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TOP 10 NORMAN FINKELSTEIN THUG LIFE MOMENTS ON PALESTINE-ISRAEL! | The Daily Reminder | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: TOP 10 NORMAN FINKELSTEIN THUG LIFE MOMENTS ON PALESTINE-ISRAEL!
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Core Theme
This content is a heated debate between two individuals, Norman Finkelstein and an unnamed interlocutor (likely an Israeli advocate or academic), regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The core of their disagreement lies in the interpretation of historical events, international law, and the moral justifications for actions taken by both sides, particularly concerning the Gaza blockade and the October 7th attacks.
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go ahead hi during your speech you made
a lot of references to Jewish people as
well as certain people in your audience
not Jewish people in general but certain
people especially in your audience to
Nazis now that is extremely offensive
when certain people are German and
they're also extremely offensive to
people who've actually suffered under
Nazi World I don't respect that anymore
I really don't I don't like and I don't
respect the crocodile peers to to the crocodile
crocodile te
te
no I'm folks allow me to finish and
allow me to allow me to SP listen sir
allow me to SP allow me to finish uh sir
sir I don't like to play I don't like to
play before an audience the Holocaust
card but since now I feel now that I
feel compelled to my late father was in
out my late mother please shut
up my late father was an out my late
mother was in my di concentration cab
every single member of my family on my
father's side the Jews can not take arms
against the my father was in out
concentration cwn my M mother was in my
D concentration camp every single member
of my family on both sides was
exterminated both of my parents were on
the wassaw ghetto Uprising and it's
precisely and exactly because of the
lessons my parents taught me and my two
siblings that I will not be silent when
Israel commits its crimes against the
Palestinians and I consider nothing more
dis iable than to use their suffering
and their martydom to try to justify the
torture the brutalization the de
demolition of homes that Israel daely
commits against the Palestinians so I
refuse any longer to be intimidated or
browbeaten by the tears if you had any
heart in you you would be crying for the
what would you condemn Hamas for what
they did my view is his father number
one as far as the evidence shows now
atrocities occurred on October 7th the
magnitude of the atrocities and the
types of atrocities for example where
children beheaded where women raped that
remains so far as I can tell from the
evidence an open question however that
there were atrocities that occurred my
answer is yes that's a factual question
and then there is the legal question as
a matter of law it seems unquestionable
that the people who perpetrated these
atrocities would be proc uted and
convicted in the court of law however I
would say on the legal question I should
think that there would be some mercy
shown because those who carried out the
atrocities were concentration camp
inmates number three which I think is
the one that concerns you the most is
the moral question my basic precept is
that they're but for the grace of God go
I that is to say I'm very reluctant to
condemn people who are in a position or
in a condition such that were I in that
position or condition I'm not sure what
I would do now the fifth 1500 young men
who burst the gates of Gaza they were
born into a concentration camp they
lived for two decades in a concentration
camp they had no past they had no
present they had no future they had no
jobs half of them according to
humanitarian organizations suffered from
what's called severe food insecurity and
then on top of that as I'm sure you know
Pierce because you keep up with the news
periodically Israel goes into Gaza and
it Ms the lawn and you know what Ms the
lawn means it means a Hightech massacre
in Gaza in 20089 operation castled 2012
operation pillar of Defense 2014
operation protective Edge and then each
of these Hightech massacres visited on
the people of Gaza in some cases
hundreds in some cases thousands of
Palestinians are killed you ask me why I
won't condemn them because those young
men were born into a concentration camp
they were born into among the most dense
populated places on God's Earth half of
the population of gaza's children 70%
are refugees who were expelled from
Israel in 1948 and their descendants 70%
of gaza's Youth have no jobs no future
no nothing and the people of Gaza have
the right to hate the people who destroy
their lives do you honestly think that a
leader of Israel is in a position after
the biggest Massacre of Jews since the
Holocaust to say you know what what we
should do in retali in reaction in
reaction to this is free the
Palestinians whatever that looks like
this never going to happen right and I'm
interested in living in the real world
as I think you are if care about the
