by Scott Creighton
'Acclaimed scholar & author Norman Finkelstein delivered a powerful and defiant address at UMass, Amherst, on Sept. 24, 2025. Speaking before a packed audience, Finkelstein tackled Israel's mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza; the long history of Israel’s brutal occupation, siege, and successive wars and atrocities in the Strip; the bipartisan complicity of U.S. political leaders, corporate media, and global institutions; the mounting McCarthyite crackdown on free speech, dissent, and academic freedom; and the need for a resurgent movement led by young people to reclaim free speech and renew democracy.'
In this talk, Norman Finkelstein is brutally honest... about himself. A little less so when it comes to the history of America and Israel interfering in Gaza and Palestine over the decades.
He talks about how somewhere around 2020... he just gave up. And I have to admit, I noticed that about him back then and chastised him for it.
He mentions how the Goldstein Report broke him, not the report itself, but Goldstein retracting it in 2011. And again, I have to admit feeling much the same way at the time.
Norman fails to mention Israel killing a founder of Hamas in 2005 just before they withdrew settlers from Gaza so they could position Fatah and the P.A. to win the election they forced on the people.
He forgets that we spent 24 million dollars on propaganda in the lead up to that election because we were sure we could convince the Palestinian people to vote against their interests and for Fatah.
He forgets to mention right after Hamas won the election, Mossad ran a murder campaign which took the lives of nearly 30 Hamas members.
All of these FACTS lay bare the lie that Israel created and empowered Hamas and thus Hamas is just a tool of the IDF and the Zionists.
He also seems to gloss over the FACT that the Hannibal directive was initiated and helicopter pilots and tank commanders fired on cars and houses that contained Israeli civilians and IDF members, killing many of them. This is not conspiracy, this is fact reported by Israeli news agencies and in fact they have yet to conduct a complete investigation as to what happened that day while many who were in charge have already resigned in disgrace.
Norman also seems to have forgotten the multitude of reports that Israeli leadership knew of the attack for months prior to Oct 7th and did nothing to stop it instead they cancelled the daily patrol that morning at that section of fence that was to be breached while continuing to ignore the warnings of the Watch Tower girls who had been seeing the growing number of fighters right there for weeks making ready for something.
Then of course there was the Nova music festival organizer who reported on the 6 hour delay getting anyone to help once the attack started... and of course the fact that the festival was supposed to take place miles away safely inside Israel but the government pulled their permits on that location and forced them to where the festival eventually took place, that very morning, a couple hundred yards from the breech... the breech they knew was coming.
All of these facts have been reported in Israeli media and they all lean toward suggesting a very dark conclusion when it comes to the Zionists themselves when it comes to the value they put on even Israeli/Jewish lives.
And lets remember... they could have negotiated and won the return of the hostages YEARS AGO but they didn't because they simply did not care. They wanted the land more.
All of this, Norman leaves out of his discussion with these young people.
These omissions are troubling to me.
But Finkelstein covers a lot in this talk and considering it was the first time a university allowed him to chat with young people since Oct. 7th, he certain hits the broad points very well.
His honesty about giving up is striking, even captivating hearing the shame in his voice.
Norman has suffered so much for his love of Palestine, the people of Gaza and the truth, one can hardly blame him.
You can only tilt at windmills for so long before even the most noble of knights fall to despair.
On Oct 6th 2023 the Palestinian cause was lost and it would have continued to fade into obscurity had they not decided to storm the gates of their concentration camp.
The world was reminded of Israel's dirty little secret and in doing so they have since changed hearts and minds of billions of humans living today the countless yet to be born as we here today chronicle the truth of Israel's inhumanity.
And not to overstate the importance of it, on that day they reignited a fire within one of their most amendment and eloquent champions, Norman Finkelstein.
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'Reports by Israeli and international news outlets suggest that on October 7, 2023, Israeli helicopters, including Apache gunships, fired on Israeli civilians during the Hamas-led attacks, potentially causing friendly-fire casualties. While there have been allegations of Israeli helicopters using incendiary rounds, credible reporting on their specific use during the October 7 incident remains unclear or has been refuted'
Leaked audio reveals Israeli helicopter 'shot' Israeli captives on Oct 7
Israeli AH-64 Apache Commanders Describe Brutal Reality Of October 7 Missions
IDF helicopter fired at Israeli civilians fleeing music festival during Hamas’ Oct 7 attack: report
IDF Ordered Hannibal Directive on October 7 to Prevent Hamas Taking Soldiers Captive
Israel admits string of errors on Oct. 7, says tank strike on home did not kill Israelis
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