Criticism Arises Over Book Linking Hebrew Punctuation to Colonialism

<p>The New Yorker faced criticism from various commentators after publishing a review of a new book that connects Hebrew punctuation to colonialism and the history of Jewish migration to Israel. The book, titled "On the Mark: From Periods to Interrobangs, How Punctuation Remade the World" and authored by Florence Hazrat, has come under scrutiny following a review by Louis Menand, which highlighted the claim that punctuation marks in Hebrew are "relics" of a "brutal colonial system."</p><p>Menand's review describes Hazrat's book as "irreverent and delightfully intellectual," but critiques its premise that "the history of punctuation is the history of humanity" as leading to "overreach." In her book, Hazrat argues that the introduction of punctuation transformed Hebrew from a written language into a spoken one.</p><p>Hazrat states, "Today this brutal oppression (aided and abetted by the United States, Germany, and a host of other countries through arms deliveries, technological support, and trade deals) has evolved into the worst crime of all crimes: genocide." She further contends that punctuation has created an artificial sense of unity among Jewish people globally, encouraging migration to Israel, which she claims has caused suffering for the local population.</p><p>Menand critiques Hazrat's argument, suggesting that had Yiddish been the official language of Israel, atrocities might have been avoided. The New Yorker’s decision to publish the review prompted backlash from several commentators online.</p><p>Daniel Sugarman, deputy editor of Jewish News UK, criticized the argument on social media, stating, "The author of this book is, predictably, an academic in the UK and a ‘BBC New Generation Thinker.’" He added that the new generation appears to share similar views as previous generations regarding what he termed "pseudoscientific crap roping in Jews."</p><p>Isaac de Castro, audience editor of Tablet Magazine, also expressed his views on social media, stating, "We’re at the ‘Hebrew punctuation is a colonialist tool to oppress Palestinians, the real victims of European antisemitism, and assemble a worldwide cabal of Jews, previously completely unaffiliated’ stage of mass psychosis." Another user indicated they would cancel their New Yorker subscription, claiming the publication should not have published the review.</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to Hazrat and The New Yorker for comments. Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg criticized the claims, stating, "Blaming commas and question marks for regional conflict shows just how deeply antisemitism rots basic critical thinking." He added, "The attempt to demonize Hebrew down to its punctuation isn’t serious linguistics. It is an obsessive crusade to deny the Jewish people our history, language, and humanity."</p>