Norman Finkelstein’s Attack on the BDS Movement

NOVANEWS

Richard Gold

A couple of hours ago I watched an interview with Norman Finkelstein on the BDS campaign. Finkelstein describes the BDS campaign as a little cult, lambasts it for being a one state campaign, as dishonest, etc. It’s well worth watching. It was here on You Tube but it was then made private and then removed. Anyway you can watch it here.
Frank Barat’s facebook page gives the following explanation for the removal of the video from You Tube:
Final comment on removal of Finkelstein BDS video.
Norman Finkelstein contacted me (a common friend was also involved in discussion) and asked me to delete video from youtube
account because “video did some harm” (his words). I agreed to do so because I think that, at the end of the day, video ended up creating a fuss/controversy but not much else and my intention was never to divert some people minds from what is really important: daily solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Posted in Uncategorized. 12 Comments »

12 Responses to “Norman Finkelstein’s Attack on the BDS Movement”

  1. Marc Grajower Says:
    February 14, 2012 at 8:20 pm Help me out here. This Finkelstein meets Finkler no?

  2. Brian Goldfarb Says:
    February 14, 2012 at 11:06 pm A fascinating interview for what Finkelstein says and it is interesting to note that there is little in the half hour that he doesn’t say: I didn’t notice much in the way of subtexts (and nowpeople will pile in to point out all the subtexts!).What I did take from the interview is that Finkelstein is a two-stater; that he attacks the inflation of refugee numbers (although he doesn’t query the ideology of UNRWA – maybe that’s a step too far); he labels BDS a cult; he calls (towards the end of the interview) BDS guilty of ‘duplicity’ and ‘disingenuousness’, ‘dishonest’, and ‘criminal’. I also note his dislike of the fact that the BDS movement isn’t open in its desire to see Israel disappear. It is also clear that he states with absolute clarity as a matter of legal fact that Israel is a state and has a right to exist – within the ’67 borders: and he does call them borders, not truce lines. He fails to mention the security barrier, by any name.Indeed, if all one knew of Finkelstein were this interview, one would wonder why Dershowitz was (is?) so unhappy with him.
    Finally, does anyone know who Frank Barat “Human Rights activist” is? unless it was planned this way, I’d say that Finkelstein gave him a working over.

    • fred Says:
      February 16, 2012 at 3:19 pm Finkelstein has stuck by 2-states consistently throughout his career. Dershowitz was chiefly upset with Finkelstein’s attacks on Dershowitz’s credibility. also, dershowitz criticized finkelstein for being against “the kind of two-state solution that exists today” (that’s a paraphrase), meaning incorporating settlement blocs into israel. this is short bit w/them debating 2-states http://youtu.be/QKaX3EkrkII?t=2m36s

  3. BOOZ Says:
    February 15, 2012 at 11:31 am Brian :Here is his self bigography ( in French)http://www.agoravox.fr/auteur/frank-barat

    • Brian Goldfarb Says:
      February 15, 2012 at 9:37 pm Well, that he publishes articles in Counterpunch says it all, really. Almost don’t need anything else, he said, imitating those who take a different view.

  4. David D. Says:
    February 15, 2012 at 8:29 pm The BDS people are scrambling to suppress this very embarrassing video. Here is a shortened version of the essential argument:http://hpmonitor.blogspot.com/2012/02/shortened-finkelstein-video.html

    • Brian Goldfarb Says:
      February 15, 2012 at 10:49 pm Why am I not surprised at that? It’s very embarrassing for them. It is, though, a shame that hpmonitor are offering a shortened version, although I understand why: lots of people either don’t have the time or don’t have the inclination to sit for half an hour of very small screen intellectual (and it is intellectual) rigour.I am wondering where the BDS people are though. Why haven’t they popped up, telling us that the _real_ interpretation of what Finkelstein is saying is the exact opposite of what the words tell us? Or that we shouldn’t be watching it, because he’s a traitor to his principles, or…whatever.

  5. Blacklisted Dictator Says:
    February 16, 2012 at 11:40 am

    Fink is also very ambivalent about whether the academic boycott is a wise strategy.

  6. justquoting Says:
    February 17, 2012 at 1:07 am

    The longer version is more interesting for showing a bit of Barat’s sincere attempts at self-trickery. Plus, toward the end, Finkelstein’s discussion of the Northern Ireland solution is a poignant moment of anti-fanaticism.

    • Harvey Says:

      February 17, 2012 at 12:54 pm

      What I cannot begin to understand is how did they miss this and allow it to go on You tube in the first place . What was Frank thinking ? Is he so in awe of Finklestein that he couldn’t help himself and uploaded without thinking through what he had just been a part of .
      I fear for his safety . Does he get shipped off to some Gulag in Siberia , or do they simply hand him a revolver .
      I know the bds appratchniks from counter demos Ahava , Tesco ( was even punched by one of their leading ladies while helping security identify trouble makers ) etc . I know how obsessive they are in their Stalinist control of agit prop . How Greenstein , Levy , Fink etc missed it down at politburo headquarters is most strange .
      I’m sure The Atzmonites will cite this when they launch their coup .

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