They say you can’t keep a mad dog down and that is certainly true of the anti-semitic jazz player, Gilad Atzmon. Previously he has suggested that the sleaze factor in British politics was because of the presence of Jews and Jewish money. Unsurprisingly he sees the hidden hand of the same people involved in the present financial crisis. Its the Jews wot done it!

In an article Credit Crunch or rather Zio Punch for the Palestine Think Tank, run by fellow anti-Semite Mary Rizzo, Atzmon wrote that:

‘John Reynolds ends his latest Observer commentary on the ethical implications of the current economic disaster with the following words: “Above all we need more individuals to make a stand. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York should go further and call for more Christians to work in the city.” (John Reynolds, chief executive of Reynolds Partners, and chairman of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group, The Observer 28.9.08). One may wonder what Reynolds refers to when calling for more ‘Christians to work in the City’. I tend to believe that more than just a few people out there do understand pretty well what Reynolds is suggesting. Reynolds, the chairman of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group protests against the non-ethical spirit that has been abundant in the City for more than a while. By pleading the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to send more Christians to the City he may try to suggest to us that our financial world must be spiritually de-Judified. I must admit that it took me by complete surprise to read such a suggestion in the politically correct Guardian. I wonder how it happened that such an idea filtered through.

Now it is obvious to anyone who is not an inveterate anti-Semite that Reynolds was saying nothing whatsoever about Jews in the City of London. His aim was targetted at the unsavoury greedy practices of city dealers as a whole, regardless of religion. As a committed Christian he obviously believes, however naive that might be, that religious Christians might introduce some ethics in the City. Of course those of us who are socialists would say that greed, corruption, theft etc. are integral to the operation of the money markets. However there was nothing in what Reynolds wrote which even hinted at Jews being specifically targetted.

But Atzmon is, of course, a dedicated anti-Semite. When the Sleaze Question in New Labour raised its head, then in jumped Atzmon to suggest that it was Zionist, i.e. Jewish money that was the problem.

Unfortunately for Atzmon he was rumbled rather quickly and this apology soon appeared on Rizzo’s Think Tank Cesspit.

Clarification:In the course of an article entitled “Credit Crunch or rather Zio Punch?” I recently made a comment about Mr John Reynolds, the Chief Executive of Reynolds Partners and chairman of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group. I suggested that some people may think that his call in The Observer to send more Christians to the City was a plea for the financial world to be “spiritually de-Judified”. I want to make it clear that I did not intend to suggest that Mr Reynolds was anti-Semitic or in any way hostile to Jewish people or those of the Jewish faith and I am sorry if my comment was understood by anybody in that way. Mr Reynolds has asked me to clarify the position and I am happy to do so. I would like to apologise for any distress caused.