News and Commentary on Politics, Media and Culture

It is hard to fathom the views of Norman Finkelstein as credible. One must wonder does he hate his own people? He finds Jimmy Carter’s anti-Semitic book, “Palestine Peace, Not Apartheid” not controversial.

The Holocaust Industry author Professor Norman Finkelstein spoke before a crowd of over 100 in the Rappaporte Treasure Hall Tuesday and lead a three-hour lecture discussing Israel’s human rights record, alleged exaggeration of the Holocaust to exonerate Israeli policies, as well as touching upon his long-time feud with Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz.

Finkelstein says, “Dissent is tied to justice, justice tied to dignity,” said Harvard Professor Sarah Roy, who introduced Finkelstein. “Today, there is a war against dissent… our right to oppose has been stigmatized and devalued.” She also claimed that Finkelstein cut through “the artificial web of complexity” surrounding the Middle East Conflict.

“I’m being cast as a martyr these last few weeks,” said Finkelstein of his recent battles at DePaul to earn tenure. “Two thousand years ago, another Jew tried that with mixed results.” Describing former President Jimmy Carter’s controversial book Palestine Peace, Not Apartheid, Finkelstein said that “the actual content of the book… was remarkably uncontroversial… one might even call it tepid.” Instead, Finkelstein said, “what’s most striking is how uncontroversial this is, yet there is so much controversy when you bring it into a public forum.”

He also says this regarding the Middle East conflict, “is contrived, is fabricated, is conjured up.” Stating the World Court’s 2004 14-1 decision for Israel to return to its 1967 borders, Finkelstein said “it’s illegal to obtain territory through war… ‘disputed territories?’ Not so, says the World Court… it’s illegal under international law.”

His view on the Holocaust, “the second fake controversy is playing ‘the Holocaust card’…if you can claim that Jews have suffered uniquely, you do not have to hold them to a universal standard.” He said “every time Israel comes under international pressure to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem diplomatically…there is a new claim of a ‘new’ anti-Semitism.”

I wrote two in depth articles regarding former U.S. President Jimmy Carter^[1] and Alan Dershowitz^[2] . My view of Finkelstein is that he is sick, depraved, and like Carter seeking five minutes of fame at the expense of Israel and her people.

[Discuss This Article With Layla Gonzales]

 Send this post a Friend  

Trackback URI |