Amazon.com Widgets



Tuesday, May 1, 2007

The Brandeis Hoot has a article on the recent Finkelstein appearance there: Finkelstein discusses Israel's human rights record

[At right, a typical DePaul Finkelstein supporter.]

After weeks of controversy, false starts, and wavering club support, The Holocaust Industry author Professor Norman Finkelstein spoke before a crowd of over 100 in the Rappaporte Treasure Hall Tuesday. His three-hour lecture discussed 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.

“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...

Ah yes, it takes a Harvard Scholar to cut through all that "artificial complexity" of the Middle East for us. Presumably, if Israel would just stop being Israel...

“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.”

Finkelstein as Jesus. Christ. Note the Chomskyisms...what I have to say is all 'uncontroversial' (so don't look to deeply into it). Avram Noam uses the same phrasing.

Sauce for the goose:

He did say, however, that it was “a no-brainer” for Palestinians to cease suicide bombings and terrorist attacks on Israel: “It’s illegal, and Hamas is duty-bound under international law to renounce terrorism.” However, he said, “one of the cornerstones of international law is reciprocity—what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

There you go, according to Finkelstein, international law supports suicide bombing.

Yes, our friend Seva was there, and his quote calls for explanation:

Seva Brodsky, an off-campus audience member, asked Finkelstein during the question-and-answer section of the event, “do you hate your parents? Do you habitually rape your niece?”

I can't speak for Seva, but knowing him, what he had in mind (I heard the audio, and the second question was posed as separate from the first and "rhetorical."), was Ruth Wisse's comeback to hostile questions...a sort of "When did you stop beating your wife?" thing: Why did you kill your grandmother? -- in this case meant as a response to Finkelstein's incessant attacks on Israel and Jews...the fact that it requires explanation and thought...well, I wouldn't have said it, myself, but there it is...

On the Finkelstein tenure front, Marathon Pundit is noting that the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is supporting Finkelstein's bid (and holding its tongue on the Klocek matter).

[h/t's to Adam Holland for the picture and Eddie for the article]

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Finkelstein at Brandeis.

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.solomonia.com/cgi-bin/mt4/mt-renamedtb.cgi/7587



4 Comments

Seva Brodsky reminds me of the people who spend hours on some crazy rightist or leftist blog or forum, have made all the shared assumptions, misinformation and inside jokes second nature, and then try to engage normal people in conversation. They think they're clever, they know their buddies think they're clever, and they don't understand how absurd they seem.

Or maybe Seva just likes exposing frauds and charlatans for what they are?

Just wondering........

That's a great photo.

Thanks for the hat tip Sol. I found the article mentioning the great indy journalist Seva Brodsky on my daily rounds.

Unfortuneately I also winced at his question. Everyone gets in situations where later they wish they could have said something in a better way - a more satirical, revealing way.

finkelstain is doing everything possible to present himself as a "martyr". I hope DePaul (Ray Manzarek of The Doors went there) denies finkelstain his tenure. What respectable school wants a wack job on their faculty?

finkelstain will declare himself a "victim" of zionist aggression and probably get invitations to join the faculty of some school in the Islamofascist Regime of iran or in Beir Zeit PaleSWINE or finkelstain can be the Press Secretary for Neteuri Karta.

"Syme: It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words. You wouldn't have seen the [Newspeak] Dictionary 10th edition, would you Smith? It's that thick. [illustrates thickness with fingers] The 11th Edition will be that [narrows fingers] thick. Winston Smith: So, The Revolution will be complete when the language is perfect? Syme: The secret is to move from translation, to direct thought, to automatic response. No need for self-discipline. Language coming from here [the larynx], not from here [the brain]" -1984 (film)


Links



Blogroll Me!

