Jerusalem, Israel May 1, 2006 In an unprecedented move, Amazon deleted all reviews of a controversial book, Samson Blinded: A Machiavellian Perspective on the Middle East Conflict
Amazon deleted dozens of reviews of Obadiah Shoher’s Samson Blinded: A Machiavellian Perspective on the Middle East Conflict, posted by its customers, and rejects newly submitted reviews.
The blockade is ostensibly related to spam attack by Shoher’s detractors which took place a month ago. Amazon wrote to Shoher’s publicist, “[we] apologize that this has happened and please know that we have taken steps to try and prevent this from happening in the future.” Yet the attack provided a pretext for removing heated reviews.
The blockade caused angry reaction from the customers who vent their feelings at Amazon’s discussion boards. Writes former U.S. diplomat Marc Nicholson, “Amazon has yet to post my review after a week, and it is clear that it is blockading any review of Shoher's text. That's censorship, and it is totally inappropriate for a firm whose business first and foremost is selling books.” In Shoher’s words, “To allow everything, liberal societies shut the people who challenge anything.”
Google earlier banned www.SamsonBlinded.org from the advertising program for “unacceptable content.” Yahoo similarly blocked most pages of the site, and GoDaddy cancelled hosting. More than 170,000 people from 78 countries read the book on Internet.
The Samson Blinded argues for efficiency of antiterrorist operations and separating politics from moralism. Shoher equally deplores Western, Jewish and Muslim ideological myths, and advocates realpolitik approaches.
Obadiah Shoher (a pen name) leads a political party. Israeli anti-racist law bans politicians with the views Shoher expresses in his book from the Knesset.
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