Zionism in the Age of the Dictators
Zionism in the Age of the Dictators is a 1983 work by the American Trotskyist Lenni Brenner. The book makes the argument that Zionist leaders collaborated with fascism, particularly in Nazi Germany, in order to build up a Jewish presence in Palestine. "Zionism in the Age of the Dictators" is one of two works by Brenner on the alleged collaboration between Zionism and Nazism. Brenner returns to this topic in his 2002 work "". Reception. Upon its initial publication the book received a positive review in "The Times", with Edward Mortimer describing it as  crisp and carefully documented. However, C. C. Aronsfeld was critical in a review published in the journal International Affairs, stating that "Brenner has produced a party political tract that unhinges the balance of history by ignoring too many difficulties, especially psychological. For once Stalinists will be pleased with the work of a Trotskyist". Bryan Cheyette, a scholar of antisemitism who reviewed the book for the journal "Patterns of Prejudice" when it was published, described it as "about as historically accurate as J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” novels." The book served as inspiration for the controversial 1987 play "Perdition", which  was cancelled due to allegations of antisemitism. The playwright, Jim Allen, referred to the book as a "goldmine source". In the wake of the controversy regarding Ken Livingstone's comments on Adolf Hitler and Zionism in 2016 (see below), the book attracted further critical comment. Social historian David Rosenberg argues that "Zionism in the Age of the Dictators" is "badly written and with poor scholarship – a piece of tabloid journalism glued together with selective facts and lots of conjecture". Thomas Weber, a professor of history and international affairs, argues that "Brenner's book lies well outside academic mainstream. It is  mostly celebrated either by the extreme left and by the neo-Nazi right"; among others, the Institute for Historical Review – defined by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an extremist neo-Nazi organisation promoting Holocaust denial – has cited the book in their research. However, Brenner has criticised and condemned the use of his work by neo-Nazi Holocaust deniers. Socialist writer Gerry Ben-Noah wrote a critical review in the pamphlet "Workers' Liberty". Ben-Noah argues that Brenner "creates a fantasy world in which the Zionists did wish for and expect the Holocaust, and in which the most fanatical Jewish  nationalists were in reality, ardent anti-semites". Highly critical of the argument that "Zionists saw anti-semites as nationalists like themselves with a common objective in the removal of Jews from Europe", Ben-Noah asks rhetorically "where does one begin to review work like this?". Ken Livingstone controversy. "Zionism in the Age of the Dictators" was mentioned in relation to a controversy in the United Kingdom when in 2016 the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said that Hitler had supported Zionism in the 1930s. Livingstone argued that "Zionism in the Age of the Dictators" "confirms there was clearly an  ongoing dialogue [between Zionists and Nazis] even if the Israeli government now tries to pretend that none of that all happened". Following these remarks Livingstone was suspended from the Labour Party and indicated he intends to use Brenner's work when appealing his suspension.