Oxford University will be holding a debate on Thursday: “This House believes that the State of Israel has a right to exist.” Who will be speaking in “support” of the motion? None other than the infamous Norman Finkelstein, of course. Is this supposed to be a joke? If so, it’s a good one. Seriously, who better to argue for Israel than a man who has dedicated his life to speaking against it. This should work out just beautifully in the open-minded, Israel-is-an-apartheid-nation, Oxford setting. Finkelstein has a large record of interesting anti-Israel statements. A few of them being:
• “Every victory for Hizbullah over Israel is… a victory for liberty and a victory for freedom.”
• “All of us should take part in all forms of boycott against retail stores and other businesses dealing with neo-Zionist Israel, divestment, civil disobedience, non-cooperation, not voting, picketing, ostracism, naming, symbolic public acts, strikes and whatever else is rational against neo-Zionism.”
• “After the horror and after the shame and after the anger there still remain a hope, and I know that I can get in a lot of trouble for what I am about to say, but I think that the Hezbollah represents the hope. They are fighting to defend their homeland.”
Finkelstein openly supports extremists dedicated to the destruction Israel. He spends his spare time writing ridiculous books and essays on how big of whiners Holocaust survivors are and how Zionist Jews have become the real Nazis. The Holocaust and anti-Semitism, he argues, have been primarily used as an excuse to endorse criminal policies. Really, it makes a lot of sense that he will be taking the “pro-Israel” (?!?) stance in the Oxford debate. Ted Honderich, whom Finkelstein will be pairing up with, believes that Palestinians have “a moral right in their terrorism against Israelis.” Seems to me like the two men have a lot of common ground with those who will be on the “opposing side.” What a mockery. Oxford should be embarrassed at their blatant display of favoritism and one-sidedness. There is no debate. Just a debacle.
I will be heading to Israel in June to learn Hebrew and work on a kibbutz for five months. However, considering all that is brewing at the moment, I don’t know if I’ll end up being allowed to come. Keeping my fingers crossed. With constant turmoil in the South-West (Hamas is at it again) and vague threats from the North, things aren’t looking too good. Just last week 20-year old Carlos Chavez was shot by Palestinian sniper fire in the back while working in the fields of Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha (close to Gaza). Chavez was a volunteer worker from Ecuador. The Kassam rocket bombardments from Gaza have become so increased that 150 families from Sderot are considering evacuating their children to Jewish families in the U.S. for safety.
On top of all this, last week Zakhariya Zubeidi, Al Aksa Commander, warned that if peace negotiations fail “violence will erupt.” As if it hasn’t already? However, they apparently have their minds made up as to how the peace process will go and thus already have plans for violence. Zubeidi explained that “the Israeli occupation is not interested in a peace process. It does not want negotiations. The Israeli occupation is known for its killing and destruction, and it constantly tries to cause conflict among the Palestinian people.”
Fatah has decided to “stop all military activities” for now and give “an opportunity for those negotiating the rights of the Palestinian people.” However, Zubeidi stated that any means or measures will be taken to retrieve the rights of the Palestinian people. What’s included in these rights? A Palestinian State with it’s capital in Jerusalem. When asked if force would be used while negotiations were going on, Zubeidi said that he would do whatever the PLO or Fatah decided, even if that be the return to military activities. So much for this commitment to laying down weapons for peace.
To top it all off, Russia’s bulldog statements and Iran and Hizbullah’s continued shadiness should make for an interesting summer.
