- (Editors Note: It takes more than chutzpah for someone
who defends torture, and cannot adequately defend himself against accusations
of plagiarism to call the son of Holocaust survivors a Nazi and anyone
who doesn't believe in his, Dershowitz's Neo Con theories, a fanatic! -
ICH )
-
- About the Abuse of History - A New Controversy
Surrounds Norman Finkelstein
-
- From Information Clearing House
- By Julian Hanich
- Tagesspiegel
- 4-23-5
-
- The American historian Norman Finkelstein, whose book
"The Holocaust Industry" provoked a fierce debate in Germany
four years ago, is creating new furor. There are protests in the USA against
the publication of his new book "Beyond Chutzpah. On the Misuse of
Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History". Finkelstein plans to bring
the book out in August through the University of California Press. The
attorney and Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, has, however, expressed
his vigorous reservations against Finkelstein's book in a number of letters
to the publishers as well as to CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's legal
department. "This would be a scandal equal to Holocaust denial"
Dershowitz told the Tagesspiegel.
-
- In his new book Finkelstein attacks the new anti Semitism.
Primarily, however, it is about the "dishonesty in the research on
the Israeli - Palestinian conflict", as it is called in one of the
publisher's synopsis. The point being: The criticism is aimed at no other
than Alan Dershowitz. Finkelstein makes serious allegations against Dershowitz'
book "The Case for Israel" which has recently appeared in Germany
through the Europa Verlag and was called "an intelligent argument"
by the New York Times.
-
- Finkelstein maintains that Dershowitz "systematically
distorted facts". On the basis of these accusations the publishers
employed six expert appraisers on the book. The spring publishing date
which had been planned thus had to be postponed. Dershowitz announced that
he planned to sue Finkelstein for libel. A representative of the University
of California Press said that there had been interest in "Beyond Chutzpah"
expressed in Germany, and that negotiations are in process with the Piper
Verlag, which had published the translation of Finkelstein's "The
Holocaust Industry".
- Meanwhile Finkelstein has received support from Noam
Chomsky. The linguist and radical critic of the American and Israeli foreign
policies called "Beyond Chutzpah" a "very solid, important,
and highly informative" book. Dershowitz, on the other hand, says
that the book can be published - but by a "Neo Nazi publisher"
and not a university. "Finkelstein's readership comprises primarly
of Neo Nazis and fanatics" says Dershowitz. With Finkelstien and Chomsky
who crticize, and Deshowitz who defends Israel, two factions of American
Judaism collide. Moreover, there seems to be a personal feud between Finkelstein
and Dershowitz. It goes back to the "Case for Israel", during
which time Finkelstein and Dershowitz clashed fiercely during a radio discussion.
Julian Hanich.
-
- Copyright: Tagesspiegel . All rights reserved. You may
republish under the following conditions: An active link to the original
publication must be provided. You must not alter, edit or remove any text
within the article, including this copyright notice.
-
- (In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this
material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the included information for research and educational
purposes. Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with
the originator of this article nor is Information Clearing House endorsed
or sponsored by the originator.)
-
- http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8594.htm
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