In War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism, Alan Dershowitz—#1 New York Times bestselling author and one of America’s most respected legal scholars—explains why the horrific attack of Oct 7 and Israel’s just response changes everything.

Inlcuding:

• It has changed the relationship between Israel and the United States, especially with regard to the possibility of direct American intervention.
• It has required Israel to consider its nuclear option as a last resort to assure its survival.
• It has revealed dangerous attitudes among America’s future leaders on today’s college campuses toward Israel’s possible destruction.
• It has exposed media biases that have been exacerbated with Israel’s vulnerabilities.
• It has united Israelis and Jews around the world as never before, despite the deep divisions among them politically, religiously, and ideologically. Nothing will ever be the same.
• It has clouded the future of peace between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors and has diminished the proposals for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
• It has made predictions about the future of the region nearly impossible, except that imposing instability is inevitable.

In this book, Dershowitz analyzes these transforming events and suggests how to move forward.

In Dershowitz on Killing: How the Law Decides Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die, Alan Dershowitz-New York Times bestselling author and one of America's most respected legal scholars-examines the subjects of death, life, and the law. Alan Dershowitz has been called "one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America" by Politico and "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights" by Newsweek. His legal career as a criminal defense lawyer has been deeply involved with death and life decisions. Dershowitz on Killing is a timely examination of issues and questions that are front and center in today's society. Employing a philosophical, moral, religious, and cultural lens to the legal aspects surrounding death and life, Dershowitz elucidates the role of government to determine who shall live and who shall die in declaring wars, ordering executions, authorizing deadly force, permitting or denying abortions, providing or mandating vaccines, controlling climate change, allowing or refusing asylum for endangered migrants, and other life and death rulings. He notes that when the government decides these choices, it is asked to do so by first determining whether a "right" is involved, because rights trump mere interest, just as constitutional restrictions trump legislative and executive actions. Dershowitz on Killing asserts that the rules governing death and life decisions should reflect the irreversibility of death. It is essential reading for anyone interested in or concerned about how these decisions are allocated among state and federal; executive, legislative, and judicial; private and governmental; religious and secular institutions-and how people in a democracy, through the power of the ballot, have the ultimate say in these critical decisions.

In his fiftieth book, The Price of Principle: Why Integrity Is Worth the Consequences, Alan Dershowitz--#1 New York Times bestselling author and one of America's most influential legal scholars--explores the implications of the increasing tendency in politics, academia, media, and even the courts of law to punish principle and reward partisan hypocrisy. Alan Dershowitz has been called "one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America" by Politico, and "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights" by Newsweek. Yet, he has come under intense criticism for living by his principles and applying his famed "shoe on the other foot test." The Price of Principle is about efforts to cancel Alan Dershowitz and his career because he has insisted on sticking to his principles instead of choosing sides in the current culture and political war dividing our country. He explains that principled people are actively punished for not being sufficiently partisan. Principle has become the vice and partisanship the virtue in an age when partisan ends justify unprincipled means, such as denial of due process and free speech in the interest of achieving partisan or ideological goals. Throughout his narrative, Dershowitz focuses on three sets of principles that have guided his life: 1) freedom of expression and conscience; 2) due process, fundamental fairness, and the adversary system of seeking justice; and 3) basic equality and meritocracy. He documents the attacks on him and others like him for being "guilty" of refusing to compromise important principles to promote partisanship. He names names and points fingers of accusation at those who have led us down this dangerous road. In the end, The Price of Principle represents an icon in the defense of free speech and due process reckoning with the challenges of unprincipled attacks--a new brand of McCarthyism--and insisting that we ask hard questions about our own moral principles.

In The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics , Alan Dershowitz-New York Times bestselling author and one of America's most respected legal scholars-analyzes the current battles over issues of diversity and our rapidly changing ideas about what true diversity is. Alan Dershowitz has been called "one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America" by Politico and "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights" by Newsweek. He is also a fair-minded and even-handed expert on civil liberties and constitutional rights, and in this book offers his knowledge and insight to help readers understand the war being waged against meritocracy and equal protection of the law by so-called progressive advocates. The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics is an analysis of every aspect of the current fight against true diversity-diversity of philosophy, background, and opinion, rather than the more surface-level diversity of race, religion, and location. It examines the United States's history of systemic racism, debates about affirmative action, and ongoing reckoning with issues of bigotry against groups such as Asians, Blacks, and Jews, with an eye toward fairly balancing the concerns of a diverse populace. In the end, The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics represents an icon in American law and politics exploring the current rapidly changing attitudes toward meritocracy, personal identity, and the preservation of civil liberties for all citizens, regardless of background, race, class, or creed. It is essential reading for anyone interested in or concerned about identity politics, racial issues, and true diversity and fairness in America.

