Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History by Norman G. Finkelstein

Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History Reviews

• 
  Amr Mohamed

  
  ثاني كتاب اقرأه لـنورمان فينكلشتاين وهو أستاذ جامعي أمريكي يهودي معروف عنه مساندته للقضيه الفلسطينية وتم القبض عليه من فترة لمساندته ونزوله مظاهرات ضد اسرائيل بعد العدوان على غزة .
  
  
  ينقسم الكتاب الى جزأين : الجزء الأول
  
  يتكلم فيه الكاتب عن ظاهرة وإصدارات ودراسات والتى تحول أى نقد او حتي ملحوظة على أفعال اسرائيل ضد الفلسطينين الى تهمة معاداة السامية وحتي منظمة العفو الدولية وهيومان رايتس واتش أصبحوا متهمين بمعاداة السامية , ويوضح الكاتب ان ليس الهدف من تلك الاصدارات هو مقاومة معاداة السامية بل الهدف هو استغلال معاناة اليهود والمحرقة لتحصين اسرائيل ضد النقد .
  
  بل من الممكن تهويل بل وفبركة الأخبار لخلق مناخ معادى للسامية ...ويعطي الكاتب عدة أمثلة من ضمنها أنه عندما حاولت بلجيكا من خلال محكمة العدل الدولية محاكمة رئيس وزراء اسرائيل بجرائم ضد الإنسانية كان ذلك معاداة للسامية وأن الدنمارك عندما رفضت تعين جلاد اسرائيل سئ السمعة سفيرا لدولته فى الدنمارك معاداة للسامية... والانتفاضة الثانية معاداة للسامية .
  بل وتم ظهور تصنيف جديد لمعاداة للسامية أن حتي من لم يرتكب فعلا او استغل او حرض لمعاداة للسامية بل مجرد ان رأيهم أو كلماتهم أو حتي صمتهم يعتبروه معاداة للسامية.
  
  نأتى لبعض اراء من يتزعم معاداة السامية الجديدة والذين اسماهم الكاتب ما بعد الصفاقة وبعض اراء الصهاينة :
  
  - ان أوروبا اختارت عمدا مكان اسرائيل على رقعة صغيرة فى الصحراء حتي لا يمكن الدفاع عنها وسط شعوب معادية لها.. وقد بدأ الأوربيون مشروعا سريعا لإبادة الجالية اليهودية المتبقية فى أروروبا ... واقامت أوروبا اسرائيل كمؤامرة كوكبية لقتل اليهود ولتصبح معسكر اعتقال لهم.
  
  حين وصل اليهود كانت فلسطين تعاني من ندرة السكان وشح الاراضي المزروعة وان فرار الفلسطينين عام 1948 كان طوعيا وأنهم فروا بأوامر من عرب أخرين
  
  ويجب التحكم فى الانترنت لعدم نشر أي حديث او مقال معادي للسامية
  
  يقول أحد مشغلي الجرافات لهدم المنازل فى حصار جنين " أردت ان أدمر كل شئ توسلت الى الظباط كي يتركوني أهدم كل شئ.. كنت أبتهج مع كل منزل ينهار... أشعر بالأسف فقط لأني لم أدمر كل المخيم
  
  الجزء الثاني :
  يتحدث عن رد فعل اسرائيل واعمالها الإجرامية خلال الانتفاضة الثانية وما قامت به من اغتيالات سياسية وتعذيب وقتل أطفال وخصص ذلك الجزء للرد على الان درشوويتز صاحب كتاب دفاعا عن اسرائيل والتي من ضمن اقواله القذرة ان الفلسطينيات يقومون بتفجير أنفسهم لأنهم حوامل وتم اغتصابهم ويريدون القضاء على العار ... وان الفلسطينين يستخدمون الحوامل والاطفال دروعا بشرية... وان اسرائيل لا تعذب احدا وحتي القتل يكون بدون قصد.
  
  ونأتي لجزء بسيط مما فعلته اسرائيل ومازالت وسوف تستمر بفعله :
  
  1- قتل الأطفال وهو اكثر جزء قهرني فى ذلك الكتاب فكلنا نعلم قصة محمد الدرة ولكن من الواضح انه يوجد الكثير من محمد الدرة :(
  
  - لم أسمع سابقا عن إيمان الهمص طفلة ذات الثلاث عشر عاما ولم أعلم ان كلب اسرائيلي اراد التأكد من موتها فأطلق رصاصتين على رأسها حينما كانت ترقد على الأرض ثم بعد أن بدأ يبتعد استدار ليطلق عشرين رصاصة اخري على جسمها الصغير من ضمنها سبع فى رأسها
  
  
  
  محمد عراج فى السادسة من عمره كان يأكل ساندوتش امام منزله وقتله جندي بإطلاق النار عليه.
  كريستيين سعادة كانت فى سيارة والديها فى طريقها الى المنزل حين انهال رصاص الجنود على السيارة وماتت
  
  كان الشقيقان جميل واحمد أبو عزيز يركبان دراجتيهما فى ضوء النهار الساطع لابتياع حلوي أصيبا مباشرة بقذائف من دبابة اسرائيلية
  
  قتلت ندير محمد من مخيم خان يونس وهي تجلس بفصلها فى المدرسة حين اطلق الجنود عليها النيران.
  ثلاثة عشر طفل رضيع ولدوا لدى نقاط التفتيش وتوفوا اثناء الولادة.
  