lives of Palestinians and Israelis and
everybody else that means there has to
be some kind of way of resolving this
that is based in reality and in reality
whatever way you look at it you've got
two tribes that absolutely hate each
other with good reason for both sides to
hate each other because there's been
atrocity against both sides throughout
history you may argue about who's
responsible and blah blah blah reality
on the ground is this is where we are so
my question is how should Israel have
reacted in that situation in the real
world what in the real world should the
Palestinians have done if they tried
negotiations they gestured to supporting
either a two-state settlement here
referring to Hamas were what they called
a hudna a longterm seire when in March
beginning March 30th 2018 they try not
lease because of my encouragement they
tried nonviolent civil resistance and
what was the Israeli response we know
exactly there's a 250 page single space
un report describing the response Israel
took its best snipers lined them up
along the perimeter fence and while
there was this bested to describe to use
the word of the UN report atmosphere
among the Palestinians there there was
music there was dancing there was song
The snipers I'm quoting the report
intentionally targeted children Medics
journalists disabled people they describ
double amputees 300 M from the perimeter
fence that Israel shot when they didn't
kill them they targeted them from the
kneecap down to inflict to use the
technical term lifechanging injuries
which for the lay person translates as
paralyze them one Israeli sniper boasted
taharat newspaper is 's most serious
newspaper he shot 42 kneecaps in one day
42 children and adults paralyzed for
life and so when all the options of
diplomacy nonviolent civil resistance
when they have been exhausted what were
they supposed to do you know how many
citizens civilians died in the October
7th you know that there are lots of
allegations of rape I don't know how
persuaded you are of those they did find
bodies without heads there were no there
were there were some beheadings
apparently the Israelis didn't even
claim that in the document they
submitted before the icj go read what
your government submitted it never
mentioned the headings well as far as I
know people who were beheaded but we
could bring it up right now you also
deny that there were rapes there I
didn't deny I said I've not seen
convincing evidence that confirms it
I've said that from day one and I'll say
it today 4 and a half months later do
you know that they killed eight or 900
civilians in their absolutely that seems
to me indisputable oh okay well I'm I've
said that I've said that from day one
well to be clear you haven't you did a
debate I don't remember the talk show
but you seem to imply that there was a
lot of Crossfire and then it might have
been the IDF that said I said that there
is no question because the names were
published in harits there's no question
that roughly of the 1200 people killed
800 of them were civilians I see 850
fine so I never said that but then I
said no we don't know exactly how they
were killed but 850 civilians killed no
question there there's a lot of tricky
language being employed here do you
think it's called attaching value to
words and not talking like a motor mouth
the United Nations conference on trade
and development the World Bank the
international monetary fund a thousand
humanitarian economic organizations have
all reached the same concl inclusion
it's very simple the main cause of the
disaster in Gaza is Israel's illegal
blockade of that parcel of land full
stop that's wrong that's wrong that's
wrong that's false who's wrong who's
wrong anad is wrong the World Bank is
wrong the international monetary f is
wrong they all wrong are they all anti
what's going on I didn't say that
they're wrong I Haven to know any of
them that because the blockade was
completely lawful it was designed to
prevent the importation and then the use
of rockets against Israel it's perfectly
lawful for country to engage in a block
that is you're not let me me finish you
can't have a Isel is exposed to a double
standard but we're not letting you
impose a double standard on me no I'm
going to finish my statement and you're
not going to interrupt me so understand
me the military occupation was lawful
the blockade was lawful every country
has the right to defend itself from
Rockets from Terror tunnels from people
coming over the Border murdering and
kidnapping people those are all lawful
I'm telling you that as an expert in
international law and the law of War if
you want to dispute me get an expert who
knows something about international law
not a not a p professor okay Professor
dtz just as a matter of fact I teach the
laws of war I've been teaching it for
the last years to my my understanding
okay Professor D okay Professor dwoods
let's agree I'm completely ignorant
let's take that as a Point of Departure
how does it come to be that every
humanitarian and political body in the
world has declared that the blockade of
Gaza constitutes Collective punishment
