One of the best of finklelstein --- if he thinks that we are close to a change then I think so too :)

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Permalink Reply by Neri Bar-On on March 26, 2010 at 8:01am

nice to know he is pro two state solution

I am not sure I take his interpertation of Gandi and of public opinion ...

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Permalink Reply by Ohad Bracha on March 26, 2010 at 7:57pm

He was always pro 242 and a student of chomsky witch is pro two state,

I like him BC he can reach the poeple that you once told me you call blind poeple ,

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Permalink Reply by Omar Mohammed on April 3, 2010 at 12:35pm

Interesting video: Finkelstein on Crocodile tears from someone who wanted to divert attention from current issues of injustice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgzVE-PzCaY

I actually felt sorry for the girl; perhaps she is so soaked in the history of Jewish suffering as told to her that like many become unnaturally oblivious to the suffering of others. The question is did Finkelstein's approach help or hurt her understanding? I am not sure it helped. But tehn again how do we reach people like that?

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Permalink Reply by Neri Bar-On on April 3, 2010 at 1:17pm

its very hard, the Nakba is a "this time" continues developing reality were the Holocaust is "historic memory" but from the other side there is a grate difference that I usually prefer to avoid the comparison. the Houlcous is experience as strong identity element for Jews and for Israelis claims to compare or try to bring a different narrative will fail in tears, and that no Crocodile tears I am sure the girl experience emotional stress.

The issue of the Palestinians reality is what in focus and Finkelstein try to move the discussion for "historic interpertations" that can only convince the convinced. This is a wrong path. what Finkelstein do is justify the Palestinian tears in times this nation need to raise up and create its future.

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Permalink Reply by Ohad Bracha on April 4, 2010 at 1:10am

Omar you know the "problem" is that Israel is a fact and a reality for 5 generations now, historians like reporters in Israel have no agenda or "gov control" they are being allowed to do their jobs they the believe is right some thing that you can not say about even the most advanced civilizations. Israel have historians and new historians and new new historians, and as I see you love reading Israeli and Jewish historians obviously as a Palestinian.

I am worried less about Israeli history and more about the fact that Palestine does not have one, Palestine is still a frication of imagination that we all hope one day will come to a reality .

twenty years after the creation of Palestine and hopefully if Palestine will have the same freedom on journalism and history it will be fun to have a discussion

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Permalink Reply by Omar Mohammed on April 4, 2010 at 1:44pm

History is written by people. People have biases. To my knowledge there is no more biased and distorted history on earth than that dealing with this land. For example while archeologists showed that just about every story in the bible is false (from Moses to Joshua and his conquering the land), still history books of the tribal chiefs regurgitate that nonsense as if it is fact. And where genetics, anthropology and sociology show that Jews today are multi-ethnic and that most of it was due to conversions in places like Yemen, Khazaria (Ashkenazim), and north Africa, many still cling to the myth that Jews are largely coming from the "12 tribes". And (including many fellow Muslims) still believe that Palestinian Muslims came from Arabia with the Islamic conquest despite the historical, archeological, genetic, and sociological record!
In the future, Palestinians and Israelis (who will no longer be calling themselves as such) will look back at this era of mythologies in the same way we now look back at teh dark ages when suggesting the earth was not flat was considered heresy.

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Permalink Reply by Ohad Bracha on April 5, 2010 at 6:09am

I am an atheist my parents are too my grandfather was but then he found god after the holocaust or something..
I have a family from., Russia, Poland , Greece , Germany, Iran and Palestine. I do not believe in biblical stories but I know that all of my family had connection to Israel for generations. its part of the Jewish culture way before Zionism and that is something that not you and nor any historians can deny and they do not.
I would gladly live in this world that you claim to support without nations and religion and history , but this is not the world we are living in and its absolutely not the middle east.
I know also that there are historian "facts" that you absolutely supports with out questions (based on your other comments), just as long as it favors the Palestinians, and again I understand that I have no problem with that ... you feel connection to your people , its natural.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Gill on April 5, 2010 at 10:17am

Omar, your yourtube link doesn't work for me - can you give me some more information about this movie?

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