NOW A NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER. There has never been a more important political investigation than Robert S. Mueller III's into President Donald Trump's possible collusion with Russia. His momentous findings can be found here, complete with: The 300+ pages of the historic report, as released by the Justice Department An introduction by constitutional scholar, eminent civil libertarian, and New York Times bestselling author Alan Dershowitz. The relevant portions of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the 1999 provisions written by former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal, which establish and regulate the powers of the special counsel. Rod Rosenstein's 2016 order appointing Robert Mueller III as special counsel and outlining the scope of his investigation. Attorney General William Barr's four-page summary of the report, as sent to Congress. Barr's explanation of the four reasons for redacting the report, and a key for identifying them in the color-coded report The wait is over. Robert Mueller, a lifelong Republican, has concluded his investigation and submitted its findings to Attorney General William Barr. Barr has told Congress that Mueller found no proof of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and did not come to a conclusion on obstruction of justice-neither concluding the president committed a crime nor exonerating him. But Mueller's report was over 300 pages and Barr's summary was only four pages, raising questions about the conclusions of a historic investigation. Special Counsel Robert Mueller III's probe into Russian influence on the 2016 election of Donald Trump-including links between the campaign and Russian interests, obstruction of justice by President Trump, and any other matters that may have arisen in the course of the investigation-has been the focal point of American politics since its inception in May 2017. Democrats in the US House of Representatives hoped to use the report to begin impeachment proceedings, with the support of those critical of the president. Media tracked Mueller's every move, and the investigation was subject to constant speculation by political pundits everywhere. It resulted in the indictments of Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and many others. President Trump and his supporters affirmed that the investigation was a "witch hunt" and the product of a plot by the political establishment-the "deep state"-to delegitimize his presidency. Mueller's findings-at least according to Barr-allowed the latter to claim victory. But now, thanks to a subpoena from House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler for the full report, a resolution from the House of Representatives to release the full report to the public (though blocked in the Senate by Mitch McConnell), and popular demand, it's time for public to judge if that is true. The Mueller investigation will join Watergate, and the Mueller Report will join the 9/11 Commission Report, the Warren Report, and the Starr Report, as one of the most important in history. The Mueller Report is required reading for everyone with interest in American politics, for every 2016 and 2020 voter, and every American. It's now available here as an affordable paperback, featuring an introduction from eminent civil libertarian, Harvard Law Professor Emeritus, and New York Times bestselling author Alan Dershowitz, who provides a constitutional, civil law-based commentary sorely needed in today's media landscape.

"Overwhelming . . . a must-read for American Jews, particularly those on college campuses who have no inkling of how to counter the massive verbal assault on Israel. . . . A profound contribution to a country now in dire straits."
-Jerusalem Post

In this impassioned book, Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz responds to Israel's vociferous opponents-and explains why Israel, while not perfect, is a country that has earned the right to exist and defend itself. Drawing on scrupulous research and his peerless skills as an advocate, Dershowitz conclusively refutes thirty-two separate slurs, slanders, and misrepresentations that have been hurled at Israel in recent years, from "Jews have always rejected the two-state solution" and "Israel created the Arab refugee problem" to "universities should divest from Israel." Hard-hitting, well-reasoned, and provocative, The Case for Israel is essential reading if you're concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

"A lively, hotly argued broadside against Israel's increasingly venomous critics."
-Washington Post Book World

"Passionately argued . . . revealing and persuasive."
-The Times (London)

"Dershowitz . . . knows how to construct an argument. . . . Especially effective at pointing to the hypocrisy of many of Israel's critics."
-New York Times Book Review

