The Repugnant Gilad Atzmon on the equally Repugnant Norman Finkelstein

Gilad Atzmon on Norman Finkelstein's recent characterization of BDS as a "cult":

PS. how can any read lines like this and not believe Atzmon is an anti-Semite?

"we are actually dealing with a rabbinical operation that exercises the most repulsive Judaic excommunication tactics."

"Israel is dominated politically by an oppressive and racially exclusive Jewish political philosophy"

"all the British political parties are controlled by the Israel Lobby (Friends of Israel), CFI, LFI, & LDFI"

From Atzmon's website:
www.gilad.co.uk/writings/a-few-comments-on-recent-norman-finkelstein-interview-with-f.html

"Norman Finkelstein has recently bought himself a few enemies within the Palestinian solidarity movement for openly and enthusiastically advocating the Two States Solution. In the last interview it seems as if Finkelstein defends Israel’s right to exist.
From an academic point of view, Finkelstein has a point. He argues that in order to win we have to operate within the parameters set by international law. However, some points should be made here.
It is far from being clear who sets the parameters of international law. Is it really the international community? Or is it just a few powerful Western countries looking into their own particular expansionist interests.
It is also far from being clear whether the international law is either ethically or sensible. Is it ethical to let the Jewish State celebrates its exceptional symptoms at the expense of the indigenous people of the land i.e. the Palestinians? Is it sensible to maintain an, aggressive, expansionist, racist, and exclusivist, nuclear Jewish State in Middle East? Is it safe? Is it good for world peace?
It is far from being transparently obvious to me why an American Jewish academic or any other Western solidarity activist should have a say about the way or manner in which Palestinian should live on their land. I, for instance, have never come across a Palestinian academic preaching Britain to divide its island by resurrecting the wall at the Scottish border. The meaning of it is simple, there is something fundamentally pretentious in the solidarity discourse and in resolution discourse in particular. We, for some reason, like to tell others what is right or wrong.
Do we need to discuss resolution for the conflict? Israel is already a one State, it has a single electric grid, one sewage system, one international pre dial number. Yet Israel is dominated politically by an oppressive and racially exclusive Jewish political philosophy. This has to be changed and it will be changed by means of resistance with our solidarity or without it.
Yet, Finkelstein’s criticism of the solidarity movement is largely valid. The recent expulsion of Palestinians and academics from the UK PSC, proves that we aren’t just dealing with a ‘cult’ discourse as Finkelstein suggests, far worse, we are actually dealing with a rabbinical operation that exercises the most repulsive Judaic excommunication tactics.
Finkelstein is correct when he suggests that the achievements of the solidarity ‘cult’ operations are pretty limited. However, he may fail to realise that solidarity with the Palestinian doesn’t end in the West, in NYC, London or Paris. The recent political triumph of Muslim parties in the region is fuelled by Hamas and Hezbollah victories. It is more than likely, that the Palestinians and the Aabs will liberate themselves.
Unlike Finkelstein, I believe that the solidarity movement is already a mass movement. More and more people out there grasp that the continuum between Israel, AIPAC and the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) is the biggest threat to world peace. More and more Brits are astonished to find out that all the British political parties are controlled by the Israel Lobby (Friends of Israel), CFI, LFI, & LDFI . How many British politicians are as friendly with Hartlepool or Penzance? More and more Brits and Americans grasp that their politicians are for sale. They realise that on the Israeli shopping list, a Western politician comes out much cheaper than a tank. More and more Brits and Americans come to realise that in this crucial battle for elementary freedom ‘We are all Palestinians"

Norman Finkelstein on BDS

From the Huffington Post Monitor

For those of you who can't tolerate a half hour of Norman Finklestein: Here's the highlights:




Transcript follows.

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! And if you don't want the same framework then stop talking about the law and stop trying to be so clever. Because you're only so clever in your cult. The moment you step out you have to deal with Israeli propaganda. And here they have a case.

They say no they're not really talking about rights. They're talking about they want to destroy Israel. And in act I think they're right I think that's true. I'm not going to lie. But this kind of duplicity and disingenuous, "oh we're agnostic about Israel." No you're not agnostic! You don't want it! Then just say it! But they know full well: If you say it you don't have a prayer reaching a broad public. Because that's where the public is right now.

