Mark Blumenthal

Max Blumenthal is an American journalist, author, blogger, and filmmaker born in 1977. He has written for numerous publications, including The Nation, AlterNet, and Al Jazeera English, and has also contributed to The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Blumenthal is the editor of The Grayzone website, which is noted for its criticism of US foreign policy and its coverage of governments like those in China, Russia, and Syria. He has authored four books, two of which, "Republican Gomorrah" and "Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel," appeared on bestseller lists.

His work often focuses on American conservatism, immigration, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Blumenthal has produced short films and has been a fellow at the Nation Institute. His reporting has sometimes generated controversy, particularly his video "Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem" and his reporting on Israeli government conduct. He has also contributed to state-affiliated media outlets from Russia, Iran, and China.

Max Blumenthal has established himself as a prolific journalist and author, contributing to a wide array of publications throughout his career. His early work appeared in outlets such as Washington Monthly, The Nation, and The Daily Beast. He later joined the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, where he focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Washington's foreign policy debates, though he departed in protest of the paper's coverage of the Syrian Civil War. Blumenthal has also been a senior writer for AlterNet and a contributor to state-affiliated media, including RT, Sputnik, Press TV, and CGTN. He is currently the editor of The Grayzone website, known for its critical stance on US foreign policy and its coverage of various international governments.

Blumenthal has authored four books, with "Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement That Shattered the Party" (2009) achieving bestseller status on both The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times lists. His book "Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel" (2013) earned him the 2014 Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Award for an Especially Notable Book. These works, along with his extensive reporting, often delve into the complexities of American political movements and the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His video work, such as "Generation Chickenhawk" (2007) and "Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem" (2009), has also drawn significant attention and, at times, controversy.

A significant portion of Blumenthal's reporting has addressed issues related to immigration and American conservatism. He has covered the "Minuteman" movement, describing its members as "border vigilantes," and reported on federal immigration enforcement programs like Operation Streamline. His work has also examined the political landscape of American conservatism, including interviews with attendees at conferences and a documentary exploring the motivations of supporters of the Iraq War. His book "Republican Gomorrah" analyzes the American "radical right" through the lens of personality and a "culture of personal crisis."

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a central theme in much of Blumenthal's work. His book "Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel" is based on his time spent in Gaza and the West Bank. He has produced videos, such as "Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem," which documented interviews with young Jewish-Americans expressing racist views. Blumenthal has been critical of the Israeli government's actions and has described himself as a "non-Zionist" liberal, viewing the conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism as a tactic employed by the "Israel lobby."

“The GOP has become subsumed by dysfunctional personalities with no capacity for restraining themselves, either from acting out hysterically or from their most devious urges. For these internally conflicted figures, who will continue to produce new and increasingly bizarre scandals, right-wing political crusading is simply a form of self-medication.”

“I won't ascribe motives to YouTube I am unable to confirm, but it is clear there is an active campaign by right-wing Jewish elements to suppress the video by filing a flood of complaints with YouTube.”

“emotional need to stop this video by eliminating him as 'a feature of right-wing psychology around the world'.”

“non-Zionist”

“cynical ploy by the Israel lobby”