In The Case Against the New Censorship: Protecting Free Speech from Big Tech, Progressives, and Universities , Alan Dershowitz-New York Times bestselling author and one of America's most respected legal scholars-analyzes the current regressive war against freedom of speech being waged by well-meaning but dangerous censors and proposes steps that can be taken to defend, reclaim, and strengthen freedom of speech and other basic liberties that are under attack. Alan Dershowitz has been called "one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America" by Politico and "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights" by Newsweek. He is also a fair-minded and even-handed expert on the Constitution and our civil liberties, and in this book offers his knowledge and insight to help readers understand the war being waged against free speech by the ostensibly well-meaning forces seeking to constrain this basic right. The Case Against the New Censorship is an analysis of every aspect of the current fight against freedom of speech, from the cancellations and deplatformings practiced by so-called progressives, to the powerful, seemingly arbitrary control exerted by Big Tech and social media companies, to the stifling of debate and controversial thinking at public and private universities. It assesses the role of the Trump presidency in energizing this backlash against basic liberties and puts it into a broader historical context as it examines how anti-Trump zealots weaponized, distorted, and weakened constitutional protections in an effort to "get" Trump by any means. In the end, The Case Against the New Censorship represents an icon in American law and politics exploring the current rapidly changing attitudes toward the value of free speech and assessing potential ways to preserve our civil liberties. It is essential reading for anyone interested in or concerned about freedom of speech and the efforts to constrain it, the possible effects this could have on our society, and the significance of both freedom of speech and the battle against it in a greater historical and political context.

Now introduced by eminent civil libertarian, constitutional scholar, and New York Times bestselling author Alan Dershowitz, The Federalist Papers are a must-have for all scholars of history and government and all Americans. Widely considered to be among the most important historical collections of all time, The Federalist Papers were intended to persuade New York at-large delegates to the Constitutional Convention to accept the newly drafted Constitution in 1787. Authored in parts by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, together as the pseudonym of Publius, the documents have been referred to and heavily cited countless times in all aspects of American government and politics. Together, the eighty-five Federalist essays stand among the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, Common Sense, and other work by the Founding Fathers that helped build and solidify the foundation of American democracy. With its rich history and a new introduction from Alan Dershowitz, one of the most prominent legal minds in the country, The Federalist Papers will educate you on the groundwork that shaped the greatest country in the world.

One of the foremost courtroom lawyers of his generation. Alan M. Dershowitz takes controversial stands based on the principle of equal justice for all. Along the way, he has authored the #1 New York Times bestseller Chutzpah; the bestselling account of the Claus von Bulow case Reversal of Fortune; and the bestselling courtroom drama The Advocate's Devil. Now Dershowitz has written a novel that is at once personal, passionate, and towering: an explosive legal thriller that pits Dershowitz's literary alter ego, attorney Abe Ringel, against the worst crime of the twentieth century -- the Holocaust.

What if you witnessed the most abominable deeds that human beings can inflict upon each other? What if you came face-to-face with the very man who had slaughtered your family before your eyes? That is the question confronted by a celebrated professor named Max Menuchen. Max has found the man who had killed his entire family in cold blood more than a half century before. Max, who has never before broken a law, cannot turn down his chance for revenge.

In 1943 Marcellus Prandus was a Lithuanian militia captain who carried out the blood-thirsty orders of his Nazi commanders during World War II. Today he is an old man living outside Boston. For Max, who has discovered Prandus's identity by chance, killing him is not enough, because Prandus is already dying of cancer. How can Max make Prandus suffer exactly as Max himself did? Can Max bring himself to assassinate Prandus's children and grandchildren and make the old man watch his family die, as Max himself was forced to do?

By the time defense attorney Abe Ringel enters the case, Max has carried out an astounding act of revenge, and America'sgreat Holocaust trial has begun: an explosive legal and moral struggle to find the light of justice within the darkness of human evil. With Max facing almost certain conviction, Ringel desperately tries to prove his actions were justified. But this blockbuster trial is careening in a direction not even Abe can predict, giving new meaning to the ideas of both justice and revenge.

In JUST REVENGE, Alan Dershowitz fuses his insider's legal knowledge with the passions of a man who has been personally touched by the Holocaust. Thought-provoking, brilliantly human, and undeniably gripping, here is a tale that only Alan Dershowitz could tell -- and that all of us must hear.

