Friday 18 May 2012

Dr. Finkelstein: ‘Farewell Israel?’

On May16, Dr. Peter Lavelle, host of Russian Today (RT) ‘Cross Talk’ interviewed controversial American Jewish academic, author and activist, Dr. Norman Finkelstein, Daniel Pollak, co-director of Zionist Organization of America and Mouin Rabbani, an Amman-based independent political analyst and author. Watch a video below.

The topic of discussion was Dr. Finkelstein’s new book ‘Knowing Too Much‘ in which he claims that American-Jewish romance with the Zionist entity is coming to an end – and that the American Jews known for their liberal views are distancing themselves from the Zionist regime. In the book, Finkelstein takes a critical look at Mearsheimer and Walts’ controversial study of the Israel Lobby (AIPAC), 1967 War – and has refuted Israeli Hasbara (propaganda) lies mouthed by Israeli ambassador Michael Oren, former White House adviser Dennis Ross, Jewish historian Benny Morris and former Israeli prison guard and writer Jeffrey Goldberg.


During the debate, both Finkelstein and Pollak, claimed that majority of American Jews are liberal – that’s they believe in rule of law and support human rights. However, Finkelstein asserted that Israel is not a liberal state. Contrary to Finkelstein’s view, Pollak claims that Israel is more liberal than its neighboring countries when it comes to human rights and international laws – even though later want to ‘wipe of the map’. Mouin Rabbani said that Israel is liberal when it comes to its Jewish population – but to call the state of Israel as a liberal state – is “absurd”.

Finkelstein cliams that in a recent poll, 40% of American Jews under 35-year age, to his own surprise, said that “disappearance of Israel would not be a tragedy”.

Rabbani said that when he was studying in the US, being “Palestinian” was a dirty word at campuses – but since 1980s, being ”Israeli” has become a dirty word.

Finkelstein claimed that 40% Americans support a ‘two-state’ solution – but the US presidents, Congress and Senate members are never been sincere in following Americans opinion under pressure from pro-Israel Jewish groups.

Pollak, when told that even Jewish scholar Dr. Noam Chomsky, a Crypto-Zionist, supports a two-state solution – said that that’s not the opinion of the the majority of Jews and that some Jews have called him “lunatic”. Pollak also claimed that Israeli critics like Finkelstein are “lionized” by Jew-hater, as they “lionized Stalin”. Peter Lavelle interrupted Pollak, laughing, that he was calling Finkelstein “Stalinist”.

Historically, Joseph Stalin was a great friend of Jews. Not only he married three Jewish women – he also established the first Jewish state of Birobidjan in Russia on May 7, 1934. The mass-murderer destroyed thousands of churches and mosques but not a single synagogue.

Personally, I believe that a vast majority of American Jews still support Israel – but have different agenda to save its delegitimization. Yes, many secular American Jews, after learning truth about Israel’s brutal and racist policies towards Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims, have started to distance themselves from Israeli government controlled by warmongering religious fanatics.

I agree with Rabbani that there will be no improvement in Washington’s Middle East policy – whether Americans elect a Democrat or a Republican President. The change will only occur when Americans decide to take their government back from the military establishment and Israel lobby groups.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
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