies of
it.
A reader of this Hoffman Wire column wrote to Mr. Bezos and
initially received the following reply:
From: Amazon.com Executive Customer Relations
[mailto:ecr@amazon.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 4:49 AM To: xxx@xxx.net
Subject: Your Letter to Jeff Bezos, Re: Judaism Discovered
Dear Mr. xxxx
My name is Autumn Walker of Amazon.com's Executive Customer
Relations. Jeff Bezos received your e-mail and asked that I
respond on his behalf.
Thank you for contacting us about "Judaism Discovered" by
Michael Hoffman. Regretfully, we cannot offer any
information about the availability of this title on
Amazon.com.
I have, however, forwarded your message and contact
information to the appropriate department. If there is any
update or additional information available about this
title, you will be contacted via e- mail. Thanks for
writing to us, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve
you again in the future.
Regards,
Autumn Walker Executive Customer Relations Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com
Another
e-mail was sent later in the day, as follows, this time
from a member of Amazon's corporate hierarchy:
Dear Mr. xxxx
Amazon.com does not censor its book catalog, and we do list
the book you have inquired about: see
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970378459.
Amazon has a distinguished tradition of protecting and
defending the principle of free expression by, among other
things, continuing to offer controversial works for sale
(see, e.g.,
http://www.amazon.com/Protocols-Elders-Zion-Nilus/dp/1599869446/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217780556&sr=8-3),
refusing to censor our online catalog in response to public
pressure and even lawsuits (see
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6158256-7.html), and
standing up to unlawful governmental requests for
customers' purchase history (see, e.g.,
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9824635-38.html).
While Amazon staunchly defends the principle of free
expression, we also respect intellectual property rights of
others. When we receive information suggesting that the
distribution of a particular product might violate
another's rights, we take it seriously.
In this case, we have temporarily suspended sales of
"Judaism Discovered," but that decision has nothing to do
with its content. Rather, it stems entirely from an ongoing
dispute regarding intellectual property rights between the
author and another individual. Once that dispute is
resolved, we look forward to distributing the book.
Thank you very much for sharing your concerns with us.
...Associate General Counsel, Amazon.com, Inc.
HOFFMAN
REPLIES:
In the first paragraph Amazon displays its pride in the
fact that it has not completely sent "Judaism Discovered"
down the Orwellian memory hole. They are so magnanimous
toward a book that threatens the high hoax at the heart of
the West's most powerful religion, that they have actually
deigned to continue to list my book in their "catalog" even
after they banned its sale (they were selling it and there
is a record of those sales - orders for the book sent from
Amazon to our publisher). It's rather difficult to pretend
a book doesn't exist when you've been selling it.
But the listing of "Judaism Discovered" at Amazon's website
has nothing to do with any supposed defense of free
expression. It is Amazon's ambition to compete with Bowker
as the western world's universal book listing agency and
for them to forbid even the mention of the existence of
"Judaism Discovered" would seriously challenge their claims
to bibliographic accuracy in the field which their rival
Bowker pioneered, as part of the ISBN process. It is
disingenuous of Amazon to suggest that the fact that they
continue to list this writer's book has anything to do with
resisting censorship. In fact, it makes their embargo all
the more risible: We ban the sale of Hoffman's book, but
give us credit for being willing to mention its existence.
Amazon's corporate counsel writes further: "...we have
temporarily suspended sales of 'Judaism Discovered,' but
that decision has nothing to do with its content. Rather,
it stems entirely from an ongoing dispute regarding
intellectual property rights between the author and another
individual. Once that dispute is resolved, we look forward
to distributing the book."
HOFFMAN
REPLIES:
I have received no communication from any person objecting
to "Judaism Discovered" on the grounds of "intellectual
property rights."
Amazon has informed me that the "individual" objecting to
my book is a rabbi. I wonder why they didn't divulge that
fact to the letter writer who protested the ban to Mr.
Bezos? Why are they concealing the rabbinic identity of the
objector who has been given veto power over a book about
the rabbinic religion, referring to him only as an"
individual"?
It is not truthful to claim that I am in an "ongoing
dispute" with this rabbi. The rabbi has not contacted me
regarding any such "dispute." This writer is in an
ongoing dispute with Amazon.com and Amazon.com has told me
that they will never allow "Judaism Discovered" to be sold
until the rabbi in question approves it. I guess that is
why they feel justified in terming the ban on my book
"temporary."
