Avi Shlaim in Israel

I am not surprised at this: neither about Avi Shlaim visit to Saudi Arabia (at the invitation of Bin Laden's friend, Prince Turki Al-Faysal) nor at the invitation by Saudi government itself.  Avi Shlaim represents a case of a moderate Zionist--if there is such a thing because there is nothing moderate about a project that uprooted an entire population and that imposes its political will by force and occupation and explusion--whose judgment on regimes in the region is not based on their human rights record but on their closeness to Israel.  Witness his love affair with the king and his fawning biography of him.  Avi Shlaim served in the Israeli terrorist army and he explains away this fact to Arab students at Oxford by telling them dismissively: oh, I only served in the border police.  I told Arab students at Oxford two years ago: but the border police was the one that shot at thousands of Palestinian civilians from 1948 to 1960s merely because they wanted to go and  check on their homes and property.   Now Avi Shlaim is in love with the House of Saud: and notice that he only cares about their views of the usurping Zionist entity:  ""I was surprised by the absence of talk of violence and condemnation against Israel. I have not heard anyone deny Israel's right to exist…and the Saudis wish that this issue could be resolved," Shlaim said."  Yes, Avi Shlaim.  I am sure that the sample of Saudis that you are permitted to meet is quite representative of the Saudi population.   Oh, yeah.  And this is somebody who teaches Middle East studies. (thanks Olivia)