"Maybe the question isn't what happened to Alan Dershowitz. Maybe it's what happened to everyone else."--Politico In Defending the Constitution, Alan Dershowitz--New York Times bestselling author and one of America's most respected legal scholars--makes an impassioned constitutional argument against the impeachment of President Donald Trump, just as he delivered it to the United States Senate. Alan Dershowitz has been called "one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America" by Politico and "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights" by Newsweek. Yet he has come under intense criticism fire for applying those same principles, and his famed "shoe-on-the-other-foot test," to Donald Trump, especially after arguing on the president's behalf before the U.S. Senate as it deliberated impeachment. Defending the Constitution seeks to refocus the debate over impeachment to the same standard that Dershowitz has upheld for decades: the law of the United States of America, as established by the Constitution. Citing legal examples from a long lineage of distinguished judges and attorneys, and examining the impeachment language in the Constitution itself, Dershowitz proves--first to the U.S. Senate, and now to readers everywhere--that President Trump should not have been impeached, and certainly should not be removed, for causes that do not meet the standards laid out by the founding fathers. This book is Alan Dershowitz's argument for a return to nonpartisan judgment based on the Constitution, for a preservation of the separation of powers and the checks and balances that make American government great. It is essential reading for anyone interested in or concerned about the impeachment of President Trump, and for everyone who cares about the future of U.S. government and society.

When a popular pro basketball player is accused of rape, defense attorney Abraham Ringel thinks he has a "can't lose" case. But when he discovers his client may well be guilty, Abe faces the most painful dilemma of his life. Alan Dershowitz, America's most outspoken lawyer and author of Chutzpah, explores the complex ethical issues behind the law--of right and wrong, justice and the "best defense"--in a gripping first novel.

From what israel means to me

"The Mediterranean landscape, the exuberance of the Israelis, the way politics is a matter of life and death there--all these things beguiled me."
--Erica Jong, author

"Israel is part of me, and I am part of Israel."
--Jonathan Kellerman, psychologist, novelist

"Wholly apart from my feelings as a Jew, strong support for Israel is the logical consequence of my political principles."
--Barney Frank, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts

"What does Israel mean to me? Courage. The Israelis have more courage in their pinky finger than I have in my whole life."
--Tovah Feldshuh, actress

"It is an unparalleled story of tenacity and determination, of courage and renewal. And it is ultimately a metaphor for the triumph and enduring hope over the temptation of despair."
--David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee

"I have no desire to be like everyone else. Something in me wants the entry of the Jewish people into world politics to be judged by the highest conceivable measure. Indeed, that may be what is both so inspiring and confounding about the existence of Israel."
--Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

"Israel isn't a symbol. Israel is the practical manifestation of hope, freedom, and self-determination."
--Larry King, television host

"Israel is a free society. The rights of the minority, of the oppressed, indeed, of the criminally foolish are protected."
--David Mamet, playwright

"Having the ability to shape our lives as Jews, to defend them and fulfill them, that is what Israel means to me."
--Michael B. Oren, author

In this urgent book, Alan M. Dershowitz shows why American Jews are in danger of disappearing - and what must be done now to create a renewed sense of Jewish identity for the next century. In previous times, the threats to Jewish survival were external - the virulent consequences of anti-Semitism. Now, however, in late-twentieth-century America, the danger has shifted. Jews today are more secure, more accepted, more assimilated, and more successful than ever before. They've dived into the melting pot - and they've achieved the American Dream. And that, according to Dershowitz, is precisely the problem. More than 50 percent of Jews will marry non-Jews, and their children will most often be raised as non-Jews. Which means, in the view of Dershowitz, that American Jews will vanish as a distinct cultural group sometime in the next century - unless they act now. Speaking to concerned Jews everywhere, Dershowitz calls for a new Jewish identity that focuses on the positive - the 3,500-year-old legacy of Jewish culture, values, and traditions. Dershowitz shows how this new Jewish identity can compete in America's open environment of opportunity and choice - and offers concrete proposals on how to instill it in the younger generation.

The Case for Israel is an ardent defense of Israel's rights, supported by indisputable evidence. Presents a passionate look at what Israel's accusers and detractors are saying about this war-torn country.Dershowitz accuses those who attack Israel of international bigotry and backs up his argument with hard facts.Widely respected as a civil libertarian, legal educator, and defense attorney extraordinaire, Alan Dershowitz has also been a passionate though not uncritical supporter of Israel.

