Thursday, September 6, 2007

Score one for the good guys



Norman Finkelstein, a DePaul University professor, who is famous for promoting the view that Jews exploit the Holocaust for political and financial gain, has resigned.

This resignation comes on the heels of DePaul's decision in June to deny Finkelstein tenure and after the university canceled his only remaining class. Earlier this summer, Finkelstein said he would go on a hunger strike if he was denied entrance to the school on the first day of classes yesterday. Instead, he and the school released a joint statement to announce his resignation.

In the release, DePaul referred to Finkelstein as "a prolific scholar and an outstanding teacher."

In an interview with Ha'aretz, Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz said he was disappointed that the school "caved into pressure."

"The idea of describing him as a scholar trades truth for convenience. He's a man who is a propagandist and is not a scholar." Still, Dershowitz said, "I'm happy he's out of academia. Let him do his ranting on street corners."

Finkelstein, who is the son of Holocaust survivors, is the author of Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History. In it, Finkelstein attacks Dershowitz, the author of The Case for Israel, and suggests that Israel attempts to stifle criticism of the state by claiming that its critics are anti-Semitic.

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