Christopher Hitchens on the Israeli Flotilla Raid

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2010/06/04/Christopher_Hitchens_Some_Confessions_and_Contradic...

Author Christopher Hitchens discusses his views on the May, 2010 Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. He argues that while the Gaza occupation is unjust, the activists on the flotilla most likely had ulterior motives.

-----

Christopher Hitchens, tackling nearly everything with unmatched enthusiasm, erudition and, at times venom, has up to now barely touched upon one subject: his own life.

After many years writing about world issues and traveling to some of the most dangerous places on the planet, comes his memoir Hitch-22. Though Hitchens can navigate any argument with great dexterity, his memoir focuses on those whom he has loved, those he has abhorred, and those who have helped shape him throughout his life. The memoir answers this question: How the hell did Christopher Hitchens become Christopher Hitchens?

With tenderness he writes about his parents -- his mother Yvonne, in particular, "a beautiful woman who loves me" and about his father, Commander Hitchens, whose "liver was that of a hero." In a form that is anything but shy, Hitchens describes his complex and warm relationship with his mother, whose Jewish heritage he discovered only after her suicide.

The memoir naturally touches upon friendships, both lost and found over the course of his life. Hitchens' many sketches of friendships and ex-friendships from Martin Amis to Noam Chomsky, Edward Said to Gore Vidal are delivered in a style that is at once ironic, witty and tough-minded. A legendary bon vivant with an unquenchable thirst for literature, Hitchens has at times ridiculed those who claim the personal is political, even though he has often seemed to illustrate that very idea.

Paul Holdengräber, in conversation with Hitchens, will goad him to help bring into focus the many sides of Hitch, thereby illustrating Robert Frost's dictum that "a liberal is a man too broad-minded to take his own side in a quarrel." - New York Public Library

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• israel
• hamas
• turkey
• turkish
• state
• video
• controversy
• controversial
• jews
• jewish
• activism
• fora.tv
• foratv
• fora
• tv

[Jtoksa2]

@HAIDARAVEN

I do not understand the analogy at all. Since Palestinians and Indians are the indigenous inhabitants of Palestine and North America respectively, and since the Jews and the immigrants from Europe are the foreign invaders, how can an analogy exist between the Israeli Jewish population and the American Indians?

[RThornhill69]

@HAIDARAVEN They're not exactly the same scenarios. Based on this logic, you can say that the Jews were in Israel thousands of years ago and were forced out by various ancient armies and, much like today's Palestinians, were nomads for a very long time. Personally, I'm not sure if I had lived in 1948 that I would have been in support of creating the state of Israel. I don't know. However, the country exists today and for us to try to dismantle it would be more destructive in the end.

[jakebenjaminsk7ss]

@HAIDARAVEN both have a right to exist now, you can be against the creation back in the 1940's but now, as Hitchens says you can't just dismantle entire states

[TheTexanCanadian]

@TheTexanCanadian

I was being sarcastic and agreeing with you, making fun of people who DISagree.

[HAIDARAVEN]

@TheTexanCanadian you are quite obviously a white guy and view Indians (as I am one) a conquered people who should just STFU and take it,,,,is your view wthat the land is originally Jewish land and therefore should be returned to them??? so why dismiss the Indian rights to THEIR land?

[HAIDARAVEN]

@kingryan69 so how do you explain giving land to Israel?,,,,and that was my point ,giving land by to the original inhabitants is never gonna happen

[Ragnarockalypse]

@tigersforchrist You are the fool who is scared of fairy tales.

[BlizBob]

@tigersforchrist

Man creates awesome skyscrapers. fake hearts, tunnels, vehicles, gods...

[TheTexanCanadian]

@HAIDARAVEN

Ahhhhh logic it HURTSSS

[tigersforchrist]

Only a REAL FOOL would claim there is no God! Man creates awesome skyscrapers, fake hearts, tunnels, vehicles etc.. If we are very imperfect then what more can God create THE UNIVERSE! You must accept Jesus Christ as your Savior to receive eternal rest in heaven! Simple! John 3:16 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him! Repent & accept Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ or HELL?!? Visit cbn. com