"No one knows more about Israel's existential dilemma than Alan Dershowitz-or writes about it better. From its explosive beginning to its startling climax, THE TRIALS OF ZION excites and intrigues, even as it depicts the unique dangers of a lethal part of the world. This is a terrific novel."
-Richard North Patterson
"For a legalist, mired for years in towers of ivory not even hewn from the teeth of endangered elephants but constructed, indeed, and solely, of the casuistic and notional, Mr. Dershowitz writes a real good rip-snorter."
-David Mamet
"A thought-provoking thriller set in two of the world's most gripping arenas of conflict, the Middle East and the courtroom."
-Steven Pinker, author of "The Stuff of Thought," and Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of "36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction"
"As in all his essays, in his novel also, Alan Dershowitz demonstrates his great love for Israel as well as his inspired passion for Jewish memory, justice, and storytelling."
-Elie Wiesel
A shocking act of terror brings the Middle East to the point of explosion. As the resulting political conflict threatens to erupt, a young Jewish-American lawyer joins the defense team of an arrested but possibly innocent Palestinian. Soon the lawyer's father, a famed criminal attorney, must win the Palestinian's case or risk losing his daughter forever. To do so, he must take into account the tormented history of the Holy Land from every possible angle. THE TRIALS OF ZION combines the tension of the greatest courtroom dramas with the action of a fast-moving thriller, all set against the colorful backdrop of one of the most complex cultural settings in the world. Filled with memorable characters, this novel offers readers not only compelling suspense, but a panoramic view of the history of a beloved and bitterly contested land, and a sharply controversial perspective on the sources of--and the possible solutions to--the world's longest and most crucial international crisis.

"Alan Dershowitz found an important letter from his hero that relates to freedom of speech, incitement, and terrorism--subjects about which Alan has thought and taught for decades. This book is a wonderful adventure story that uses Jefferson's arguments and Dershowitz's counters to illuminate issues that were important and difficult when the U.S. was a new nation and that remain so today. I recommend it to every citizen concerned with preserving our liberties and combating terrorism."
--President William Jefferson Clinton

"The 1801 letter of Thomas Jefferson to Elijah Boardman is of tremendous interest and importance, as is the remarkable story of its discovery by Alan Dershowitz."
--David McCullough

Pulitzer Prize-winning author

"Finding Jefferson is terrific on every level: as a memoir of a passionate collector, it is delightful; as an account of an important historical discovery, it is riveting; as a defense of free speech, it is brilliant."
--Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

"What a treasure this book is, just like the stuff Dershowitz scours the old archives for. It is unexpected, revealing and resonant with a central fact of our Republic--we are still stitched together by words, and their complicated progeny, ideas. From a simple, fortuitous discovery, Dershowitz has fashioned an elaborate and engaging argument, one we will be thinking about for ages."
--Ken Burns, director and producer of The War and Thomas Jefferson

As defender of both the righteous and the questionable, Alan Dershowitz has become perhaps the most famous and outspoken attorney in the land. Whether or not they agree with his legal tactics, most people would agree that he possesses a powerful and profound sense of justice. In this meditation on his profession, Dershowitz writes about life, law, and the opportunities that young lawyers have to do good and do well at the same time.We live in an age of growing dissatisfaction with law as a career, which ironically comes at a time of unprecedented wealth for many lawyers. Dershowitz addresses this paradox, as well as the uncomfortable reality of working hard for clients who are often without many redeeming qualities. He writes about the lure of money, fame, and power, as well as about the seduction of success. In the process, he conveys some of the "tricks of the trade" that have helped him win cases and become successful at the art and practice of "lawyering."

The Declaration of Independence as you've never seen it before
Some of us cherish it with near-scriptural reverence. Others simply take it for granted. In this contentious new look at the Declaration of Independence, however, celebrated attorney Alan Dershowitz takes ""America's birth certificate"" and its principal author, Thomas Jefferson, to task.
Dershowitz searches for the sources, history, and underlying reasoning that produced the Declaration and its particular language, from its reference to the ""Laws of Nature and Nature's God"" through the long list of complaints against the abuses of King George III. He points out contradictions within the document, notes how the meanings of Jefferson's words have changed over the centuries, and asks many disturbing questions, including:
* Where do rights come from?
* Do we have ""unalienable rights""?
* Do rights to ""life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"" have any meaning?
* How could slaveowners claim to believe that ""all men are created equal""?
* Is the God of the Declaration the God of the Bible?
* Does the Declaration establish a Christian State?
* Are there ""Laws of Nature and of Nature's God""?

