Author not anti-Semite, court told Guardian / Observer http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/irving/article/0,2763,131128,00.html The David Irving libel trial: special report Tuesday February 1, 2000 A Judaism authority yesterday told the Holocaust libel trial at the high court in London that he did not consider historian David Irving to be anti-Semitic. Author Kevin MacDonald, professor of psychology at California state university, was giving evidence on Mr Irving's behalf during his damages action against American academic Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books over a claim that he is a "Holocaust denier". Mr Irving, 62, the author of Hitler's War, asked Prof MacDonald, who has written books on Judaism and anti-Semitism: "Do you consider me to be an anti-Semite?" Prof MacDonald replied: "I do not consider you to be an anti-Semite. I have had quite a few discussions with you and you almost never mentioned Jews, never in the general negative way." Mr Irving has denied an allegation by the defendants that he has made statements "designed to feed the virulent anti-Semitism" still present throughout the world. The case continues 02.01.00 Electric Telegraph Irving not anti-Semitic, libel case told http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ AN expert in Judaism told the High Court yesterday that he did not consider David Irving, the historian who denies the mass gassing of Jews in concentration camps, to be anti-Semitic. Kevin MacDonald, professor of psychology at California State University, was giving evidence on behalf of Mr Irving, who is suing the American academic Deborah Lipstadt and her publisher, Penguin Books, for libel. Mr Irving, 62, the author of Hitler's War, claims that his career has been sabotaged by Prof Lipstadt's accusation that he is a "Holocaust denier" who has distorted history in an effort to deny the systematic extermination of the Jews by the Nazis. In her book, Denying the Holocaust, Prof Lipstadt alleges that Irving misused statistics and documents to serve his own ideological purposes and reach historically untenable conclusions. Mr Irving says the book has generated "waves of hatred" against him. He has vehemently denied an allegation by the defendants that he has made statements "designed to feed the virulent anti-Semitism" still alive and kicking throughout the world today. Mr Irving, who is representing himself, asked Prof MacDonald, the author of books on Judaism and anti-Semitism: "Do you consider me to be an anti-Semite?" Prof MacDonald replied: "I do not consider you to be an anti-Semite. I have had quite a few discussions with you and you almost never mentioned Jews - never in the general negative way." During the hearing before Mr Justice Gray, who is sitting without a jury, Mr Irving was accused of making "grossly anti-Semitic" statements. Richard Rampton, QC, counsel for Miss Lipstadt and Penguin, said the historian had made remarks designed to feed the virulent anti-Semitism still existing in the world. Mr Irving rejects the claim that he is a Holocaust denier. But he does question the number of Jews killed by the Nazis and the mode of their death, insisting that there is no evidence of the use of gas chambers for mass killings. The hearing continues. == Copyright 2000 AAP Information Services Pty. Ltd. AAP NEWSFEED February 1, 2000, Tuesday Nationwide General News; Australian General News Irving plans renewed bid for Australia visa By Max Blenkin CANBERRA, Feb 1 AAP - Controversial British historian David Irving plans to make another bid to visit Australia, saying the government can no longer refuse him entry because his daughter is an Australian citizen. Mr Irving, who has been refused entry to Australia on four previous occasions, said it would be scandalous if Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock prevented him visiting a family member. He said he had legal advice saying the government could not refuse him entry to see his youngest daughter Beatrice in Brisbane. But Prime Minister John Howard said Mr Irving remained an undesirable. "We have a view that because of his record he should not come to Australia," he told reporters in Dubbo in central western NSW. Government sources said any application from Mr Irving for a visitor visa would be considered on its merits and all relevant matters taken into consideration. "An application for a visitor's visa does not give any extra rights. It is not a rubber stamp for automatic entry," Mr Howard said. Mr Irving is suing American academic Deborah Lipstadt and publisher Penguin Books in a high-profile action billed as one of the biggest cases concerning Holocaust history since the trial of war criminal Adolf Eichmann. He is seeking libel damages for being called a "Holocaust denier". A scholar of World War Two and prolific author, Mr Irving has attracted worldwide controversy for disputing that Nazi Germany was responsible for the systematic murder of six million Jews and others or that Adolf Hitler was personally culpable. He has been convicted under German law for denying the magnitude of the holocaust and subsequently refused entry for speaking tours in Canada, Australia and other countries. In 1996, the former Labor government refused him a business visa on grounds of his conviction in Germany. Mr Irving, 62, said he had no idea Beatrice, who does not share her father's views on the holocaust, had become an Australian citizen until late last year. "She broke this dreadful news to me about three months ago when she came to England. I realised this was most fortuitous," he said on ABC radio. "She became an Australian citizen because she likes Australia. She has an extremely nice Australian boyfriend who no doubt one day she will marry and nobody will be happier than I. "I haven't actually sacrificed my youngest daughter in order to be able to get into Australia." Mr Irving declined to say whether he would apply for a tourist or business visa or what his intentions would be in Australia. But he said he was not planning a speaking tour at this stage. "Let's cross that bridge when we get to it," he said. "I will wait until I get the invitation from Philip Ruddock. When Philip writes a letter saying 'Dear Mr Irving, we would love to have you' then I shall tell you folks what I am planning to do. "I have a lot of friends in Australia. I would like to shake a lot of hands of a lot of people who have given me a lot of support over the last few years ever since the ban was first engineered under the Keating government. "We all know who was behind that. I would like to come and speak a few blunt words to the people who opposed me at those times and shake the hands of those who supported me." Copyright 2000 Newspaper Publishing PLC The Independent (London)February 1, 2000, Tuesday LAW: BRIEFS DAVID IRVING, the right-wing historian who has brought a libel action against American author Deborah Lipstadt for calling him a "holocaust denier", has opened a website on the case. Mr Irving, who is a litigant in person, says he is "fighting this action single-handed against 25 to 40 of the country's best lawyers." He says the website, which contains 5,000 documents related to the case, is intended to inform the public and help redress the imbalance of resources. What the trial judge makes of the website is not known, but Mr Irving claims the other side's lawyers are "bitterly hostile".
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