  اصيب 3409 طفل بالجراح في الانتفاضة.
  أغلب من قُتلوا أطفالا فى المظاهرات ولم يسُتخدم أي سلاح سوي الحجارة.
  
  2 - أطلق جيش الدفاع خلال الانتفاضة الثانية مليون قذيفة على الضفة وغزة وكما قال ظابط اسرائيلي قذيفة لكل طفل فلسطيني
  3 - قتُل كمال زعير وهو قعيد تم ضربه بالنار ودهسة بالدبابة ...قصفت طائرة اسرائيلية منزل صلاح شحادة بقنبلة وزنها طن وقتلوا معه 14 من المدنيين من ضمنهم تسعة اطفال
  
  4 - تستخدم اسرائيل الفلسطينيون دروع بشرية ومن بينهم القُصر ويضعوهم امام الجنود لحمايتهم من النار ويطلقون النار عبر أكتافهم
  5 - أزالت اسرائيل أكثر من 215 منزل ودمر أكثر من 160 منزل ..ويهدمون المنازل ومدنيين بداخلها مثل جمال فايد هدم الجيش منزله عليه
  
  وسوف اختم الريفيو بذلك الجزء : يحيا عشرات الالاف من أطفال فلسطينين طفولتهم من صدمة الى صدمة ومن رعب الي رعب , تهُدم بيوتهم, يهان والدهم أمامهم أعينهم , يقتحم الجنود منازلهم فى منتصف الليالى ..تفتح الدبابات النيران على فصولهم وبيوتهم....
  
  كتاب وكاتب جيد جدا انصح به
• 
  Margitte

  I probably would do well with an opinion piece and hope to get away with it as a review.
  
  Let's start with the book itself. One Jewish scholar, Norman G. Finkelstein, attacks another, Alan Dershowitz, and it gets ugly. The problem between the two is....wait for it....Israel. And in particular, Dershowitz's book The Case For Israel. Finkelstein revels in the plagiarism by Dershowitz and accuses the latter of preventing the former to get tenure at his university. A plethora of footnotes and evidence is provided en masse. Dershowitz tried to get the publishing of this book stopped. It did not work. Freedom of speech, according to the US Constitution, is a human right.
  
  Somewhere along the line there is an expression stating that something you did will come back to haunt you. While this book was published for the first time in 2005, and an update in 2008, with an impressive preface, the irony is inescapable in the current cacophonic political chaos of 2019. What happens to dissidents of a particular political view, or historical viewpoint, is legendary, particularly in the Jewish enclave, where global politics, media and banking are precision controlled. That's no secret.
  
  So what makes this book different from the multitude of choices on Goodreads regarding
  the Israel-Palestine conflict ? I guess it is for the reader to decide. I'm not convinced that it is the best choice in this genre, but it sure profiles the conflict within the Jewish community and how it is dealt with.
  
  There are several Jewish, as well as non-Jewish historians who challenge the acceptable historical narratives of the world. The outcome for the dissents are dire, but it's slowly changing. For instance, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's book
  Two Hundred Years Together depicting the Russian Jewish history, is still banned in many countries, thanks to the Jewish influences everywhere. However, it is becoming more readily available all over the world, thanks to the internet. Another correction of history, although still viciously opposed, is the truth behind the political warfare on Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy.
  Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies . He was proven correct by the publication of the Venona Papers in 1995.
  The Venona Secrets: Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors by Herbert Romerstein, Eric Breindel.
  
  Prof. Finkelstein is a man of principles. His runaway bestseller
  The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering , had a few tempers in a knot, but he had the conviction to expose the unmentionable. He is ripping the bite out of being called anti-Semite. For that alone, he deserves a few stars. After all, he is joined by thousands of Anti-Zionist Jews around the world.
  
  There are fascinating, highly interesting reviews of this book on GR. I recommend them to everyone interested in this sad part of history.
• 
  Ned Rifle

  This is a thorough and well researched book - no surprise there. What makes this book far more enjoyable than others on the Israeli-Palestine conflict is that it is framed as an elaborate and detailed rebuttal of Alan Dershowitz's 'The Case for Israel'. Alan Dershowitz is a horrid but hilarious character, always one to go to for an original idea (see his idea to put the separation wall on wheels: "I proposed, actually, that the security fence be placed on wheels and constantly be able to be moved consistent with Israeli security needs." ), and it is nice to have a reason for occasional levity in what is, naturally, a very serious book.
  For the original debate between the 2 relevant men in which Finkelstein accuses Dershowitz of plagiarism, and plagiarism of a purported hoax at that, go here:
  http://www.democracynow.org/2003/9/24...
  
