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Friday, January 26, 2007

And now it's Finkelstein's turn: Norman Finkelstein Invited to Campus

DePaul University Professor Norman Finkelstein, controversial author of Beyond Chutzpah: On the Use of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, has been invited to speak on campus by members of the student body, according to an e-mail sent to the Radical Student Alliance (RSA).

“Despite impressive efforts on our part to bring Professor Norman Finkelstein of DePaul University… to lecture yesterday evening [Jan. 23] following speeches by former President [Jimmy] Carter and Professor [Alan] Dershowitz,” wrote Kevin Conway ’09 in a Jan. 24 e-mail to the group, “we were ultimately denied because of the last minute nature of our proposal.”

Conway added in his e-mail that despite these setbacks, Finkelstein, a “world-renowned expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” had agreed to speak on a date “tentatively scheduled for” Feb. 3 at 7pm. The event, according to the e-mail, would be co-sponsored by the RSA, the Arab Culture Club (ACC), and a possible third sponsor.

“Finkelstein is probably regarded as one of the most internationally acknowledged experts in regards to life on the ground in the occupied territories,” said Conway...

By whom?

...Professor Jerry Cohen (AMST), meanwhile, said that “it’s time to get past bringing in these professional mud-wrestlers and ‘designated hitters,’ and having the debate amongst members of the community who are well-known for their differing positions.” He added that “we don’t have to turn this into a media circus and turn this university into a television program… we shouldn’t just bring in people who trash Israel, or trash Dershowitz, or bring out ‘counter-trash.’”

And at Stanford [via the comments]: Op-Ed: Holocaust denial comes to Stanford, Holocaust Denial Does NOT Come to Stanford, Israel misuses Holocaust, Finkelstein insists.

Far from being "silenced," Finkelstein is actually in demand due to his outrageous views.

3 Comments

They obviously don't realize that Finkelstein commands little or no respect in the field. I have the impression that he's generally regarded as a crank, although perhaps he isn't on the far left. I don't know. But it would seem to me that the university should have a better idea of who's who in the field before extending invitations. It's one thing to invite anti-Zionist speakers, but at least invite ones that are regarded as responsible scholars.

Yes, he's widely regarded as a crank, but he has a political viewpoint that appeals to enough people that it doesn't matter.

And yes, he's on the far Left, something that's a frequently found common denominator.

Actually, after reading the attached article more closely, I've changed my mind. They knew exactly who Finkelstein is, but the "they" in this case wasn't a naive administrator looking for balance, it was a student from a radical group, whose views don't reflect those of the campus as a whole. Even the co-sponsor, an Arab students' club, expressed misgivings.

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