The New York Times published in its weekly book review column an interview with acclaimed author Alice Walker who appeared to openly and unrestrictedly endorse a book by an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist.
From Daily Caller:
Walker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple, named a few books on her nightstand, one of which was And The Truth Shall Set You Free by David Icke.
“In Icke’s books there is the whole of existence, on this planet and several others, to think about. A curious person’s dream come true,” Walker responded in the interview, which was originally posted Dec. 13.
The response appeared to go unquestioned, and is drawing ire from several Jewish organizations and publications as well as other authors and the Twitter community.
Icke, as Tablet Magazine first pointed out, is a prolific conspiracy theorist who, among other theories, believes the world is run by reptile-human hybrids and that aliens built the Egyptian pyramids.
He also often refers to a book that is notoriously considered the most widely distributed anti-Semitic work of modern times, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, in Walker’s recommended book as well as in other writings and lectures.
A few of his anti-Semitic remarks include questioning whether the Holocaust actually happened, claiming racist far-right groups are actually Jewish fronts and Jews are often behind anti-Semitic attacks.
The Anti-Defamation League, an international organization that aims to fight “anti-Semitism and all forms of hate,” tweeted Monday the organization is “deeply disappointed that [TheNYT] would print Alice Walker’s unqualified endorsement of a book by notorious anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist David Icke.”