  Seeing as Dershowitz launched a huge campaign to discredit Finkelstein and this book which eventually led to Finkelstein having his tenure denied, the least you can do is read this book.
  
  One last point: I find it deeply disturbing the amount of reviews on the page for 'The Case for Israel' that start by saying they were looking for an unbiased account of the Israeli-Palestine conflict and that this book managed nicely. On what level do they fail to understand that the book is 'The Case For Israel'?
• 
  Simon Wood

  BEYOND THE JOKE: DEBUNKING ALAN DERSHOWITZ
  
  Norman Finkelstein first appeared in the 1980's with his thorough debunking of Joan Peters "From Time Immemorial" which had been widely praised on publication by Zionists and other supporters of Israel who were overjoyed to read an "academic" work that supported the Zionist assertion that the Palestinians didn't exist. Finkelstein in a memorable contribution to "Blaming the Victims" showed Peter's magnum opus to be a tissue of lies, distorted quotations and innumerate demographic calculations. Now in "Beyond Chutzpah" Finkelstein directs his considerable critical abilities towards the issue of "The New Anti-Semitism" and to Alan Dershowitz's "The Case for Israel", an important text for Zionist apologists.
  
  In the first part of the book Finkelstein identifies "The New Anti-Semitism" as a more or less fictional construct, that is functionally useful for labeling critics of Israel as anti-Semites and automatically de-legitimizing criticism of Israel without having to deal with them rationally and honestly, which would inevitably cause difficulties given the gulf between the rhetoric of Israel's supporters and reality. He gives an account, or perhaps history is the correct term as "The New Anti-Semitism" approaches its fortieth year, of it's birth in the period after the two major Arab-Israel Wars of 1967 and 1973, before it came to age with Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Finkelstein, with his forensic approach details and debunks the various developments of this pernicious concept systematically and with occasional examples of a well-aimed and sharply barbed wit.
  
  In the second part Alan Dershowitz's "The Case for Israel" comes under scrutiny. It might seem overkill for Finkelstein to spend over a hundred pages debunking Dershowitz, but when one considers the important role his book has played for those who seek to perpetrate distortions about the reality of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the value of Finkelstein's work is more than evident. After all "The Case for Israel" has been distributed by Israeli Embassies across the world and by Zionist organizations throughout the United States in an effort to sow a distorted version of Israeli actions into the public discourse, and provide ammunition to those who seek to influence any debate around Israel purely in the "interest" of Israel without regard to truth, reality or the Palestinians.
  
  One of Finkelstein's conclusions from examining Dershowitz's work ought to be enough on it's own to discredit the book. In the historical section at the beginning of the book Finkelstein identifies over 40% of the citations as being straight from Joan Peter's "From Time Immemorial". Dershowitz is obviously a little shy of crediting the discredited Peter's as his source, so he instead inserts the original source precisely as stated in Peter's footnotes but without attributing them to her. He then undermines his subterfuge by quoting only those parts that are quoted by Peter's and includes the errors from Peter's quotations. The critique then proceeds on an issue-by-issue basis, juxtaposing Dershowitz's claims about the Israel-Palestine conflict with material from a variety of sources, many of them Human Rights organizations including the Israeli group B'Tselem. "The Case for Israel" is revealed to be a tissue of distortions, ought-right lies and even in contradiction to other statements by Dershowitz. And yet this book received universal praise by supporters of Israel on pulication?
  
  Also included are a number of appendices, including a table with Dershowitz's assertions in historical order, placed next to the Evidence as attributed to a wide variety of sources, many of them actually of Israeli origin. Reading through the table it became evident that I had heard a few of the claims ("Israelis treat injured Palestinians free gratis") expressed confidently by supporters of Israel, only to find now that the reality is entirely different. The occasional Palestinian has had free and highly publicized treatment in Israel, these are exceptions: the standard procedure is to charge what many regarded as an inflated fee. Further to that there is the damage that Israel's occupation has done to the development of Palestinian Medical Services and the educational base that these services require to be effective, not to mention attacks on medical infrastructure including dozens of ambulances. Dershowitz's claim that Ambulances were used for terrorist attacks is also examined. There was one case, well after the Israeli attacks on Ambulances began, where there was evidence that this may have occurred, though the circumstances in which the Israelis brought this to light were at best dubious.
  
  "Beyond Chutzpah" is a valuable work that comprehensively debunks a key text of Zionist apologetics and distortion in a robust (Finkelstein certainly doesn't mince his words) and clear manner that shows that "The Case for Israel" made by Dershowitz is simply a blatant and hardly sophisticated fraud. The Table in the appendices that pairs the statements Dershowitz makes in his case with the actuality is as comprehensive a guide to the main examples of distortion and outright lies peddled by the Israeli lobby (up to 2005) as I've come across. Well recommended.
• 
  Nelson

  Aaaand...I'm officially down the Middle East rabbit hole. I spent last following Israeli elections in pain as Netanyahu won another term. And I don't know how I got here. I think it was originally from my news feed that Airbnb decided to boycott West Bank settlements (a move which they reversed last night).
  
