DePaul's Finkelstein painting himself as a victim while facts betray him

Norman G. Finkelstein did something today that is almost unprecedented--he talked to a couple members of the Chicago media. Scroll down a few posts to read about the denial of tenure for Assistant Professor Finkelstein at DePaul University, America's largest Catholic college.

Yes he spoke a few days ago on WBEZ, Chicago's NPR affiliate, about the Six Day War.

Last month, Ron Grossman of the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune wrote about the Finkelstein tenure battle. Norman wouldn't comment to the Trib for the story.

Grossman was very tough on Finkelstein. But a few blocks away in the Chicago Sun-Times building, its reporters were much more sympathetic to Finkelstein in an article posted this afternoon.

For a man who has just lost his job after a highly public battle, DePaul University assistant political science Professor Norman Finkelstein is calm and accepting.

That's because Finkelstein, whose tenure bid drew widespread interest because of the Jewish professor's blunt criticism of Jews and the state of Israel -- and the attack on those views waged by Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz -- stands firmly on the beliefs that may have got him fired.

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What Finkelstein -- the son of Holocaust survivors -- believes is that his people are culpable in the plight of the Palestinians. He drew wrath from prominent Jewish leaders when he accused some of exploiting Jewish suffering to block criticism of Israel, and made other enemies when he accused some survivors of conducting a "shakedown" to get payments from Germany.

Dershowitz' involvement in the tenure case of course figured into the Sun-Times article, but the Harvard professor's role obscures some of the nutty things Fink has written, which is why "Dersh" got involved.

Last year he referred to Dershowitz as a "moral pervert."

He called Elie Wiesel "resident clown" of the Holocaust "circus."

Alluded that self-desribed "Muslim Refusenik" was a Salman Rushdie wannabe.

In a dig against Middle East scholar (and friend of the blog) Daniel Pipes being listed among Harvard's most influential living alumni, Finkelstein posted a Middle East Forum article about the well-deserved honor. "Fink" added a top-headline, Pipes makes cut-off; Hitler at #104 just misses.

Abraham H. Foxman is the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League. Two years ago he criticized Finkelstein's book, Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History. Fair enough, but on Finkelstein's site, that tophead read, Grand Dragon of Jewish Citizens' Council Deplores Beyond Chutzpah.

In short, rather than a serious scholar, Finkelstein is nothing more than farting youth sitting in the back of a remedial education class, desperately attempting to draw attention to himself.

Unfortunately for him, Finkelstein succeeded in his ploy.

On his web site, Finkelstein posted the letter from DePaul's president, The Rev. Dennis Holtshneider, that explains to the assistant professor his reasoning for denying tenure. He quoted from the University Board on Promotion and Tenure's summary of its its denial, that among many other criticisms "some might interpret parts of his scholarship as 'deliberately hurtful' as well as provocative more for inflammatory effect than to carefully critique or challenge accepted assumptions."

Well written.

UPDATE June 10: Blithe Spirit has his take on the local media coverage of the Finkelstein story. He's tough on the Sun-Times too.

Thanks for the link: Bill Baar's West Side

Technorati tags: Norman Finkelstein DePaul Chicago Israel מדינת Jews Dershowitz Catholic Academia anti-semitism Daniel Pipes Irshad Manji