What part of hell do you think will have to hit sub-zero
temperatures before this rabbi will approve of my book?
If Amazon ever lifts its embargo it will either be due to
1. Jeff Bezos' conscience troubling him to such an extent
that he sees that the ban is a serious abridgment of
Amazon's own ethics (your letters to him will surely help
toward that end) or 2. the gedolim grow alarmed over the
fact that Amazon's ban tends to indicate that "Judaism
Discovered" contains so many explosive and unanswerable
truths about the rabbinic religion that unprecedented means
had to be employed in order to suppress it -- and as a
result it is becoming more sought after than it would have
been had they allowed Amazon to sell it; which, if the
current level of sales is any indicator, would seem to be
true!
____________________________________________
August
17 update
An
Astute Chess Move by Amazon.com
Today Amazon.com has made an
end-run against charges it has banned this writer's new
book, Judaism
Discovered.
Their first two moves were low-level, but this latest third
move is a smart one.
The early moves were showcased in the form letter their
corporate counsel sends to persons protesting the ban; the
main the points being that: 1. Amazon at least lists the
book even if doesn't sell it; and 2. the objection to the
book is based on an "individual's" claim that the book
violates his intellectual property rights.
I have responded to #1 and #2 as follows: 1. Amazon aspires
to be the world's book listing service in competition with
Bowker Books in Print. It would subvert its own mission and
set a truly extraordinary precedent if were to ban my book
not only from Amazon's sales but from its own universal
book listing service as well. Hence, listing "Judaism
Discovered" does not vitiate the fact that Amazon has
banned its sale. 2. The "individual" is a rabbi (a fact
Amazon does not disclose in its form letter) and Amazon has
agreed to give this rabbi veto power over the sale of
"Judaism Discovered" based on the pretext that the book
violates his intellectual property rights. I have provided
documentation to Amazon that shows that no such property
rights are at stake and that even if they were, it is not
Amazon's place to act as judge and jury and embargo a book
based on rabbinic allegations, but rather for the rabbi to
make his case in a court of law while the book is being
sold. (I will be publishing my correspondence with Amazon's
corporate counsel and this will include the evidence, which
is pretty much air-tight and which Amazon has not
endeavored to answer).
This is was where the case stood until today, when I check
the book's listing at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Judaism-Discovered-Anti-Biblical-Self-Worship-Superstition/dp/0970378459/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216990832&sr=1-1
I have to take my hat off to the chess players at Amazon.
They are now allowing private booksellers to offer my book
for sale at "rare book" prices, in this case, $109 plus
shipping (as of 8:30 p.m. PDT).
The used bookseller's offering removes the embarrassing
note Amazon previously had posted on the sale page to the
effect, "We'll let you know when it's available." Now it is
"available," at a $109 price tag. Most booksellers at
Amazon traffic in my books at high prices, especially ones
that are out of print (such as "Judaism's Strange Gods").
By allowing used/rare booksellers to offer my book on
Amazon they have undermined the assertion that they have
banned the sale of my book.
There is an advantage to Judaism
Discovered by this development. Third
party sales allow Amazon's reviewer's link to be activated.
Readers can now post reviews pro and contra and a debate
will undoubtedly ensue, which generates interest in the
book.
The disadvantage is that Amazon itself continues to refuse
to sell the book in multiple quantities at the more
affordable retail price (they always refused to discount
the book as they do with many other titles). This will keep
"Judaism Discovered" from ever reaching a high place in
Amazon's important "sales rankings," which are closely
watched by librarians, teachers, book distributors, chain
stores and the media.
Consequently, with one astute move on the game board,
Amazon can now claim the book is not banned at Amazon,
while at the same time guaranteeing that it will never be
anywhere but in the cellar of the sales rankings, since how
can hundreds of copies be sold if they are only offered by
third party booksellers who themselves have on hand a stock
of one or two copies?
It looks like my book --at Amazon anyway--is destined to be
a "collector's item," esteemed by pipe-smoking esthetes for
their rare books archive. But I did not write
Judaism
Discovered for such people! I wrote it to
educate the world about Judaism, marshaling evidence and
arguments to which there are no rational or empiric
answers.
I wrote it for seminarians, college students, teachers and
professors; pastors, judges, business men and women;
law-makers and editors; carpenters and contractors;
doctors, nurses and homemakers; tinkers, tailors and
soldiers. In other words for the elite, whether self-taught
or university-trained, wherever they may be found across
the length and breadth of social, cultural, political and
class lines.