  This is a great book. But don't be fooled by the title. It is a meticulous and rigorous academic demonstration that Alan Dershowitz is a pathological liar. You can't really publish a scholarly book on Dershowitz, so he framed it in the context of fabricated anti-semitism.
  
  Dershowitz tried to prevent this book's publication, to the point of writing a letter to Governor Schwarzeneggar to that end (this book was published by UC Press).
  
  There are three appendices documented how Dershowitz plagiarized wholesale from Joan Peters' hoax.
  
  Norman Finkelstein, Hebrew prophet.
• 
  Seth

  Norman Finkelstein is a hero of truth. This book offers a rare look at the dishonest history and publicity manufactured by the Israel lobby. In every generation since Biblical times the Jews seem to produce prophetic figures who are doomed to speak truth to power -- Finkelstein is such a one.
• 
  Ahmed Daabel

  This is a scholarly, very tightly reasoned book. It will not sway ideologues or zealots, but will clarify issues for anyone who is open to rational argument on the inflammatory subject of Middle-East politics and reality. Firstly, the book points out the moral and intellectual corruption of Dershowitz and his crowd. Alan Dershowitz, holding a named chair at the Law School is, for some reason, immune.
  
  During the 1967 war, I happened to make the comment that "Palestinians are people with rights, too" and was roundly criticized as being an anti-Semite. Finkelstein nails this pathology extremely well, providing evidence, logical reasoning and shows how "anti-Semitism" hysteria builds up during any conflict and how Israel has managed to use this, and the Holocaust as a bully weapon to stifle criticism. The entire world is anti-Semitic as shown by the UN votes, sometimes being 140-something-to-2 (Israel and USA) against Israel's actions. Although logic would dictate that the entire world is NOT anti-Semitic, the pro-Israel stance prefers the absurd explanation of these UN votes.
  
  The author not only nails Dershowitz for his shoddy (absurd?) scholarship, but uses his arguments to demonstrate how much of what the Israel lobby claims is sheer lies.
  
  Especially important right now, is the involvement of Israel in getting us into the Iraq conflict. For the first time in history, we have attacked a country that has done nothing to us. We now have blood on our hands. Just whose interests are the neocons serving? What about Senator Lieberman, a man whose head is screwed on correctly for most things. Why is he serving the interests of Zionism rahter than those of America? There is a very simple reason why the Muslims hate us and that is our absurd absolute support for radical Zionism and its crimes against humanity (yes, Muslims are people, too). We are the only country in the world so positioned. The powerful Jewish lobby has gotten us into something we can never get out of - it is a stain on our souls. And Dershowtz's crude apologia just makes the case for Israel and our support of it weaker.
  
  Any reader of this book cannot but help drawing parallels between Israel's activities and those of Nazi Germany. Just as there was collective guilt in Germany, there is collective guilt in Israel and, since as Finkelstein shows, the vast majority of Israelis support the anti-Palestinian atrocities, they are all equally guilty.
  
  This reasoned book alone is unlikely to stop the juggernaut, but Israel will forever be cursed if it does not atone and that will ultimately be its downfall. A nation built totally on deception and terror, indeed, one which NEEDS terror (in order to get 4 billion dollars a year from the USA) and exploits its self-proclaimed victimhood (like a third-world beggar exposing his sores whilst seeking alms) will ultimately fail. It may take a hundred years, but evil generally dies.
  
  But it need not be so and Israel can join the world of civilized nations - but it and all of us need to heed Finkelstein. In this respect, maybe Dershowitz, by providing such flagrant absurdities, has a use - providing a platform so ridiculous that it can be easily perceived. If Israel needs a Dershowitz, then heaven help it.
  
  Finkelstein has done an extraordinary job! It is, in the long run, a service to Israel and perhaps to America as well.
  
• 
  Marwa

  أحترم هذا الكاتب اليهودي وأسجل احتقاري لحكامنا العرب اﻷشاوس، الذين لا يجرؤ واحد منهم على النطق بسطر واحد مما جاء في هذا الكتاب عن توحش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي الغاشم، فما بالكم بالإتيان بفعل يهدد خطط الاحتلال؟
• 
  Hussain Ali

  لم أكن يومًا ما مهتمًا بالصراع الفلسطيني - الإسرائيلي بشكل مفصل، كنت أكتفي بما أسمعه في نشرات الأخبار وما أقرأه في الصحف، إلى أن وجدت هذا الكتاب في أحد المكتبات، وما جذبني ليس العنوان بتاتًا، بل إن ما جذبني لأمسك هذا الكتاب وأشتريه لأضمه إلى مكتبتي هو اسم المؤلف "نورمان فنكلستاين".
  