I support the BDS. But I said it will never reach a broad public until and unless they're explicit in their goal. And their goal has to include the recognition of Israel or it's a nonstarter. It won't reach the public because the moment you go out there Israel will start to say what about we and they won't recognize our right and in fact that's correct. You can't answer the Israelis on that because they're making a statement that's factually correct. 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.

You talk about BDS they make all these claims about their victories. All their claims. You know what? You use these ten fingers? These more than suffice to count all their victories. There are superfluous fingers here to count all their victories. It's a cult! Where the guru says we have all these victories and everyone nods their head and no one sits down to do the arithmetic on their own.

Yes it's had some victories no question about it. But the way people promote it as if it's proven itself and we're on the verge of a victory of some sort. It's just sheer nonsense. Its a cult. And I personally am tired of it.

There's no Israel. That's what it's really about. And you think you're fooling anybody. You think you're so clever that people can't figure that out for themselves? No they understand the arithmetic perfectly well. 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 read 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.

The full video can be found here . The BDS'ers are scampering madly to have it removed- watch it, download it and spread it while you can.

Hamas reveals IDF death toll from Gaza conflict was correct

British Hip Hop artist, LOWKEY, International Solidarity Movement member, Jody McIntyre, and former Princeton University political science professor , Norman Finkelstein spoke at Kresge College at UCSC on May 12, 2010 claiming " over 1400 Palestinians were killed in Gaza" and that “between 500 and 700 were civilians.” Photo by Becky Johnson.


NOTE TO READER: In the Winter War of 2009 against Hamas, the IDF was accused of slaughtering innocent Palestinians. The IDF always proclaimed they took great precautions to protect innocent civilian life. I wrote about discrepancies in the Gaza death toll from that conflict on my blog, "Becky Johnson: One Woman Talking" in September of 2009 which you can read here: http://beckyjohnsononewomantalking.blogspot.com/2009/09/idf-reports-251-death-discrepancy-and.html. With this revelation by Hamas leaders in the Arab press confirm what I predicted all along.

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=193521

Hamas confirms losses in Cast Lead for first time By JPOST.COM STAFF 01/11/2010 Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hammad on Monday told London-based newspaperal-Hayat that al-Qaida does not have any presence in Gaza, and discussed casualties in Operation Cast Lead as well as the Gilad Schalit prisoner exchange talks. Hammad said in the interview that Hamas is ready for war but ruled out an escalation anytime soon, saying that "Israel has always sought to escalate the situation in Gaza in order to wage war, and we are not afraid of war." The senior Hamas man continued, "We expect that there are wars to come, but the international situation, and the regional situation is not suitable for war at the present time." However, the Hamas official accused Israel of provoking the US into fighting a war with Iran, saying, "We have the heart of one man," and adding "we have the ability to confront." Responding to accusations that the people of Gaza had paid the price for Hamas' war with Israel, Hammad retorted, "They say that people who are affected by this war, but is Hamas not a part of the people?" Talking about losses in the war, Hammad confirmed significant personnel losses in Hamas' military wings for the first time. He said, "On the first day of the war, Israel targeted police stations and 250 martyrs who were part of Hamas and the various factions fell." He added that, "about 200 to 300 were killed from the Qassam Brigades, as well as 150 security personnel." Hammad also claimed that Israel too had deflated its casualty numbers, claiming that 50 Israelis were killed during Cast Lead, but that "they [Israel] acknowledged only 12 people." Responding to reports of human rights abuses committed by Hamas security forces in the Strip, he said, "We are not a society of angels." He added: "We seek to advance the institutions and training, we are keen on the prestige of the police and their enforcement of the law. At the same time, we need to preserve the dignity of the citizen." When asked if he fears al-Qaida cells in the Strip, he responded: "We do not have an al-Qaida base in Gaza." Trying to distance Hamas' ideology from Osama bin-Laden's terrorist group, he claimed, "We are centrists and are proud of that, we do not like zealots and extremists." Discussing the ongoing prisoner exchange talks with Israel to release Schalit, Hammad said that "Israel is interested in striking a bargain," but pointed out that it wants to limit Hamas' success," and therefore to secure Schalit's release for the cheapest price. He said that a deal to release Schalit was on the verge of completion, but claimed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu backed out of the deal at the last minute. He claimed that "Netanyahu wanted to prevent a large number of prisoners from being released," adding that there were also issues with the names on the list.