and therefore is a violation a breach of
international law a war crime under
international law how did that come to
pass they're wrong how is it wrong
they're all wrong no you're not not right
right
you're wrong you're wrong in describing
wrong in describing every group there
are many grp one okay Professor DZ name
me one legal International legal body or
human rights organization name me one
I'll take the pause name me one that
says the blockade of Gaza is not
Collective punishment name me one the
law fair project in the United States U
the law the law fair project I said name
me one international legal or political
body everybody's listening now Morgan
has a very large audience name me one
name me one
interational or legal legal political
body that says the blockade of Gaza is
legal one it it is legal and every or
every organization that I have been
associated with the law fair project the
project run by woman named Lightner and
international project were all all have
all concluded that the blockade isal
Israeli Supreme Professor Mars you just
said I would condemn any time Israel
deliberately attacks civilians okay the
problem Professor Mars is over and over
again you claim in the face of over
whelming evidence that they didn't
attack civilians that's not true I've
said has attack Israel attack
extensively about I know that in C they
killed and now let's let's so you're
just eliminating selecting
selecting
Cherry let's fast forward when you were
an adult what did you say about the 1982
Lebanon war what did I say you don't
remember okay allow me okay you said
that you are not a person of double
standards unlike people like M you hold
High a single standard and you condemn
deliberate Israeli attacks on and I
would say that's true for the period up
till 1967 and I think it's accurate your
account of the first inap there it seems
to me you were in Conformity with most
mainstream accounts and the case of the
first in you also used surprisingly he
used Arab human rights sources like
alhak which I think M worked for during
the first in that's true but then
something very strange happens so let's
illustrate it so this is what you have
to say about Israel's inv of Lebanon in
1982 he said Israel was reluctant to
harm civilians sought to avoid
casualties on both sides and took care
not to harm Lebanese and Palestinian
civilians he then went on to acknowledge
the massive use of IDF Firepower against
civilians during the siege of Beirut
which traumatized Israeli Society Marx
Mars quickly enters the caveat the
Israel quote tried to pinpoint military
targets but inevitably many civilians
were hit that's your description of the
Lebanon war as I said that's when I
first got involved in the conflict I am
a voracious reader I read everything on
the Lebanon war I would say there's not
a single account of the Lebanon war in
which the estimates are between 15 and
20,000 Palestinian Lebanese were killed
overwhelmingly civilians the biggest
blood Ling until the current Gaza
genocide a biggest blood leing I would
say I can't think of a single mainstream
account that remotely approximates what
you just said so leaving aside I can
name the books voluminous huge volumes
I'll just take one example now you will
remember because I think you served in
Lebanon in ' 82 am I correct on that
yeah yeah so you will remember that Dove
yaria kept a war diary so with your
permission allow me to subscribe what he
wrote during his diary so he writes the
war machine of the IDF is Galloping and
trampling over the conquered territory
demonstrating a total insensitivity to
the fate of the Arabs who are found in
its path a PL run Hospital suffered a
direct hit thousands of refugees are
returning to the city when they arrive
at their homes many of which have been
destroyed or damaged you hear their cry
iies of pain and their howls over the
deaths of their loved ones the air is
permeated with the smell hes destruction
and death are
Contin Point you're making does that
sound like your description of the
Lebanon war forget my description the
point you're making words are in print
we let me just finish my sentence the
point you're making which you somehow
forget is that there are Israelis who
strongly criticize their own side and
describe how Israelis are doing things
which they regard as immoral you don't
find that on the Arab side I'm talking
about Mr Mars I'm not talking about
death I'm talking about you the
historian how did you depict the Lebanon
war I believe I believe that the Israeli
military tried to avoid committing a
civilian C
so all the all accounts by Robert Fisk
and pity the
nation journalist has always right so
that's why that's why you can say with
such confidence that you don't commit
you don't condemn deliberate Israeli
attacks there weren't any no I didn't
say there weren't any you agreed that I
have condemned Israeli ATT civilians I
never quarrel with facts your
description of the 1980s war is so
shocking it makes my inner R and then
your description of the second in your
when Arab suici bombers destroy Jews and
masses and buses and in restaurants
that's the second in do you remember