  "نورمان فنكلستاين" يهودي أمريكي الجنسية استاذ العلوم السياسية الذي فُصل عمله كأستاذ في جامعة ديبوول بسبب انتقاداته اللاذعة لاسرائيل والغطاء الذي تشكله الولايات المتحدة لممارساتها، نعم ما جذبني هو الإسم، فقد مر علي اسمه في احد المقاطع في موقع يوتيوب الذي ينهر فيه احدى الطالبات عندما تكلمت عن الهولوكست، ومقطع آخر قد يذكره البعض عندما زجر مذيعةً لبنانية تنتقد المقاومة بعد حرب تموة 2006.
  
  كما هو واضح من عنوان الكتاب "ما يفوق الوقاحة - إساءة استخدام اللاسامية وتشويه التاريخ" يبين مدى مبالغة المبررون لإسرائيل باستخدامها لمعاداة السامية والهولوكوست كمبرر لها ولممارساتها الإرهابية في حق الفلسطينيين، وكيف يشوه هؤلاء المبررون الحقائق التاريخية الراسخة المدونة في العديد من أكثر المنظمات مهنيةً في العالم ' مثل هيومان رايتس ووتش والعفو الدولية وبتسليم وأطباء لحقوق الإنسان-إسرائيل '.
  
  الكتاب عبارة عن رد بالأدلة الدامغة على المبررين لإسرائيل بشكل خاص، وعلى "آلان ديرشوايتس" بشكل خاص، حيث أن عنوان الكتاب "ما يفوق الوقاحة" هو استهزاء بعنوان كتاب مذكرات ديرشوايتس وعنوانه "وقاحة".
• 
  Mohamed al-Jamri

  A very important book exposing the politics and distortions when it comes to writing the history of Israel-Palestine conflict.
• 
  Sarah

  This book (and, frankly, most of Finkelstein's books) could just as aptly be titled Norman Finkelstein Complains about People and the Dumb Things They Say. To be honest, that's largely why I read his books. I find something about his moral outrage and indignation utterly fascinating. And they can be quite funny--he's a sassy little malcontent who just can't help but be recklessly abrasive.
  
  My favorite parts of this book were those that focused on Alan Dershowitz and his Case for Israel. The specific reports about the atrocities and injustices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are thorough and comprehensive, but they unfortunately felt almost irrelevant to me, because they're based off of the reports by human rights organizations. And I just don't think Americans or US policy in general has ever really cared about what human rights organizations have to say. We should care, but we don't. I did think it was sadly hilarious, though, how many times Dershowitz defended Israeli defense programs by comparing them to US programs, given the recently released Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture. Like when Dershowitz happily insists that Israel doesn't torture and uses the same techniques favored by the US...well, clearly, the US does torture. A lot. Brutally. It seems Finkelstein's arguments in this book have aged well while Dershowitz's have aged rather poorly.
  
  In fact, I think the most effective part of Beyond Chutzpah was its absolute skewering of Alan Dershowitz. It makes him look like a pathetic hack and a contemptible fool. Maybe it crossed a line, but I have to say I found it amusing (and I can't blame Finkelstein for not being able to resist. I mean what kind of self-proclaimed "civil libertarian" is completely ignorant of Orwell? That's so basic. How does someone like that teach for years at Harvard?). The evidence of plagiarism is extensive and undeniable. I can't believe Harvard didn't take that evidence more seriously, but then, I suppose it was covering its own ass. So I suppose I shouldn't be too shocked.
  
  Anyways, I liked the book. It's certainly not for everyone, and I can see why so many people hate Finkelstein, but, for all his many faults, I can't help but kind of love him and enjoy his work even when I disagree with some of his ideas and rhetoric.
• 
  Henry Lockett

  I think that Finkelstein puts too much focus on discrediting Alan Dershowitz; he sometimes comes across as petit. However one of the main aims of the book is to illustrate how stretched the definition of 'anti-semitism' has become, and much of Dershowitz's writing is a shining example of such abuse. So perhaps the popularity of his book 'The Case For Israel' warrants the critical review given in 'Beyond Chutzpah'. The record needed to be set straight.
  
  Finkelstein's footnotes and references are excellent. I tried my best to maintain a balanced perspective (especially as I have never read 'The Case For Israel') and to assume that maybe references and statistics had been selected to simply reinforce his arguments, but I did not get a sense of this. The evidence to support Finkelstein's claims is substantial.
  
  I would definitely recommend this book.
  
• 
  Javier

  As I recall, quite a good critique of Alan Dershowitz and Zionist apologia for settler-colonialism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Free Palestine!
• 
  Timothy Faust

  Just, you know, some light reading.
• 
  Syed Fathi

  This book is the second Norman Finkelstein’s book I read. The first book I read was The Holocaust Industry, in which Finkelstein brilliantly exposed the international Jewry conspiracy which used the Holocaust memory to gain monetary gain from Europe at the expense of the Holocaust survivors. Like the first book, this book also were equip with tonnes of footnotes, making it exhausting to read. But, the reading would be easy and less exhaustive if you decide not to read each of the footnotes. The footnotes were intended for scholarly reading, for casual reader, main text should suffice. The preface is also very long, it takes me 4 days to reach page 1! Nevertheless, it worth the read.
  
