Norman Finkelstein on Gaza

Excerpts from a talky by Norman Finkelstein given at the Brecht Forum Wednesday December 2, 2009.

Gaza: One Year Later
Norman Finkelstein on the significance of the Goldstone Report
Norman Finkelstein

On the morning of 27 December 2008, Israeli occupying forces launched 'Operation Cast Lead,' a wide-ranging military offensive against the Gaza Strip. 80 warplanes carried out a devastating surprise airstrike campaign whose scale and intensity signaled Israel's intention to inflict widespread destruction throughout the Gaza Strip.

After 22 days of unrelenting aerial attacks coupled with an intensive ground invasion that began on 3 January 2009, the death toll exceeded 1,400 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians including women and children. Over 5,000 more were wounded. Excessive civilian casualties were compounded by the unprecedented destruction of civilian infrastructure across the Gaza Strip including hospitals, schools, mosques, civilian homes, police stations and United Nations compounds.

The Goldstone report, which was released in September, details the extensive war crimes of the Israeli army. While the report was dismissed by the United States, it remains the most authoritative document for any further discussion on the question of Palestine. Join Norman Finkelstein as he presents a detailed analysis of the report.

Norman G. Finkelstein received his doctorate in 1988 from the Department of Politics at Princeton University. For many years he taught political theory and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Finkelstein is the author of five books which have been translated into more than 40 foreign editions: 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; The Rise and Fall of Palestine: A Personal Account of the Intifada Years; and, with Bettina Birn, A Nation on Trial: The Goldhagen Thesis and Historical Truth. He has just completed a new book entitled A Farewell to Israel: The Coming Break-up of American Zionism, to be published in 2009.

You can watch the entire talk at the following link: http://www.vimeo.com/8044029

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• Norman Finkelstein
• Noam Chomsky
• conflict
• Goldman Report
• occupation
• activism
• Brecht Forum

[redpartyclothes]

the guy holding the camera is breathing reeeally heavily

[buddhagem]

Actually that was the lady sitting next to me. I noticed it too.

[mohammedalswaidi]

Zionist ISRAEL does NOT speak for all of the JEWISH people. Criticism of ZIONIST ISRAEL is NOT hate of the Jewish people. ZIONISM is the main cause of what is happening in the world now its not only dangerous to the Palestinians but to the Jews themselves. End of Zionism equal Peace !!!!!!

[mohammedalswaidi]

These crimes committed against the Palestinians by the Zionists reflected the deep-felt hatred of everything non-Jew embedded in the Zionist hateful ideology. You dont think Jews can bomb and kill innocent people. Look up the WAR CRIMES against the people of GAZA, the Slaughter of 1500 Palestinian boys under 10 years old in less than one year? Dont be surprised the Zionist Jews have much to hid.

[shihab313]

Norman is a great man

[mohammedalswaidi]

Zionist Israel does NOT speak for all of the Jewish people. Criticism of Zionist Israel is NOT hate of the Jewish people. Zionism is the main cause of anti-Semitism throughout the world. End of Zionism equal Peace!!!!!!

[mohammedalswaidi]

I know that many people don't get the full picture,and if they do,it is heavily WATERED DOWN and the true victims are MARGINALISED and made the AGGRESSORS instead.ISRAEl DESTROYED every thing,daily MASSACRES,MEN,WOMEN,CHILDREN, Some of the strikes were conducted in densely populated areas,and during the time SCHOOL CHILDREN were leaving SCHOOLS and on their way home .

[mohammedalswaidi]

Terrorist Israel never has had any peace in sixty years and she will never have any peace, because there can never be any peace structured on injustice, thievery, lying, deceit, terror, Claiming democracy is only to shield their terrors against the Palestinians, and Showing that Israel is a peace seeking state is a laughable fact for a warlike state like Israel.

[JanPB]

It's interesting reading the responses here. I checked the profiles for the posters' locations and it never fails: only Americans think of socialism as a bad thing or a bad word right of the bat, as if it was a given. Despite the great technological advances, it's still a country stuck in the 18th century. Not sure why that is.