Torah Portion says that Stephen Spielberg is no friend of Israel:

For some time I've asked this question - would Leon Uris get "Exodus" to the screen in this climate? I keep coming up with the same answer. No! Things have changed and not only for movies but for books as well. Again, personal experience, as with my latest, "The Bathsheba Deadline," that's running as a serial on Amazon.com. Lucky for me that Amazon.com came along, the largest of them all put together.

But not so fast. The novel was turned down by a dozen New York publishers for being too pro USA and much too Jewish, too pro-Israel. One top publisher said it plainly, or half plainly: "I really got caught up in your novel; enjoyed it very much; powerful stuff. But I will not make an offer, and I think you know why."

Yes, I knew why and I know why.

I wonder if this has something to do with the dominance of fantasy these days. No Israel in Narnia, no USA eityher.

I don't know whether Munich is a pro or anti-Israel story, but I doubt a high profile movie on the Munich terrorist attackers or the retaliation would have made it to the screen today if it weren't for Spielberg. Also, I can't help but wonder if Mr. Engelhard's accusations are intended to hype this serial novel of his titled "The Bathsheba Deadline".

As I see it, here is the complaint. Spielberg doesn't unconditionally support Israel's black ops retaliation for the Munich terrorist attack apparently on the grounds that it didn't "solve anything" (see the insert "E.T. Director Speaks Out"). I don't know how effective Israel's approach was, but it apparent did result in a movement by some of the relevant organizations, for example, the PLO, to obtain legitimacy rather than continue with the terrorist approach. The fall of the USSR may have contributed significantly as well. Obviously, terrorism is still here so that part wasn't "solved".

I don't know enough to say whether Israel's approach of that time was effective or not. But when you have states supporting terrorist attacks on your country, your options are limited.

Still that ambiguity seems to be the sole source for Mr. Engelhard's complaint.

He then goes on to claim a 1958 story, "Exodus" would not be published in today's climate. My impression is that this story was naked pro-Israel propaganda and for that reason alone probably wouldn't sell so well in today's world. That doesn't seem to me to be evidence that supports Engelhard's argument.

Perhaps he was trying to claim that issuing a movie on Israel in today's Hollywood environment implies that the director is anti-Israel? Ie, Spielberg is still making movies when Hollywood is anti-Israel, hence he must be anti-Israel. That seems a shaky claim to make.

There doesn't seem to be any meat to the argument. But it does provide a guaranteed widespread platform to describe Mr. Engelhard's tribulations in getting his novel published. I find that suspiciously convenient.

I wonder if this has something to do with the dominance of fantasy these days. No Israel in Narnia, no USA eityher.

Good point. This seems to be a common problem with science fiction as well. Hmmm, there is "Syriana" which appears to be a "Traffic"-style portrayal of the oil industry and an assortment of Middle East problems like terrorism. It appears to be selling well for now.

The title "Syriana" reeks of pretentiousness.

What about the movie "The Prince of Egypt" which came out in 1998? That was about the Exodus story.

The movie "Exodus" was not about the biblical exodus story. It was about the founding of Israel.

Engelhard's comments are credible to me. A year and a half ago, my proposed book on renewed interest in human flight to Mars was turned down by two of my former New York publishers, with comments like, "We can't go encourage any of these crazy Bush ideas..."

I think this would all be a moot point if all of our middle-eastern oil imports were coming from Israel. Like most of America, those Hollywood boys want to keep driving their big guzzling cars and still have some pocket change left over. I don't see major "pro" or "anti" Israel sentiments in the US-- it's more like, 'let's appear to be a little less "pro" so OPEC will not raise prices.'

I think Jim and a couple of others here have pointed out a grave problem concerning the gatekeepers of literature and cinema, which is their tendency to shut out material that they find politically objectionable. I find it incredible that Jim Oberg, who is hardly a neaphite when it comes to writing about space matters, can get rejected just because some editor hates GW Bush.

Gosh, Jim. Don't let the myriad lefties at the Habitable Zone hear you speak in any way positively about George Bush, even in a space context.

Mr. Hawkins, I support both Israel and my own country of America and I read fantasy and loved the Lord of the Rings movies. It's true there are some ultra-fans of fantasy and scifi (more in the) who are into such things because they can't stand the awful "real world of warmongering conservative fascist Amerikka" -- all the while, incidentally, glomming onto games and stories featuring absolute monarchies and people fighting over rings and crystals and so on -- but they're sort of pathetic. Make that entirely pathetic.