Norman Finkelstein

Norman Finkelstein, born on December eighth, nineteen fifty-three, in New York City, is a prominent American political scientist, historian, and human rights defender. He is the son of Jewish Holocaust survivors, which profoundly influenced his academic pursuits and activism. Finkelstein graduated from Binghamton University and earned his Ph.D. in political science from Princeton University, establishing a solid foundation for his career in academia.

Throughout his career, Finkelstein has held faculty positions at several prestigious institutions, including Brooklyn College, Rutgers University, Hunter College, New York University, and DePaul University. At DePaul, he served as an assistant professor from two thousand one to two thousand seven. Despite receiving tenure approval from the department and college committees in two thousand six, the university administration ultimately denied him tenure, leading to his resignation after a settlement.

Finkelstein gained significant attention in two thousand with the publication of his book, The Holocaust Industry, where he argues that the memory of the Holocaust is often exploited to shield Israel from criticism. A vocal critic of Israeli policies, he has been barred from entering Israel for ten years since two thousand eight. Finkelstein has controversially labeled Israel as a 'Jewish supremacist state' and has drawn parallels between the experiences of Palestinians under Israeli occupation and the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

His most recent work, Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom, published in two thousand eighteen, continues to explore the complex dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, further solidifying his reputation as a critical voice in contemporary political discourse.