Yes I’m not ashamed to admit that ‘The Holocaust Industry’ was a life-changing read for me. If not life-changing, at least super-opinion-on-Israel-changing. Though I feel like when I say this I’m lumped into the anti-Semite category. However I think at this point I’m meant to justify my words by saying that I’ve ALSO read Primo Levi and Elie Wiesel and Anne Frank, and I’ve watched Schindler’s List and The Pianist; and I’ve been to a concentration camp*.
Israel imposed a 10-year ban on Norman when he tried to enter Israel. Interestingly enough the article points out:
In fact, the problem of right-wing attacks on free speech when it comes to Israel is — as Finkelstein himself in my interview with him noted — far worse in the U.S. than it is in Israel. As the Haaretz Editorial reflects, Israel is a pluralistic society that tolerates a much broader range of debate over Israeli actions than is permissible in the U.S. Indeed, just yesterday, Marty Peretz lamented that Professors John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt are lecturing this month at Hebrew University in Jerusalem on “The Israel Lobby.” While suggestions of negotiations with Hamas is a taboo topic for American politicians, a majority of Israelis support that option. Views that are routinely castigated by neocons in the U.S. as “anti-Israeli” and even “anti-Semitic” are freely expressed in Israel, by Israelis, with regularity.”
* This was a joke – I mean I have actually been to Auschwitz. Not said restaurant.
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