Thursday, April 05, 2012

Norman Finkelstein's Immorality

Asked about the criticism Benny Morris leveled against his new book, Norman Finkelstein provides an example of the immorality in politics besides historical inaccuracy:

...I don't feel particularly attached to Israel - nationalism, as Noam Chomsky said, is not my cup of tea - but I feel no particular need to demonize it. I do feel a certain amount of disgust, that's for sure. If my focus was on any other country's human rights violations, I would be as appalled and disgusted. It's just unacceptable, and you can't make excuses for that with 'other people do it.'

 ... I don't think both sides are equally responsible. If I were a Palestinian I wouldn't have accepted what was offered at Camp David. On the critical issues, the Palestinians have been willing to make far greater concessions than are required to by [international] law - 60 percent of settlers to remain in place, largest Jerusalem in Israel's history. How can a rational person conclude that the Palestinians bear responsibility for the non-resolution of this conflict?"

How about the violence against civilians they turned to after Camp David?

"International law says people fighting for self-determination can use force in order to achieve their independence."

And targeting civilians?

"They do not have the right to target the civilian population. But now more and more Palestinians are turning to various forms of civil resistance and civil disobedience. This tactic of fasting in prison is going to spread.
This has nothing to do with Finkelstein's Jewishness or his parents being survivors or his principled ant-Zionism. It has all to do with something more. How he permits his self-declared progressivism and liberalism and even humanism to not only blur concepts and befuddle critics but to disengage himself from any sembalnce of honest judgment. He is biased. He hates. He despises. Beware. ^

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