Special Palestine Cry Blog articles: Dr. Finkelstein and the Rejection of the Vienna University

Dr. Finkelstein and the Rejection of the Vienna University

May 13th, 2009 by kawther.salam

Universities are the places where the intellectuals, scientists, politicians, professors, engineers, doctors … of a society are formed, and where free speech and discussion should be allowed, unencumbered by politics, because a University can not function well without the possibility of the free exchange of ideas, and they should never be permitted to fall under the sway of thought terrorists. At least this was what I learned at universities. But when Universities turn away from these their objective goals and principles and instead become the castles of suppression of the freedom of speech and expression, they only spread ideology, and ideologies are without exception, collections of ideas which only serve to further the goals and justify the activities of psychopaths. This is the point when staying at home, or on a mountain with the goats, but without education, becomes a much better alternative, to be preferred over education at University … (Kawther)

This all what I can say after Prof. Manuel Arispe, a professor from Peru, sent me the correspondence between him and the director of University of Vienna, explaining the purpose of inviting the intellectual Dr. Norman Finkelstein to give a speech on coming May 27 at the campus in the old AKH in Vienna. The invitation of Dr. Finkelstein came after an agreement to use a locality on the Uni Campus had already been signed with the organizers of the event, and after the University received 481 Euro in payment for the use of the premises (see documents below). But the University refused their permission to allow the Finkelstein lecture after somebody from a zionist organization sent a protest letter (quoted in part), consisting more of bullying and whining than the mention of facts which would warrant refusing the appearance of Dr. Finkelstein.

Dr. Norman Finkelstein was invited to speak about Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and not about his book “Holocaust Industry“, which the zionists in Vienna and everywhere else hate, apparently because the book will open the door to legitimate criticism of immoral and criminal policies of Israel, but, worse, it appears that the zionists know well that allowing dissenters from inside the Jewish communities like Dr. Finkelstein, but also others, puts clearly on display that there is a deep schism within jewish society which goes much deeper than the differences due to normal rivalries between factions within Judaism, namely the schism between zionists and some extremist religious groups on one side, and everybody else who thinks of themselves as Jews. So it appears that the problem of these people with Dr. Finkelstein is not so much about his (supposed) acceptance by certain non-Jewish political radicals and his unorthodox approach to the sensitive issue of the holocaust, but that in his books he makes evident how naked and delegitimized these groups are within the jewish communities worldwide.

To know more about the “real” democracy in Europe and the policy of silencing the intellectuals who do not conform to the narrow interests of zionism, please look at the documents below, and read the translation of the letter between Prof. Manuel Arispe and the director of Vienna University, also below.

As I could see, the problems and obstacles which the zionists cause wherever Dr. Finkelstein is invited to speak are nothing new. The shameful episode caused by them with the University of Vienna is neither the first nor the last one with respect to Dr. Finkelstein, but also in regards to other persons who speak out against their perceived interests. As I know from my experience with jews, what scares them most are persons who speak out the truth irrespective of what is considered “appropriate” by zionists.

Honestly, what follows is a weak translation, as weak as the German original, of a letter sent by a zionist lady to the rector of the University of Vienna. I prefer to leave the language similar to the original, in order to show the level of the writer which scared the Rector of the University of Vienna. Upon receiving this letter, the lecture of Dr. Finkelstein was cancelled in the University. It is interesting and revealing that one of the most prestigious universities in the German-speaking world would accept the diktat of somebody sending such a weak and childish rant. I have taken the liberty to mark the passages which appear to be recourse fear-mongering, emotive insinuation and smear.

See original in German as a PDF file.

Open Letter

Vienna, 7 May 2009

Subject.: Event with Norman Finkelstein: Israel-Palestine, Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace

We have learned that for 27 May 2009 delivered a lecture event with Norman Finkelstein on the University Campus (formerly AKH), lecture hall C1 is planned. He will speak about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and it is assumed that he once more will use his crude and dangerous idea that the “Zionists” would use the Holocaust to avoid any criticism of Israeli policy of silence to bring forward is.

Even if it is not academic or scientific event is expected to act, we are filled with concern and astonishment, that the Vienna University provides their premises for such a problematic person like Finkelstein and for such a one-sided propaganda event.