  The main theme of the book is to exposed Israeli apologist tactics of using anti-Semitism to silence critics toward brutal Israeli occupation. In his preface, Finkelstein pointed out that, many of the solutions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are highly uncontroversial. On settlement for example, World Court ruled that it “have no legal validity”, citing article 49 of the 4th Geneva Convention. The UN also in accordance to General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948) upheld Palestinian refugees “right of return”.
  
  Many pages in the book from preface, chapters, right into appendices were devoted to expose Alan Dershowitz “threadbare hoax”, namely his book ‘The Case for Israel’ which Finkelstein compared to the work of Joan Peter ‘From Time Immemorial’ which he said “grossly distorts the documentary record”. Finkelstein destroyed many of Dershowitz false claim with vast documentary evidence from human right groups including Amnesty International, B’Tselem, Human Right Watch (HRW) and many others. As you read further and further, you will find that Dershowitz did not even know his subject (or his book), he seems a little bit more like a joker than a Harvard Law Professor.
• 
  Aleix

  In a certain way, this is an appendix of what has to be Finkelstein's centrepiece, which is the Holocaust Industry. It represents the ongoing fight against nasty types like Alan Dershowitz, like Daniel Goldhagen, like Joan Peters.
  
  When I first happened upon Finkelstein, I think at the beginning of the last Gaza conflict in 2014, I was stricken by his views and his idiosyncratic expressiveness. I live in a country where Israel has few defenders and it seemed strange, then, and even shocking, to see such scathing criticism coming from an American Jew. I googled him, read his bio superficially and my attention focused on his career-destroying feud with some Alan Dershowitz. I didn't really know them, so I was confused as to who was "right" (considering the accusations flinged by each other, at least one of them had to be lying). Because I was influenced by a pro-Israeli friend and only just starting to delve into the Arab-Israeli conflict, a part of me wanted Dershowitz (a Harvard professor, no less) to be right, but, because I'm a curious person, I had to look closely into the matter, and the more I read, the more it seemed to me that Dershowitz resorted to dirty dialectic tricks all the time (ad-hominem attacks, mostly, and not just against Finkelstein but against any opponent) while Finkelstein usually pointed out stone cold facts, and, most interestingly, he NEVER seemed to make them up, manipulate them, shoehorn them to suit his needs. I admitted that even when I didn't like him.
  
  Little by little, I was drawn towards whom I initially thought was a mere self-hating Jew. I'm used to leftist anti-Israel tirades, to haters who use the good name of human rights just to further a laughable political agenda. I thought Finkelstein was one of them, but no, he didn't resort to the disingenuous tactics of the typical left-wing fanboy. He didn't even, contrary to what I still suspected, cherry pick facts that only helped his case. That became particularly clear to me when I saw him tear the BDS movement down AND especially when I saw the posers that had idolised him attack him viciously using exactly the same type of rhetoric that I had seen in pro-Israel propagandists.
  
  That's when it really dawned on me that Finkelstein was commited to honesty, particularly self-honesty, and he would take it to the very end. He often tells the story of how he used to be a maoist in his younger years. He felt secure in that "cult", as he calls it. His beliefs came crumbling down in front of him one day and he vowed never to make a fool of himself again. He's proven that to me. I think he's a fact-finder and he's genuinely worried about the situation in Palestine. Dershowitz, though, comes across as a filthy liar and, what's worse, a sycophant to the powerful who's all too willing to embark on a "heroic" crusade against the defenseless. A petty scoundrel ready to kick them when they're down if that wins him favour. He's still teaching at Harvard in spite of being a certified fraud as a scholar. Finkelstein, who has been supported by people like Raul Hilberg, hasn't been able to find tenure in the States because of Dershowitz's (and a fearsome lobby's) meddling. That says a lot about the situation in US universities.
  
  This book is Finkelstein's denunciation of the misuse of antisemitism by Jewish elites in the US and Israel, his utter rejection of Dershowitz as a person and as a scholar, and it also touches on Israel's human rights record, which Dershowitz had tried to present as impeccable by means of personal attacks to critics and of fraudulent scholarship in his book "The Case for Israel".
  
  Not as profound as The Holocaust Industry, as it deals with more particular issues, but still necessary as a form of hygiene of the soul. It gets more interesting in the parts where it steers away from petty feuds and tackles the dishonest use of Jewish suffering by the kind of people who can only be described as ghouls.
• 
  Nasreddin

  In the beginning Finkelstein is tearing Dershowitz to shreds, pointing his massive hypocrisy, incitement to war, his fraudulent books, but also highlights how U.S. media are always silent when it comes to Zionist pro-Israel shills propagating their views for, and them belittling the Palestinians and the hardship they are still enduring. The book though main focus is to combat this new "Antisemitism" charge that is frequently employed against anyone daring to critique Israel, and how it's misused.
  In case you're wondering who Dershowitz is, he's probably the most vocal Zionist in America and a Harvard law professor, though it seems justice for everyone doesn't apply to Israel.
  