Challenging, upsetting, and controversial, this brilliant polemic may anger you, delight you, or force you to reexamine your opinions. One thing's for sure: after reading America Declares Independence, you'll never take the Declaration of Independence for granted again.

The Declaration of Independence as you've never seen it before
Some of us cherish it with near-scriptural reverence. Others simply take it for granted. In this contentious new look at the Declaration of Independence, however, celebrated attorney Alan Dershowitz takes ""America's birth certificate"" and its principal author, Thomas Jefferson, to task.
Dershowitz searches for the sources, history, and underlying reasoning that produced the Declaration and its particular language, from its reference to the ""Laws of Nature and Nature's God"" through the long list of complaints against the abuses of King George III. He points out contradictions within the document, notes how the meanings of Jefferson's words have changed over the centuries, and asks many disturbing questions, including:
* Where do rights come from?
* Do we have ""unalienable rights""?
* Do rights to ""life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"" have any meaning?
* How could slaveowners claim to believe that ""all men are created equal""?
* Is the God of the Declaration the God of the Bible?
* Does the Declaration establish a Christian State?
* Are there ""Laws of Nature and of Nature's God""?

Challenging, upsetting, and controversial, this brilliant polemic may anger you, delight you, or force you to reexamine your opinions. One thing's for sure: after reading America Declares Independence, you'll never take the Declaration of Independence for granted again.

Originally published in 1896 as Der Judenstaat, The Jewish State has taken its place among the likes of The Communist Manifesto and Common Sense as polemic writings which have changed modern history. Theodor Herzl's advocacy for a separate, independent Jewish state as a remedy for centuries of hostility and persecution served as the basis for modern Zionism. And though his vision would not be realized in his lifetime, it did set the course for the creation of the Israel we know today. This edition, based on the original translation to English by Sylvie D'Avigdor, includes an introduction by Alan Dershowitz, who is among Israel's most prominent and most vocal scholars defenders. The Harvard law professor, who has been calledIsrael's lead lawyer in the court of public opinion, discusses The Jewish State's place in history and its impact today.

The #1 "New York Times" bestselling author, Harvard Law School professor, and tireless defender of civil liberties unearths a little-known letter by his hero, Thomas Jefferson, and shares its secrets. The letter illuminates Jefferson's views on freedom of speech in a way that has important implications for the country today, particularly in the struggle against terrorism. This book is about the remarkable letter Dershowitz found, how he found it, and why it matters not only to him, but to us today.

The outrage sparked by the Danish cartoon affair the publication of images of the Prophet Muhammad in the European press was a sharp reminder of the potency of the cartoon in the modern media. It is one of the most popular and effective means of communication. By exaggerating and exasperating, cartoons by their very nature lack neutrality, and the cartoon is an important weapon in the Middle Eastern crisis. In response to the Danish cartoon affair, an Iranian newspaper announced a competition for cartoons about the Holocaust, even though it had nothing to do with Israel or the Jewish people. Antisemitic cartoons have long been rife in the Arab-Muslim media. The September 2001 Durban Conference against Racism, intended to denounce and combat racism in all its forms, also featured the distribution of antisemitic cartoons by an Arab organization, yet this elicited no reaction from Western NGOs at the conference. This event set the author on a trail that revealed thousands of such draw

According to renowned defense attorney and Harvard law professor Alan M. Dershowitz, "abuse excuses" are enabling people to get away with murder - literally. From the Menendez brothers to Lorena Bobbitt, more and more Americans accused of violent crimes are admitting to the charges, but arguing that they shouldn't be held legally responsible. The reason: they're victims - of an abusive parent, a violent spouse, a traumatic experience, ethnic hatred, society at large, or anything else - who struck back at a real or perceived oppressor. And they couldn't help themselves, they say. In this provocative and important collection of essays, Dershowitz reviews a wide range of recent cases - including those of O. J. Simpson, Tonya Harding, and Woody Allen - and argues that the current vogue in victim defenses is antithetical to the ideals of our constitutional democracy. For Dershowitz, the foundations of American society are individual responsibility and the rule of law. And people who claim to be above the law - whatever the excuse - are no more than vigilantes.