:Blogs:
Adam Holland
Adloyada
Agam's Gecko
Amy Ridenour
Armies of Liberation
Astute Blogger
Backseat Blogger
Backspin
Barry Rubin
Blazing Cat Fur
BlueTruth
Boker tov, Boulder
Bosch Fawstin
Breath of the Beast
Challah Hu Akbar
CiF Watch
Cinnamon Stillwell
Classical Values
Combs Spouts Off
Conservative Grapevine
Conservative Oasis Contentions
Contentious Centrist
Cox & Forkum
Creeping Sharia
Dancing with Dogs
DANEgerus
Dave Bender
Davids Medienkritik
Dean Esmay
Defending Crusader
Democracy Project
Dodgeblogium
Dreams Into Lightning
Dutchblog Israel
Exit Zero
FresnoZionism
Ghost of a Flea
GM's Place
The God Blog
Huff-Po Monitor
Huff-Watch
Hyscience
In Context
Insignificant Thoughts
Iraq the Model
Israpundit
Israellycool
Israel Matzav
Israel Seen
J Street Jive
Jerusalem Diaries
Jerusalem Posts
Jewish State
JIDF
JPundit
Kesher Talk
Legal Insurrection
Liberty's Spirit
Marathon Pundit
The Marmot's Hole
Martin Kramer
Matthew K. Tabor
Mere Rhetoric
Michelle Malkin
Mick Hartley
Mind of Mog
My Machberet
My Wide Blue Seas
Never Yet Melted
Normblog
Omnia21
One Jerusalem
Paula Says
Philosemitism
Point of no Return
Political inSecurity
Random Thoughts
Ranting Sandmonkey
Red Planet Cartoons
Right Wing News
Roger L. Simon
Seraphic Secret
Shawarma Mayor
Shekel
Shining City
ShrinkWrapped
Simply Jews
Snapshots
Soccer Dad
A Soldier's Mother
Solomon's House
Something Something
Somewhere on A1A
Stand for Israel
Survival Tips: The Survivalist Blog
Tasty Infidelicacies
Tel Chai Nation
Texican Tattler
Themistocles' Shade
This Ain't Hell
TigerHawk
Tikkun Olam
Tom Glennon
Tools of Renewal
Tundra Tabloids
UCC Truths
Vicious Babushka
The View From Here
View From Iran
The World
Yaacov Lozowick
Yid With Lid
Yourish
Z-Word

:New England Blogs:
Alphecca
Augean Stables
Bebere
Bloodthirsty Liberal
Boston Maggie
Boston's Patriots
Boulevard Girl
Business of Life
Daniel in Brookline
Hub Blog
Hub Politics
Internet128
JRTelegraph
Jules Crittenden
Kavanna
Libertarian Leanings
Maggie's Farm
Miss Kelly
N.E. Republican
Neo-Neocon
People's Republicans
Petitedov
Pundit Review
Red Mass Group
Shawmut
Sippican Cottage
sisu
Squaring the Globe
Technicalities
Universal Hub
Weekend Pundit
Who Knew?




Blogroll Policy



If You Enjoy This Site
Paypal Donate

Amazon Purchase
(Buy yourself something with this link and I will get a percentage.)

My Amazon Wish List

Worth a Click

CJUI

APT

Graphics

Remember

Solomonia Button

Smaller Button

Smallest Button

Note on Permissions:
You may feel free to use anything you find on this site as long as you're not selling it. Just give credit where credit is due is all. Thanks for stopping by!

Site (C)2003-2009 Solomonia.com

This site will not display properly at screen resolutions of less than 1024px wide.

Solomonia Store


Search


Archives
Recommended

Authors

Solomon
Martin Solomon

MaryM
Mary Madigan

HillelS
Hillel Stavis

Binah
Binah

Jon Haber
Jon Haber

Sophia
Sophia

Opinions expressed are those of the individual. No one speaks for any organization unless expressly stated.

Subscribe
Enter your Email for a Daily Digest of New Posts


Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz
(Be sure to whitelist feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com if you aren't receiving updates.)

Click here for other subscription options, including Twitter, AIM, MSM and others.


Follow me on Twitter

Solomonia


rdf
rss2
atom

 Subscribe in a reader

Banner

EN 160x600 B

Quality Diamond Crosses