Finkelstein and his book “The Holocaust Industry” - an inflammatory title, whose authorship in significant ways both neo-Nazi David Irving history counterfeiters and Ernst Zündel claim for themselves - to relativize the Holocaust and spread of anti-Semitism contributed, not least by then the singularity of the Nazi crimes against humanity openly denies. This is just in Austria, which so long has difficulties with the acceptation of guilt has had on particularly fertile ground. Especially those almost 50% of Austrians who think that “the Jews of the Holocaust for their own purposes, exploit feel through such a mess to confirmed. Accordingly, the great reputation which Finkelstein has gained in extreme right-wing neo-Nazi circles. “A German Jew speaks freely,” so the euphoric headline of the neo-Nazi National Newspaper.

Alfred Schobert of the Duisburger the Institute of Language and Social Research (DISS) analyzed Finkelstein’s role in the discourse of the extreme right. His summary verdict on the significance of the anti-Zionist agitators for the transport of anti-Semitism: “Finkelstein is the son of Holocaust survivors , the surviving victims of the Nazis harm, he wants the memory of the true victims, but he undermines it. Finkelstein sees himself as the radical left, however, the (…) leads water to the mills of the extreme right. That is the factual background against which we call Finkelstein a “Jewish David Irving”.

The Documentation Center of Austrian Resistance (DÖW) writes about Finkelstein and others: “The fact that Finkelstein as a Jew can make attacks that would otherwise soon be identified as anti-Semitic, makes him so important for the right-wing extremist scene. When the revisionist history forgers David Irving in the early 90’s on the “Holocaust industry’ swaggered, he became so closely involved with the scene that he never got beyond it. Only Finkelstein made it to word not in the mainstream media discourse anchor. Although Finkelstein, the Holocaust does not deny in principle, it connects him with much of what he estimated Irving. The “revisionist” National Journal says some on his website about the two very different fighter against the “Holocaust industry ‘: Two Men - One result‘”.

Among these policy issues comes Finkelsteins repeatedly documented propensity for personal attacks against researchers, such as Alan Dershowitz, Benny Morris and others who did not share his views . This has ultimately led to him ultimately to permanent employment as a lecturer and he was denied the title of University Professor contributes to injustice. Also, the international association of scientists Scholars for Peace in the Middle East was some time ago by Finkelstein as a “Nazi PhDs” defamed.

The title of the event “Israel-Palestine, Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace” and the assumption that Israel uses “Nazi methods” in dealing with Palestinians, give grounds for concern that this event could be abused for anti-Semitic abuse.

Significantly, this event in both the extreme right as well as in the extreme left-wing scene advertised. But even given the importance Finkelstein for the fight against the memory of the Shoah and against Israel as a Jewish state can be assumed that on 27 Mai also neo-Nazis will deploy to one of their idols to listen.

We ask this in the context of the available space to position a university campus for the “Jewish David Irving” in mind.

For the Board of SPME Austria:
Dr. Ruth Contreras, HRätin i.R
Ruth.contreras @ wavenet.at
www.spme.net

The letter above is at once a pamphlet, deeply offensive, and testimony to a rather problematic relation with facts of its author(s). Not less important, the whole text, in German, could be legally actionable not only by Dr. Finkelstein, but also by the organizers - the Austrian penal code sanctions libel or defamation (”Üble Nachrede“), and some of the insinuations and asseverations in this open letter are certainly libellous - and I would suggest that the organizers speak with a lawyer about this letter from Ms. Contreras.

Beyond these considerations, the letter makes extensive use of indefinites like “could”, “perhaps” and “maybe”, fear mongering, citing people and situations which have no relation with what is at hand. The letter certainly appears to be based in the imagination and delusions of being persecuted of its author(s), who appear to not understand that there is a difference between ones own imagination and reality, like so often with individuals affected by paranoia.

The pictures which follow are scans of the correspondence and the organizers of the event, which show that, far from the asseverations of the speaker for the University, the approval of the event was not an “error”, but had been approved after going through the appropriate bureaucratic process. The University might want to explain why they retreated from a contract, apparently in bad faith, as there is no objective reason for their actions. The account statement showing the payment is at the beginning of this article.