Recorded at the James A. Little Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico on December 6, 2011.
Norman Finkelstein received his doctorate in 1988 from the Department of Politics at Princeton University. For many years he taught political theory and has written and spoken publicly on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Finkelstein is the author of six books that have been translated into more than 40 foreign editions: This Time We Went Too Far: Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Invasion; Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History; The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering; Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict; A Nation on Trial: The Goldhagen Thesis and Historical Truth (with Ruth Bettina Birn); and The Rise and Fall of Palestine: A Personal Account of the Intifada Years. Finkelstein has also published several pamphlets, most recently, Goldstone Recants. He is currently working on a new book entitled Knowing Too Much: Why the American Jewish Love Affair with Israel is Coming to an End.
Finkelstein currently writes and lectures. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
In this episode he is joined in conversation with Chris Hedges. The companion Talk episode may be found here.
Additional photos of this event are available on Flickr.
You may learn more about this event on the Lannan website; you may also listen to an audio recording of this event there.
Regarding Dr. Finkelstein;
What a remarkable Being.
Resolve such as this unequivocally emanates from a very deep seated sense of Humanity.
He unwaveringly challenges with a banner of Morality and Ethics in one hand and Factual Truths in the other.
Such a Noble individual, to stand against many of those within his own religious faith, knowing them to be Wrong.
This can only be true Righteousness.
Whether he is of Jewish faith or not, appears to be far less relevant to him than are his guiding Moral Values and Ethical Principles.
His profound sense of Humanity was undoubtedly nurtured early in life by his mother and what she came away with, from her own persecution under the Nazis.
Simply put, he is a true Rebel.
Much has been written about the ‘Humanity of the Rebel’ throughout history. Essentially, it is one who selflessly challenges Injustice, regardless.
What makes him a Radical however, is not his message, but rather that he does little to self-preserve. So tenaciously committed, is he, to the message, that he has forsaken better judgment when it comes to his own personal needs.
Unlike his mentor Chomsky who bucks the establishment from within, he does so from without, and hence, has found himself more ostracized, besieged, and assaulted. This has sadly brought him much personal sacrifice and pain, to say the least.
Otherwise as a Rebel, he clearly has no interest in personal empowerment, as evidenced by his plight. He continually and steadfastly reiterates the Truthful Facts as they stand, allowing them to speak for themselves.
He is such an extremely well-informed scholar that it has been virtually impossible for anyone to take him on based on the facts, whether in writing or in debate. He consistently attempts to remain intellectually focused and composed, not allowing anyone to derail him, nor deflect and escape his steel-trap mind.
To his credit, he has been unwavering in his onslaught against Injustice, in spite of the many risks, hardships and obstacles before him.
One can only hope, that in time, he will become more enlightened with regard to the need to effect change from within, however, even if so, it is likely too late, as he has found himself indeed a self-made pariah. Otherwise, he should continue in his noble pursuit of challenging Injustice, and hopefully without any additional peril to himself.
Unfortunately, for this Rebel, as with others in history, their goal is never fully accomplished, for Injustice will forever be part of the Human Experience.
As with all genuine rebels, he will be hailed and remembered long after he has gone.