Finkelstein on BDS: A Cult of Dishonesty
February 22, 2012 6:20 by Simon PloskerProfessor Norman Finkelstein is an odious character, infamous for his anti-Israel activities and his book on the “Holocaust Industry”. Finkelstein is also a supporter of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. Which is why a video of Finkelstein calling out the BDS movement as dishonest is causing such a stir.
It’s the video that the BDS movement didn’t want you to see as Finkelstein leaves his BDS supporting interviewer speechless. Here’s some of the highlights:
The video pretty much speaks for itself as one of the heroes of the BDS movement trashes it. That the person calling out BDS for what it really is happens to be Norman Finkelstein says it all about BDS’s moral bankruptcy.
Here’s just some of the highlights:
Norman Finkelstein on BDS
I’ve earned my right to speak my mind, and I’m not going to tolerate what I think is silliness, childishness, and a lot of leftist posturing.
I mean we have to be honest, and I loathe the disingenuous. They don’t want Israel. They think they are being very clever; they call it their three-tier. We want the end of the occupation, the right of return, and we want equal rights for Arabs in Israel. And they think they are very clever because they know the result of implementing all three is what, what is the result?
You know and I know what the result is. There’s no Israel!
. . .
It’s not an accidental and unwitting omission that BDS does not mention Israel. You know that and I know that. It’s not like they’re “oh we forgot to mention it.” They won’t mention it because they know it will split the movement. ‘Cause there’s a large segment of the movement that wants to eliminate Israel.
. . .
Are you going to reach a broad public which is going to hear the Israeli side ‘they want to destroy us?’ No you’re not. And frankly you know what you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t reach a broad public because you’re dishonest. And I wouldn’t trust those people if I had to live in this state. I wouldn’t. It’s dishonesty.
Click here to see a short slide show based on the interview.
Click here to view the full unedited video.
Please consider clicking +1, Tweet, Like or linking to this article on your blog or website. This article is only effective when it reaches a large readership, especially through the Google search engine. Creating a link to this page with the text “Finkelstein on BDS” helps this article reach the first page search results for the term and ensures that HonestReporting’s voice on this issue is heard online.
Image: CC BY-NC-SA HonestReporting.com, flickr/toriaar.
Vardit Feldman
6:03 pm
Feb 20, 2012
I saw this “Academy Award” video last week. I could not believe so many people thought it was wonderful of Finkelstein to finally move away from the BDS movement and lecture on how bad the movement is. Is half the world so gullible???? NO! Finkelstein lectured on how to “legally” de-legitimize Israel and get more followers to bash Israel as a result. He still bashes Israel but he reminds everyone to say please and thank you before he bashes them. He tells people to use facts… Whose facts? His, of course! He senses people are moving away from the BDS people as more and more each day Israel invents something that people all around the world can use and for their benefit. Finkelstein hates that so he must find another way to make people believe Israel is the evil doer of modern society.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
28 
2
Jossef
6:06 pm
Feb 20, 2012
It seems to me that Professor Finkelstein is going through the same mia culpa phase that Judge Goldston went through after writing his blasphemous anti-Israel report; both are realizing that their attempts to show themselves as the superior Jews who would not let their Jewishness color their “honest” views toward Israel, has been used by nefarious groups who want to eliminate Israel and are not peace-loving people seeking justice for the Palestinians. Both Finkelstein and Goldston had nothing honest about them when they took on their respective causes but both were after their self aggrandizment and prestige. We can only hope that both of them and any other Jews who contemplate following in their footsteps are learning the lessons – “when you lie with pigs expect to get dirty.”
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
34 
4
Rick
6:18 pm
Feb 20, 2012
PERFECT descriprion.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
6 
1
Gary Katz
6:06 pm
Feb 20, 2012
Norman, just now you’re realizing that, when you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas?
