Eric Alterman, writing for "The Nation" wrote that its author "proves a profoundly unreliable narrator" and his book will "do nothing to advance the interests of the occupation’s victims." His article and an extract from Blumenthal's book in the same issue led to many letters being sent to "The Nation", several of which were published in the next issue rebuking "The Nation" for publishing Alterman's article. Abdeen Jabara, Past president of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, wrote that he was troubled by "The Nation" presenting "two sides" by allowing Alterman to do a "hatchet job" on Blumenthal's work, because "there is no equivalency between whatever Palestinians have done or are doing and what Israel and Zionism have done to the Palestinians." Charles H. Manekin, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Maryland and former Director of the Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Studies and others wrote letters challenging the accuracy of Alterman's article. Alterman's statement in his original piece about the book being "technically accurate" was queried and he explained it was an issue of context, as Blumenthal "tells us only the facts he wishes us to know and withholds crucial ones that undermine his relentlessly anti-Israel narrative." Jonathan S. Tobin, writing in "Commentary" magazine, described the book as having a "complete lack of intellectual merit or integrity".