From Mr David Ronder
Sir: Taki defends himself against the charge of anti-Semitism by quoting his own attack on Arafat: 'Hardly the words of an antiSemite'. Apart from the fact that Arafat is, of course, a Semite, being derogatory about an enemy of Israel does not necessarily make you a friend of the Jews. But much more serious confusion creeps in with the following assertion: 'By writing I am a soidisant anti-Semite, I clearly meant a socalled anti-Semite, something I ferociously deny being.'
If Taki clearly meant 'so-called' by soi-disant, why is he having to clarify this now? The French use it to mean 'so-called': English-speakers generally use it to mean 'self-styled'. Is Taki a self-styled, so-called anti-Semite in ferocious denial, or a socalled soi-disant anti-Semite undeniably ferocious? It's hard to tell. I think he is trying to deny ferociously that he is an antiSemite; but the way he puts it, it reads as though he ferociously denies being the very thing he also claims to be, namely a socalled anti-Semite. And if not so-called or soi-disant, what kind of anti-Semite is he? Bon vivant?
It's all Greek to me.
Shalom.
David Ronder
London N22
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