Maybe you should stop enabling the fleas.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
18 
2
Richard
9:43 pm
Feb 20, 2012
He is still worthless…
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
6 
1
nobody's favorite
6:13 pm
Feb 20, 2012
I just to be a lefty activist. I recognize what is happening here. Finklestein wanted a bigger voice and more power in the BDS movement and didn’t get it. This is simply sour grapes. It has nothing to do with Israel and everything to do with Finklestein’s ego. I will bet any money.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
10 
1
Michael
6:20 pm
Feb 20, 2012
it won’t fly, Finkel-asshole, because the average person is way smarter than you and your extremist buddies.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
9 
1
Marc Rauch
6:36 pm
Feb 20, 2012
Finkelstein is an insane Jew. He grew up being ashamed of his parents European accents, eccentricities and post-concentration camp residual fears. But rather than hating the Germans for doing what they did to his mother and father, he blames other Jews and then Israel for the suffering.
His robot-like body movements and repetitious statements about the BDS aims, although they’re accurate, are the ramblings of a mad man who is angry because the “cult” doesn’t bow down to him. He thinks only he has the correct approach to destroying Israel. He says he has “earned the right.” He has no more right to fight against Israel and Zionism than Charles Manson had to fight against his imagined devils.
The funniest part about Finkelstein is the cult that has been created in the muslim world that supports him. He, Finkelstein, is an avowed atheist; yet muslims who would kill to protect the name of God follow him as if he speaks for God. They should kill him and he should loathe associating with them. But they need each other because they are both insane.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
22 
3
Steveoh
6:37 pm
Feb 20, 2012
Yes Mr. Finkelstein your life’s work and legacy has and will always be a waste. You are 68 and tired of “it”. Well we’re tired of you. First a Maoist and now a true self hating Jew. Your life’s work has been for nothing. Zero. Nada. You will die an angry man who has consistently been on the wrong side of history.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
33 
4
Sylvie Schapira
6:43 pm
Feb 20, 2012
It really is not important what his reasons are for his seeming shift in attitude. The fact remains that many leftists take note of him, and he is saying something confusing to them. This may enable some people (who are capable of thinking for themselves) to wonder if there are other dishonesties within the BDS.
Sooner or later this will happen.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
14 
0
Dorothy
7:22 pm
Feb 20, 2012
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Agree or Disagree:
0 
10
Gary Katz
1:55 am
Feb 21, 2012
Dorothy, American Jews aren’t against criticizing Israel – we’re against using a double standard to judge/attack Israel. There’s an element that resents the very existence of Israel and the very thought that Jews should dare to exert hegemony over Muslims. Finkelstein doesn’t fall into the latter category, but he lends them propaganda support by being in the former category (double standard).
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
7 
0
Norman Finkelstein: BDS Movement is “Silly, Childish…Wants To Eliminate Israel” « Blogs about Israel aggregation
7:31 pm
Feb 20, 2012
[...] Finkelstein on BDS: A Cult of Dishonesty, HontestReporting’s blog Back Spin writes: Professor Norman Finkelstein is an odious [...]
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
jeb stuart
7:32 pm
Feb 20, 2012
I feel bad for Finklestein. He had such a great start and then inexplicably what happened to him? What is he thinking going to South Lebanon and then expecting not to be banned from the country for ten years? Probably for his own protection. Advocating peace is one thing but how he egts from point a to z is hard to follow and the tape didn’t make it any clearer to me. I wonder what part Yitzhak Rabin’s death may have played in his disillusionment and if it is final. The thesis he wrote on the fact most of the Palestinians immigrated to Palestine in the 1800′s and in part because Zionist immigration brought jobs to the region is good stuff. He seems to have taken a hard left at SUNY Binghamton, and that isn’t ard to imagine. The faculty and staff are a bunch of animistic philistines.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
7 
0
Nathan Zafran
9:24 pm
Feb 20, 2012
For a long while I have followed the ramblings of this self-loathing buffoon, especially his raving assaults on great people like Alan Dershowitz. Make no mistake! He is still the same frothing-at-the-mouth despicable moron, and this video proves that he is attempting to salvage the rotting BDS movement, rather than critisizing it, and that his complaints are to prevent damage to the movement rather than scoffing at it. Finkelstein! Commit yourself to some lunatic asylum.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
10 
1
Dorothy
10:38 pm
Feb 20, 2012
Now why would I value the rants of anonymous to me people whose idea of critical discussion is childish name calling. Alan Dershowitz tells the liberal Jewish community what they want to hear. After reading what Dershowitz said, I did some research on him on my own, and guess what, Finkelstein was accurate. I didn’t know who Finkelstein was at all. I started reading what was happening at DePaul and decided I wanted to learn the truth, seeing how slanted the stories appeared to be. It’s better to learn first hand what is going on rather than just accept what others say.