With their latest move, Amazon has defeated my purpose for
the book, while at the time being able to tell the world
that they do indeed sell it; and do not in fact ban it.
This latter assertion remains a falsehood, however. Amazon
does not sell it. If Amazon itself sold "Judaism
Discovered," it could make available hundreds of copies at
$55 per copy or less (if it followed it's own tradition of
deep-discounting). Rather, Amazon only offers a platform to
after-market re-sellers who charge double and have on hand
only a few copies.
When the one copy now for
sale at $109 is sold (assuming it ever is), the ban will
have been reinstated, defacto.
Ans for now, the rabbinic and corporate enemies of "Judaism
Discovered" can rightly call, "Check!" But this is not
checkmate. Not if you will help see to it that
Judaism
Discovered comes to the attention of the
audience for which it is intended. With our very small
advertising budget and one advertisement already banned in
one newspaper, we cannot do it without your help.
Judaism
Discovered has only one enemy it cannot
overcome: the silent treatment. God forbid that it should
be defeated by this ancient tactic.
____________________________________________
August 25
update:
Amazon
plays hardball
Amazon
warns used book sellers
Aug. 25, 2008 - In
its ongoing war on Michael Hoffman's new book,
Judaism
Discovered, Amazon.com Inc.
has pulled all five reviews of the book from its website
and blocked third party sales of the book.
Until recently Amazon was permitting single copies
of Judaism
Discovered to be sold at rare
book "collector" prices ranging between $100 to $150.
Amazon halted its own sale of multiple copies of the book
at the list price after receiving a complaint from a rabbi.
In correspondence with an Amazon used book-seller, Amazon
warned the seller as follows:
Sent:
Monday, August 25, 2008. Subject: Notice: Policy Warning
Hello from Amazon.com.
We are writing to let you know the following of your
listings have been cancelled:
ISBN 0970378459 "Judaism Discovered: A Study of the
Anti-Biblical Religion of Racism, Self-Worship,
Superstition and Deceit (Hardcover)"
We took this action because we have determined that these
types of items are inappropriate for our site. As stated in
our online Policies under Prohibited Content:
"If we determine that the content of a listing is
prohibited, potentially illegal, or inappropriate, we will
summarily remove the questionable listing, without
returning listing fees. Amazon.com reserves the right to
make judgments about whether content is appropriate."
For more information, please visit our Policies, located in
our Help pages online: Help > Selling at Amazon.com...
> Participation Agreement | Community Rules |
Prohibited Content
To avoid the blocking of your selling account, please
refrain from selling these items on our site.
Thank you for your cooperation and your business on
Amazon.com.
Regards,
Seller Performance Team Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com
(End
quote)
This is the first time that Amazon has publicly
declared Judaism
Discovered to be "prohibited,
potentially illegal, inappropriate" and "questionable."
Author Michael Hoffman responded, "While I am aware that
there are laws on the books in Canada, Australia and Europe
that prohibit investigation of the Talmud and make it a
crime to criticize rabbinic texts -- a Ukrainian editor is
the most recent target of such prosecution -- I was under
the impression that it was still legal in America to
criticize the Talmud. Perhaps Amazon.com knows something I
don't." Hoffman added, "As far as being 'inappropriate' and
'questionable,' I'm not sure how that would warrant
interdiction of a polemical work of comparative religion in
twenty-first century America."
The five reviews of Judaism
Discovered that were removed by
Amazon were all favorable, each reviewer giving the book
five stars, the highest rating.
Thus far, Amazon's ban on Hoffman's controversial book has
been ignored by all print media, with the exception of the
Missouri-based Lutheran newspaper, Christian
News.
Hoffman will be appearing on several radio stations over
the next few weeks to discuss the contents of his 1100 page
book and the ban on it.
"The old Romans observed, 'The fate of the work illustrates
its argument.' In the case of the embargo on my book by
Amazon, the long-arm of rabbinic power and influence over a
major corporation is on display for the all the world to
see," Hoffman concluded.
____________________________________________
The
Seventeen Words
Why Amazon Banned Judaism
Discovered
____________________________________________
Hardcover edition of Judaism Discovered
is sold out.
Revised, updated papaperback edition will be published
soon.
____________________________________________
FOR
FURTHER RESEARCH
Hoffman's
essay, "Judaism Discovered: A Desideratum" on why he wrote
the book and what he is seeking to accomplish with it, is
online here
___________________________________________
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