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| Internationally-known author and scholar Norman Finkelstein spoke at HFCC on Tuesday, Nov. 9. PHOTOS: Tariq Abdel-Wahid/TAAN |
The Chicago Reader publication called the film “engaging” and a “guaranteed argument starter,” and the same words could be said about Finkelstein’s lecture at the Forfa Auditorium before a nearly-full crowd.
Speaking slowly, candidly, and comprehensively, the Jewish son of a Holocaust survivor, critic of Israeli foreign policy, and author of the books “This Time We Went Too Far: Truth & Consequences of the Gaza Invasion” and “Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History” laid out his personal theories on the grim humanitarian situation in occupied Palestine.
Finkelstein first spoke about what he called the “best case” argument each side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict had before concluding that the Palestinian side is on the right side of international law in regards to West Bank settlements, which are illegal.
He also brought up the issue of European colonization of Africa and re-establishment of borders after withdrawals by countries like Great Britain, Portugal and others with respect to the situation in Palestine. Territorial integrity for each state is often a priority in such matters and would likely be implemented in Palestine if the right of return were to be granted by Israel to those expelled from their lands.
“It may not sound just but it is a very practical solution without creating new problems,” he said.
Finkelstein’s intention was to apply that logic to Palestine’s borders with Israel and possible changes.
Finklestein added that Israel would have no title to Palestine if their seizure of the lands could be taken back, but also seemed to partially justify Israel’s mindset at the time.
“You can understand given the predicament that Jews were in after World War II that they would disregard any notion of justice or to say to themselves for a moment that the highest justice should be that we have a place to live,” he said.
Arab American Political Action Committee member Don Unis took issue with the comments about the borders, Israel’s original mindset, and some other topics, offering his own passionate counterpoint from the audience to Finkelstein.
“I (should) believe in a Jewish homeland but not in my homeland?” said Unis, who said he believes Palestinians to be his brothers and sisters considering the invasion of Arab lands including his home country of Lebanon.
“Palestinians have the right to go back to Palestine. What about the seven million refugees? Where do you want them to go?”
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| Students from Henry Ford Community College and Michigan-Dearborn speak with Finkelstein after his speech at Henry Ford Community College’s Forfa Auditorium as part of the “Middle Eastern Visions II” film festival. |
He also commented on the fallout from the Palestinians’ struggle for freedom in other countries and how it relates to the three Abrahamic religions.
“The whole Muslim world is paying the price now (because of the occupation), we as Muslims and Christians have to save the Jewish faith from the Zionists or they will destroy the Jewish faith and the Muslim faith and the Christian faith,” he said, before leaving the discussion.
Finkelstein responded by saying that he was attempting to give an informative lecture to students to begin and to then let people decide where justice stands.
His later discussion covered myriad topics from a diverse group of audience members.
“It is important to constantly point out that what Israel is doing is illegal, the occupation and the settlements. The Palestinians do have a right to return and compensation,” he said.
He also spoke of another challenge for the younger generation.
“We have to be principled in that nobody has the right to tell Palestinians to forfeit their rights under international law in the interest of having peace, nobody has the right to tell them in order for there to be peace that they have to give up the right of return or to accept settlements.”
Finkelstein added his thoughts about why the number of refugees people use in arguments should be adjusted from seven million to something more flexible.
“Is there any reason to keep saying that all seven million are going back? That doesn’t make sense and just creates a new problem,” he said, referring in large part to Palestinians such as HFCC Professor of Anthropology Nabeel Abraham, who helped organize the event.
Abraham has a steady job and home in America and represents a person who would most likely not go back.
At the same time, Finkelstein acknowledged the deplorable conditions in refugee camps and said that it is a “real problem” that needs immediate attention.
Finkelstein also acknowledged that there is a “lot of dirtiness in the UN” referencing UN resolutions and directives regarding Palestine but he also brought up the voting record of the UN.
“You almost always see the whole world on one side (Palestine’s side) and U.S. and Israel on the other side with a few small South Pacific Islands,” he said.
Finkelstein then crticized the use of white phosphorus bombs in the late 2008-early 2009 Gaza siege by Israel and reminded the crowd that the horrific weapons, banned for use in civilian areas, were paid by U.S. tax dollars.
Henry Herskovitz, a Jewish Witnesses for Peace Member from Ann Arbor, said he was disappointed in the speech because it did not mention a particular solution to the problem.
“He mentioned that boycotts will hurt the Palestinians but I think that flies in the face of history, the boycott against South Africa for example benefited South African blacks,” he said.
Herskovitz also took issue with Finkelstein’s concept of “reasonable justice” saying that he essentially wants Israel to keep roughly 80% of occupied Palestine.
Finkelstein told a story of how his name was “being dragged through the mud” in early 2007 at DePaul University where he taught, and he was denied tenure in 2007 because of the controversial nature of his books. In the end, instead of fighting the decision for what could have taken six years of his life (per his lawyer), he opted for a settlement and eventually accepted it on the condition that the university was to issue a statement that he was an “outstanding teacher and a prolific scholar.” He also received financial compensation.
Finkelstein went on to say that a similar situation should take place in Palestine with negotiators eventually coming to the table asking for Israel to make an offer.
“There’s got to be compensation, they should say ‘tell us what you are offering us in terms of a state, refugees, and Jersualem, present it to us and let’s see,'” he said. “There is a way to preserve the dignity and self-respect of Palestinians and I’m confident a principled and reasonable solution can be found.”
Others, such as Unis, however, are quick to point out that Palestinians haven’t been given a fair chance to negotiate.
At the end of the lecture, many students, including Palestinians, Arab Americans, Muslims, and others, posed for pictures and thanked him for coming, suggesting that Finkelstein had once again succeeded at giving a polarizing speech at an American college campus.
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