Hot debate. What do you think?
2 
8
Eric Herman
11:04 pm
Feb 20, 2012
1. There were plenty of worthwhile responses that were void of name calling.
2. There are countless of other stories that deeply slanted directly and shamelessly against Israel.
3. The overwhelming majority of Jews honor different opinions, have responsibly done their homework, and deeply aware of what’s going on first hand because they’ve lived it! Quite frankly, it’s suspiciously short-sighted to accuse otherwise and not take that into account.
In other words, we are fully informed and find him to be nothing less than a self-loathing fool.
Apologies if that doesn’t meet with your opinion, but ours is certainly well considered.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
7 
1
Dorothy
11:44 pm
Feb 20, 2012
I presume you think six out of 16 comments that do not emotionally attack him are plenty. Yes, there are slanted articles about Israel, but they generally are not written by Jews. Anti-Zionist Jews are critical of Israelis who support Zionism, but all other positions are positive. I totally disagree with #3. What is it, 70 something percent of all American Jews are liberal in their social beliefs, never listen to or read any other kind of information, and just pat each other on the back for having the right views. Most Jews who disagree with other Jews just keep quiet. Open minded Jews are the exception. That doesn’t mean I think Israel is unimportant. Members of the Jewish community are generally warm, decent, moral, intelligent people. It’s just that when it comes to being open-minded about issues, it just isn’t there, at least here in America. I understand things are different in Israel where discussions are very open and spirited.
Agree or Disagree:
1 
6
Eric
5:52 am
Feb 21, 2012
Dorothy, thank you for the reply.
1. Keep in mind, to most Jews, we view him as someone who perennially denigrates our history and supports enemies who vow our destruction. Given that context, 6 of 16 is actually better than we would receive on a Palestinian advocacy site with a parallel dynamic. I challenge you to find a site where the numbers would be better.
2. “seeing how slanted the stories appeared to be”. Perhaps I don’t understand your context. Which stories are you referring to?
3. You request critical discussion, but in your last reply you site figures (70%) without reference and make broad generalizations about American Jews that are stereotypical and hurtful. I work extremely hard to be regarded as an open-minded American Jew. Here is the context; I contacted Finkelstein by email to better understand his point of view, he responded quite promptly btw which is to his credit; I watched his discussions with Alan D; I’ve reviewed his website. I’ve read some of his work. When all was said and done, I found him to be a self-righteous academic bully whose opinions I did not share.
Like the majority of American Jews, I welcome valid intelligent criticisms of Israel as it is essential to any democracy. This is indeed typical of the American Jewish community that I have known in multiple regions of the country.
Agree or Disagree:
2 
0
Monica McMillen
1:19 am
Feb 21, 2012
Perhaps he’s having a Benny Morris moment.
Agree or Disagree:
1 
0
Anama
1:44 am
Feb 21, 2012
It is not a surprise. What might be salvageable about this small rat Norman Finkelstein who had been molded by a discredit racist as David Irving. We should be asking American universities their motivation to support this low moral and intellectual in their circles. One more further evidence of the symbiosis Communism- Nazism which always work against Jews and of course against Israel.
I would recommend all to read here about:
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2456
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2204
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
marty
2:39 am
Feb 21, 2012
while ratfinkelstien is one and the same as bds where the bds does not mention israel, ratfinkelstien does not mention that Israel is not what bds portrays as Israel, ie the only country in the middle east that arabs have a free and democratic vote, womens rights, gay rights, things that would legitimize Israel. For ratfinkelstein the issue is not the bds but his own misguided hatred towards his own people, something he should rot in hell for as all traitors do. Die a slow and painful death my friend for you are truly a rat.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
4 
0
Steve
2:47 am
Feb 21, 2012
Perhaps someone could explain to me how Finkelstein’s comment that The International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion (quoted in on the video) suddenly becomes ‘International Law’? I just don’t follow. Thus his argument is specious. His morality equally so. Surely we have lawyers to argue and dispute exactly what IS meant by “The Law” and thus the law is not written in stone (allusions intended).
