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. Norman Finkelstein More Quotes by Norman Finkelstein More Quotes From Norman Finkelstein The Zionists indeed learnt well from the Nazis. So well that it seems that their morally repugnant treatment of the Palestinians, and their attempts to destroy Palestinian society within Israel and the occupied territories, reveals them as basically Nazis with beards and black hats. Norman Finkelstein blacksocietyisrael International law says people fighting for self-determination can use force in order to achieve their independence. Norman Finkelstein fightingdeterminationself They used to say Palestinians fight like heroes, now they say heroes fight like Palestinians Norman Finkelstein usedfightinghero Why should these Palestinians, who have lived in Jerusalem for hundreds of years, be evicted from their homes so that Jews from Brooklyn can live in them? Norman Finkelstein brooklynhomeyears Insofar as Zionism sought to solve the Jewish question, it must be reckoned not just a failure but a catastrophe: Israel is the main cause of anti-Semitism in the world today. Norman Finkelstein israeltodayworld The Holocaust has proven to be an indispensable ideological weapon. Through its deployment, one of the world's most formidable military powers, with a horrendous human rights record, has cast itself as a "victim" state, and the most successful ethnic group in the US has likewise acquired victim status. Norman Finkelstein militarysuccessfulrights There is a fundamental principle. People have the right to defend their country from foreign occupiers, and people have the right to defend their country from invaders who are destroying their country. That to me is a very basic, elementary, and uncomplicated question. Norman Finkelstein principlescountrypeople Israel has come out of the boils of the hell, a satanic state. Norman Finkelstein satanichellisrael It's utterly hypocritical for Israelis to wonder aloud why Palestinians don't pursue a non-violent strategy. One obvious reason is that, whenever they have, Israel brutally represses it. Norman Finkelstein strategyisraelwonder My parents often wondered why I would grow so indignant at the falsification and exploitation of the Nazi genocide. The most obvious answer is that it has been used to justify criminal policies of the Israeli state and US support for these policies. Norman Finkelstein criminalssupportparent I think Israel, as a number of commentators pointed out, is becoming an insane state. And we have to be honest about that. While the rest of the world wants peace, Europe wants peace, the US wants peace, but this state wants war, war and war. Norman Finkelstein europewarthinking Apart from my parents, every family member on both sides was exterminated by the Nazis. Norman Finkelstein naziparentsides There's nothing Israel can do without US support. It can't breathe without US support. The US bankrolls everything, and it's just silly to think that Israel can do anything without the support. Norman Finkelstein israelsillythinking People are motivated by the desires for privilege, for power, for profit. Those are not shocking revelations. Anyone who's had any experience in life knows these things. Norman Finkelstein privilegedesirepeople Indeed, the field of Holocaust studies is replete with nonsense if not sheer fraud. Norman Finkelstein holocauststudyfields The Holocaust only emerged in American life after Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Day war against its Arab neighbours. Norman Finkelstein holocaustisraelwar September 11 was a godsend for Israel. It could now conjoin its merciless persecution of the Palestinians with Bush's War against Terror. But my impression is that it wasn't altogether successful. Norman Finkelstein israelsuccessfulwar They've (Israel) lost the battle for public opinion. They claim it's because American Jews know too little.. I claim it's because they know too much about the conflict, and young liberal Jews have difficulty defending the use of cluster bombs in Lebanon or supporting the Israeli settlements. Norman Finkelstein battleisraelknowledge Judging by opinion polls, Israel has bigger problems than me. It is among the most hated countries on the planet. It should stop acting like a lunatic state. Once it carries on like a normal country, I will be happily redirect my energies elsewhere. Norman Finkelstein crazyhatecountry American Jews are overwhelmingly liberal. By "liberal," I mean, basically, support for the rule of law, support for human rights, support for peace; and on all those counts - rule of law, human rights, peace - Israel's record has become indefensible. Norman Finkelstein human-rightssupportmean
