Holocaust-denier Finkelstein to apply for Israeli citizenship?
The weekend's New York Jewish Week has a way-too-sympathetic piece on Holocaust-denier Norman Finkelstein, who is managing to keep himself in the news despite being denied tenure at De Paul University (Hat Tip: NY Nana). The end of the piece raises the specter of Finkelstein applying for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. Now, settled into his Brooklyn life, Finkelstein is preparing for what may be his biggest fight, albeit one he doesn’t relish. He plans to go to the Israeli Consulate in New York in September to seek an assurance that he will be admitted in December. Such assurance, he said, would allow all concerned to “avoid the spectacle of me applying under the Law of Return [which gives every Jew the automatic right to acquire Israeli citizenship]. ... It’s hard to see which side will find that more ridiculous.Sorry Normie, but the Law of Return allows the government to exclude anyone who is considered to be dangerous to the welfare of the State of Israel. People who go on al-Manar and praise Hezbullah are considered dangerous to the welfare of the State of Israel. Ask any Arab MK.
“I don’t incite riots,” he continued. “I’m just going to see a friend in the occupied Palestinian territories. I’m not there to see Israel. I do not need for every facet of my life to be politicized. If Israeli authorities would just grant me a visa, I’ll move on.”
Finkelstein said he hopes to visit a Palestinian, Musa Abu Hashhash, who lives with his wife and children near Hebron. They first met in 1988 when Finkelstein went to Israel with a delegation from the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee and Finkelstein dedicated one of his books to the man, who works for B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group. He stressed that his visit to Israel would be a “private” affair and that he had “no interest in turning this into a political issue. ... I don’t think they can deny me, and I don’t want to turn it into a test case for the Israeli High Court.”
Rotting in hell is too good a fate for this guy. Maybe he can apply for a job at the Carter Center.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:57 AM
3 Comments:
Thanks for the hat tip, Carl. My opinion of Finkelstein I think you already know.
Yes, the Jewish Week was far too kind, but they tend to be so. That they said as much as they did was a surprise. Poor little Norman, having to live in a Jewish neighborhood in his Dad's rent controlled apartment..I can imagine how the neighborhood feels.
Perhaps he could live in Iran? But you are right..the Carter Center would be a perfect fit. At least he is not, at the moment, poisoning students' minds.
I cannot see him being admitted to Israel for any reason.The Law of Return? It would be a perversion in his case. Why doesn't he go directly to an arab country, where he would be welcomed. What are these 'occupied Palestinian territories' he speaks of? I look upon them as Jewish land being illegally occupied by Jordanians.
I judge people by those whom they consider friends, and he comes up as an enemy of Klal Yisroel.
Carl - Israel also did not admit Meyer Lansky due to his criminal character. In principle, Israel should be a state that welcomes Jews to return to their homeland. But it is not a right that is absolute. I cannot see a Jew who sides with Israel's enemies and wishes to see the country destroyed, ever being allowed to take up residence in Israel. You know my opinion of Norman Finkelstein. Just because someone is born a Jew doesn't necessarily make him a righteous person. G-d makes it clear that Jews that earn their keep through righteous conduct, not through their being a people of the covenant. The prophets made it clear being Jewish brought Jews no special privileges but rather a special obligation. That special obligation is their sole merit. And we all know Finkelstein doesn't live up to it and he is no friend of klal Yisrael indeed.
In the spring, Norman the Nazi did land at Ben Gurion, was detained a couple of hours and then sent packing back to Amsterdam. The point is a country has the right to decide as a sovereign state it who it will admit as a visitor. And the Consulate should turn him down and deny his request for a visa. And they should tell him he will not be admitted either under the Law Of Return. Its bad enough Israel has home grown Nazis called Arabs and Far Left Jewish extremists. It doesn't need to import more of that ilk from abroad.
Post a Comment
<< Home