Agree or Disagree:
1 
0
Steve
4:42 am
Feb 21, 2012
Dorothy, thank you for the comment.
In the interview with Finkelstein on the BDS issue, he referred to “International Law” as having already decided the “borders of Israe”l and International Law as having regarded the “settlements” as “illegal” and as Israel “occupying” “Palestinian” land.
Just read ‘wikipedia’ on International law (and all its links) to see that what Finkelstein quotes is specious in the extreme and is simply soap-boxing.
HE is deciding what International law is and isn’t!! The ‘separation barrier’ issue for example, is classic in that it was brought to the ICJ via the GA by Kuwait, Israel was not allowed to present material, it was supported by the whole Arab block and in any case was a non-binding opinion!
From this, our Finkelbrain makes it International Law!! I am no lawyer…and neither is he…so let’s not get caught up in his glib use of the phrase “International law holds that..” because it doesn’t.
Israel has many faults ( I lived there!) but its existence as a democratic state in an area of non-democracies is testimony to its superior morals. Finkelbrain puts up ‘straw men’ with his strategy versus tactics nonsense. If he wants to call a spade a spade (as he suggests he does by his obvious impatience with lesser minds) then call the facts as they are. There were NO High Contracting Parties with respect to the pre 1967 issues and borders..thus the areas he chooses to call “occupied” (by International Law, no less!!) are simply still disputed territories.
In any case, as he himself refers to ‘the mass of people and their opinions’, most (OK I have no facts here but my gut feeling is) Palestinians want to live peaceably with Israelis and would come to an agreement in two minutes IF the corrupt money grubbing ‘Arafatists’ of the PA would all drop dead.
While I would take a view that common sense is a dubious concept, I would enlist that concept to argue that the one and a half million Israel Arabs living in Israel are not marching in the streets against the Knesset or emigrating from Israel to the West Bank!! Whilst Finklebrain seems to be saying “Israel exists – that’s a fact in International Law” – IN FACT, he wishes it didn’t! I think Shakespeare had a word for him… “methinks he doth protest too much!”
Please tell me if you think I missed the point – I’m happy to be proven wrong! Seriously!
Agree or Disagree:
3 
0
Steve
7:16 am
Feb 21, 2012
Correction to my post earlier.
Israel was allowed to present material to the ICJ but chose not to, instead allowing the SGUN to include documentation relating to the issue.
In any case, one dissenting opinion to the ICJ advisory was that it had no right to hear the case as it was not brought by parties relevant to the issue and also that the ICJ erred in not considering the antecedents (acts of terror on the part of Palestinian organisation against Israel). In any case, the whole issue is moot. The wall has succeeded in preventing acts of terror. Full stop. While that might not make it “legal” in the view of some, it saves lives…and that IS legal>
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
Dorothy
4:18 am
Feb 21, 2012
Steve, which video refers to the International Court? I listened to two of them and somehow missed it. You do know that here in the US there is a movement to put US law under international law. It’s the one world government thing.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
Dorothy
4:30 am
Feb 21, 2012
I tried to respond to Steve, but somehow a message came up that said I was sending a duplicate message. Oh well. There are things I think the Jewish community should be aware of. Yet, when they don’t respond I don’t feel the need to insult and name call. That’s the style of the overt antisemites. I just hate to see Jews act in the same way toward people they find abhorent. We all have people we disagree with, but yet it is best to control any barbaric outbursts.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
Steve
4:44 am
Feb 21, 2012
Sorry, Dorothy. I got the ‘reply’ buttons mixed up so the comments are a tad out of order!. Hope you still get this though! (OK, take your point…no more name calling!! Apologies!! )
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0