Opinion

The New

Hechtman

Apartments

Norman Finkelstein's
Anti-Israel Vitriol

H

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0'1

JEWISH SENIOR LIFE

Hechtman II
Apartments

a residence of Jewish Senior Life
of Metropolitan Detroit

6690 W. Maple Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48322
Eugene and Marcia Applebaum
Jewish Community Campus

For appointment, application,
tour and dinner call

248-661-1836

www.jsImi.org

26

February 3 2011

0

Eli

ow do you describe a some-
times college instructor who
begins his lectures by talking
about "Zionist lies and fabricated nar-
rative"? An outspoken foe of Zionism
and the State of Israel?
One whose rhetoric has
distorted the history of the
Arab-Israeli conflict?
Sponsored by a number
of Muslim and Arab stu-
dent groups, Finkelstein
appeared before a crowd
of about 200 last month in
a lecture hall on the cam-
pus of the University of
Michigan-Dearborn.
While dismissing what
he called the "so-called"
Israeli-Palestinian peace
negotiations, Finkelstein saved his
greatest vitriol for the current leader-
ship of the Palestinian Authority, whom
he described as cowards, liars and
betrayers of their people. Uncommon
views of leaders whom Israel, the U.S.
and most of the civilized world are
counting on to build Palestinian soci-
ety, economy, civility, institutions and
politics and complete a peace agree-
ment with the Jewish state.
Sounding professorial and expe-
rienced, Finkelstein's thin veneer of
what initially might pass for intel-
lectual honesty soon showed weak-
ness. While liberally quoting dis-
senting Israeli soldiers who spoke of
Israeli army misbehavior during the
2008 Cast Lead operation in Gaza,
Finkelstein completely dismissed the
eyewitness accounts of Israeli sailors
who encountered
terrorists aboard
the Gaza-bound
Mavi Marmara aid
ship last May. Why?
After dissecting his
remarks, it becomes
quickly apparent that
Finkelstein is merely
Norman
a tool for the foes of
Finkelstein
Jews and Israel.
An example of this
is Finkelstein's dismissal of Hamas
rockets directed toward Israeli com-
munities. He says, "What choice does
llamas have?" Almost the entire
world begs to differ. Israel, Egypt and
the Quartet (U.S., Russia, the United
Nations, the European Union) have

offered another choice to Hamas since
it brutally took over Gaza in 2007 and
began a terror campaign: Renounce
terror, recognize Israel and enter peace
negotiations. Then you will receive
recognition, aid and an end
to the blockade.
But what can you expect
from a lecturer who claims
Israel commits "murder
and mayhem" in Gaza, who
believes in "no states" (anar-
chy?) and has no faith in U.S.
politics either?
Finkelstein does not
encourage constructive and
amicable discussion regard-
ing the Middle East. Instead,
he disregards Israel's legiti-
mate security concerns, and
is blind to the varied and potent forces
that make anti-Semitism and anti-
Israelism a continuing threat to Israel
and Jews around the world.
It is ironic and even insulting that
Finkelstein spoke in Dearborn on
the eve of International Holocaust
Remembrance Day (Jan. 27), the
66th anniversary of the liberation
of Auschwitz. His absurd allegations
about Israel and Jews fuel disdain for
Israel and undermine efforts to reduce
anti-Semitism.
Finkelstein's extreme and wild
assertions are antithetical to produc-
tive Arab-Israeli dialogue. Certainly,
they offer little insight, wisdom or
truth to educate college audiences
here in Michigan or elsewhere.

Pro-Israel Activism
Attend an interactive workshop,
Israel Activism That Works, at
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, at
Congregation Beth Ahm in West
Bloomfield.
The free workshop will be led by
Barbara Moretsky of StandWithUs-
Michigan.
No reservations are needed;
walk-ins are welcome. For informa-
tion, call Mike Kahan (248) 854-
0912.
StandWithUs is an interna-
tional education organization that
ensures Israel's side of the story is
told through brochures, speakers,
conferences, missions to Israel and
Internet resources.

Religion from page 25

Jihad is propagated these days
in sermons, audiocassettes, video
clips, booklets and books, all
disseminated in mosques. Even
here in the U.S., under freedom of
expression, books like 40 Hadith
on Jihad (published in Pakistan),
which encourage Muslims to
wage jihad (against whom?), are
freely disseminated in mosques.
Democracy can survive only
if it defends its values. Jihad, the
divine way of Islam to impose
itself on others, totally opposes
human values of freedom, equal-
ity, non-violence and the rule of
human law. Democracy that toler-
ates jihadism from within is on
suicide course.
According to those jihadists, eter-
nal war should be waged against
non-Muslims. Peace will rule the
world only under Islam, when all
the people either convert to Islam
or accept the rule of Islam and live
peacefully as Ahl Dhimma, people
who live under the mercy of Islam,
the religion of peace. Only then,
peace will reign over the whole
world
inshallah.

—

Mordechai Kedar is a lecturer in the
Department of Arabic and a research
associate at the Begin-Sadat Center

for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan

University, Ramat Gan, Israel.

Upcoming Appearances
Dr. Kedar will speak on
"Understanding Islam: Is
it Radical Islam or is Islam
Radical?" at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 9, at Young
Israel of Oak Park (YIOP),
15140 W. 10 Mile. Free.
Directions: (248) 967-3655.
Information: myalesegel@
comcast.net or (248) 208-
2773. Sponsors: YIOP, Zionist
Organization of America-
Michigan Region, StandWithUs-
Michigan, Friends of Israel,
Gene and Robin Newman.
Dr. Kedar will debate Osama
Siblani, publisher of the
Dearborn-based Arab American
News, at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday,
Feb. 9, at the Wayne State
University Law School in Detroit
with Nolan Finley, Editorial
Page editor of the Detroit News,
serving as moderator. Free.
Information: rubr@wayne.edu .