  Book is quite infuriating to read (due to the nature of what Israel has done / still does to the Palestinians), the author does a well researched job and shows documentation by various NGO reports on how Israel used human shields, throwing the popular accusation that the Zionist shills use against the Palestinians, to excuse the many innocent deaths caused by the IDF, right back at their faces. Not to mention the hampering of people seeking medical aid, the attack on ambulances, the excessive use of rubber bullets against children, aimed at their heads, and the powerful impact of those bullets. Some of you might have heard of the young Palestinian girl that slapped an Israeli soldier, cause her cousin had almost his head caved in from one of those "non-lethal" rubber bullets. The Zionist shill Dershowitz claims are completely exposed, and I'm wondering how popular his book is. The appendixes also highlights the popular misconceptions that many American Zionists still spout that have long been discredited, including by Israeli scholars and historians about the ethnic cleansing that the extremist Zionist committed against the Palestinians, which American Zionists claimed never happened, but the record shows otherwise. The later appendixes also reveals the constructed lie about how the Palestinians always rejected solutions to peace. Once again Frankenstein does extensive work. If you're an American, it's recommended you read this book if the Israel-Palestine conflict is of interest to you and you are disturbed by the one sided bias by American media. Read "The Israel Lobby" for more on that.
  
  The epilogue is written by a third party, that reviewed the case of Dershowitz against Finkelstein and concluded that there was no evidence that Harvard cleared Dershowitz from plagiarism, and that it appeared that the DePaul university gave in to pressure in denying Finkelstein his tenure, despite the fact that they had nothing to go, except Dershowitz letter that through fact checking can be easily dismissed.
• 
  Dale

  There are two parts to this: an opening section on the way that charges of 'anti-Semitism' are used to smear and intimidate anyone who is critical of Israel's policies, and a sustained dissection and attack on Dershowitz' book 'The Case for Israel'.
  
  You've probably noticed that in recent years television pundits have been leveling charges of anti-Semitism at critics of Israel. Even if the critics are Jewish; even if they are Israeli citizens; it doesn't matter. By definition, now, if you criticize Israel you are anti-Semitic. In other words, AIPAC, the Israel lobby generally, and neo-conservatives have literally redefined anti-Semitism to mean anyone who is not a cheerleader for Israeli hegemony. In other words, they've succeeded in divesting the term of any sensible meaning whatsoever.
  
  I have not read Dershowitz' book, so I have no way to know whether Finkelstein has demolished it as much as it seems. Finkelstein brings two major charges against Dershowitz: plagiarism (documented in detail in an appendix), and false reporting. Basically Finkelstein shows that Dershowitz makes a great many false claims, and that he bases his information almost entirely on Israeli government sources and apologists for Israel. Finkelstein shows that independent assessors of Israel's policies in the West Bank and Gaza agree almost universally that Israel has committed many war crimes, and that its occupation of Palestine territory is contrary to international law and convention.
  
  None of this is controversial outside the United States. The UN has voted many times to affirm that Israel must withdraw into the 1967 borders; that the settlements are illegal; that the occupation is illegal. There are typically between 2 and 5 votes in opposition: the US, Israel, and 1 to 3 Pacific island nations that owe their livelihood to the US. But here in the US it is almost impossible to hear serious criticism of Israeli policies in the mainstream media, and Congress seems to be entirely a creature of AIPAC on all questions regarding Israel.
  
• 
  Eve Stark

  As a minority Jew in a circle of liberal friends, I often get questioned about my take on the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, my view has been fairly muddled and I could never produce a sophisticated answer as to why I felt so conflicted. In an effort to get up to speed on the various issues and views, I gathered up as many books on the topic as my library carried and started reading. Unfortunately, I can't say I'm any less conflicted, but the nuances now have more depth.
  
  Finkelstein's books are primarily written as rebuttals to things other scholars have written on a subject. The book that is the subject of this review is primarily directed to Alan Dershowitz and his book, "The Case for Israel." Sure, there is quite a bit of background about Finkelstein's position on Israel and "The New Anti-Semitism" discussed in the first half of the book, but his attack (yes, I am using that word) on Dershowitz makes up the meat of this book. I don't disagree with Finkelstein's views necessarily (although, I'm hesitant to say I agree), but I didn't care for the execution. The feud between these two scholars is off-putting for me, and I think I'd prefer to limit my reading to something a bit less emotionally charged.
  
  I would not read another book by this author and I'm hesitant to recommend this book to anyone other than those who enjoy exploring the heated arguments of contemporary scholars.
• 
  Andrew

  Firstly, I should say that this is both a well-written and well-researched book, and deserves to be read by anyone interested in the Middle East conflicts. While it's probably only going to be read by people with similar beliefs to Mr. Finkelstein's (and those of myself, for that matter), it should be read by a broader spectrum, even though it almost certainly won't be (obvs).
  
  But I should also add that it is a bit snarky and a bit polemical, which might annoy you, and that especially whenever Alan Dershowitz comes up (which is to say half the book), Finkelstein becomes single-minded and obsessive about taking down someone, who, to be fair, is something of a douche. For that reason, the last third or so of the book doesn't have the impact of the previous part, but it remains very much worth reading.
• 
  david-baptiste

  this is a second edition--i didnt read the first one so is al new to me--norman finkelstein is one of the most extraodinary scholars of words i've encountered, as he combines, to me , any way, a literary, legalistic, historian's approach, really out of a Talmudic tradition i think--he's a brilliant teacher, really, as i feel like i am learning continually how to read and examine words in reading him and following his thought--one of the best speakers i ever heard on issues and matters of language--
  
• 
  Jayde Schwerin

  Brilliant!
• 
  Nasreddin Hoca

  Lost access to my old account, hence the copy paste review.
  
  In the beginning Finkelstein is tearing Dershowitz to shreds, pointing his massive hypocrisy, incitement to war, his fraudulent books, but also highlights how U.S. media are always silent when it comes to Zionist pro-Israel shills propagating their views for, and them belittling the Palestinians and the hardship they are still enduring. The book though main focus is to combat this new "Antisemitism" charge that is frequently employed against anyone daring to critique Israel, and how it's misused.
  In case you're wondering who Dershowitz is, he's probably the most vocal Zionist in America and a Harvard law professor, though it seems justice for everyone doesn't apply to Israel.
  
  Book is quite infuriating to read (due to the nature of what Israel has done / still does to the Palestinians), the author does a well researched job and shows documentation by various NGO reports on how Israel used human shields, throwing the popular accusation that the Zionist shills use against the Palestinians, to excuse the many innocent deaths caused by the IDF, right back at their faces. Not to mention the hampering of people seeking medical aid, the attack on ambulances, the excessive use of rubber bullets against children, aimed at their heads, and the powerful impact of those bullets. Some of you might have heard of the young Palestinian girl that slapped an Israeli soldier, cause her cousin had almost his head caved in from one of those "non-lethal" rubber bullets. The Zionist shill Dershowitz claims are completely exposed, and I'm wondering how popular his book is. The appendixes also highlights the popular misconceptions that many American Zionists still spout that have long been discredited, including by Israeli scholars and historians about the ethnic cleansing that the extremist Zionist committed against the Palestinians, which American Zionists claimed never happened, but the record shows otherwise. The later appendixes also reveals the constructed lie about how the Palestinians always rejected solutions to peace. Once again Frankenstein does extensive work. If you're an American, it's recommended you read this book if the Israel-Palestine conflict is of interest to you and you are disturbed by the one sided bias by American media. Read "The Israel Lobby" for more on that.
  
  The epilogue is written by a third party, that reviewed the case of Dershowitz against Finkelstein and concluded that there was no evidence that Harvard cleared Dershowitz from plagiarism, and that it appeared that the DePaul university gave in to pressure in denying Finkelstein his tenure, despite the fact that they had nothing to go, except Dershowitz letter that through fact checking can be easily dismissed.
• 
  John

  First Paperback (2008) edition with new Preface.
  
  Finkelstein makes the works of fraudsters public in this tome comprising thorough research and observation of the works of Joan Peters and Alan Dershowitz. Finkelstein shows how brazen the lies are peddled by "scholars" who either have flat-out falsified their research sources, or refuse to cite credible human rights NGO sources for their research because it would severely ruin the message they are trying to instill in uneducated or unaware people.
  
  To be completely honest, with this work completed, I can not believe there is still an argument going on about the crisis befallen upon the Palestinian people. This is not a conflict of good against evil, Jews against Arabs, this is just a matter of morality at this point. Yes it is wrong to commit suicide bombings, as it is wrong to assault a mostly defenseless population trapped like fish being shot in a barrel. Both sides have done wrong, both are suffering, how *many* are suffering because of what is happening is obviously of greater magnitude. We should recognize everyone's suffering as legitimate, and work together to resolve the conflict. Finkelstein's proposal for a two-state solution with the pre-June 1967 border with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine has even been accepted by Hamas. With the UN vote always being completely lop-sided on what should be done regarding Palestine, it is obvious the problem lies with the United States and Israel's toxic relationship. The US does not want to lose their footing in the middle east with a less powerful Israel, and Israel is dependent on the government hand-outs from the US to maintain their illegal conquest of the Palestinians.
  
  My heart aches for those trapped in Gaza, and subjected to the cruel injustices around Israel and the West Bank, hopefully the world will come to the aid of it's brothers and sisters in Palestine and help liberate them as we did for South Africa decades ago.