that suicide bombers in Jerusalem's
buses and restaurants aware of that you
but if you forgot the numbers it was 3
to one the number they killed mostly
Aran that's what you say in your book
but that's not what Amnesty
International said that's not what human
rights said don't what they I do Benny
morus now says we don't know whether
Israel has nuclear weapons well that's a
very odd thing for him to say because
Benny marus has been explicitly
blackmailing the West since 2008 saying
if you don't meaning the United States
if the US doesn't join in an attack on
Iran we meaning Israel have no
alternative except to use
non-conventional that is to say nuclear
weapons so if I can quote him now it is
doubtful that its conventional
capabilities will be sufficient to
destroy the Iranian nuclear project then
non-conventional Weaponry will have to
be used to sty the project and many
innocent Iranians will die but the
Iranians will have brought this upon
themselves by bringing to power and
leaving in power a leadership that will
have forced Israelis to do what was
necessary in order to survive so Benny
marus who doesn't know whether Israel
possesses nuclear weapons nonetheless
says Israel will have to use
non-conventional weapons and he says
many Iranians will have to die maybe the
millions maybe tens of millions but they
deserved it because they well that's
what he said Mr Mars you can laugh till
kingdom come but I'm quoting your words
but he said that's okay because they
voted for the regime no this this is
absurd this is ABS I said Israel let me
respond let me
respond hang on hang on hang on hang on
Norman I think many should be able to
respond to your direct charge there
because you accus him of it I didn't
charge I quot youing
about as is your want you didn't quote
me properly what I said was that if
Israel is unable with Conventional
Weapons to destroy the Iranian project
and if the Americans don't do it in
conjunction with Israel or by themselves
Israel will be forced to use
non-conventional weapons and attack the
nuclear installations not not not kill
millions of Iranians no no no you said
millions of Iranians I've never said
anything I have never said I have never
I have never said anything about
millions of Iranians this is
this is p Norman what do you Happ you
drop what do you think happens you Dr
Mar what do you think happens nuclear
weapons on Iran what do you think
happens no not on
ircle on again Norman you are you
Professor for you to say we can't trust
Iran after Israel's record on nuclear
weapons as even you so shamefacedly and
shamelessly say I don't know if Israel
has nuclear weapons you really don't you
advocate Israel's use of them in the
event that the US doesn't join the
attack on Iran but then you don't know
if Israel has nuclear weapons you're
such a Shameless liar which is a sad
fact I spent many many a week reading
your books I spent many many a month
reading your books and to see how you
have degenerated into a state
propagandist and a both a both a baced
liar very very sad very sad every time
they target a kid I'm sure they believe
it's Hamas when they kid yeah when they
yeah when they killed the four kids in the
the
even though they were even though they
were they saw let's see the I know he qu
you've lied about this instance in the
past those kids weren't just on the
beach as as oppos articles those kids
were literally coming out of a
previously identified Hamas compound
that they oper from they
literally with all due respect with all
due respect you're such a fantastic
it's terrifying that Warf was
filled with journalists there were tens
scores of journalists that was an Old
Fisherman's Shack what are you talking
about it's so pain
it's so painful to listen to this idiocy
and be clear on the other side you're
implying that strike was okay on the
Israeli side where they said we're just
four today for no do you believe that
you believe that do you believe
that journalist do you think
they never I will answer the question
even that was that was a drone was a
proof all the way up we going to kill
children kill pal want me to answer or
you want your motor mouth to go okay
answer in 2018 there was the great March
of return in Gaza by all reckonings of
Human Rights organizations and
journalists who were there it was overwhelmingly
overwhelmingly
nonviolent but whoever organized
organized by Satan
let's Satan I agree let's let's go for
the big one the big Milla it's Satan
okay overwhelmingly nonviolent resembled
at the beginning the first the first an
represent the first okay not bombs but
they tried to make holes in the T
obviously let's continue so but I'm not
sure Israel behaved morally in that no
no no I'm willing to Grant allow me
allow me
toow me allow me to finish I don't know
anything about this I'd like to okay as
you know along the Gaza perimeter there
was Israel's best trained snipers
correct I don't know best train snipers
fine snipers okay all right because hey
laugh it's hilarious the story is so
funny you're lying had aspects of
violence to it even the UN says it
themselves you only what the UN says you
like the problem Mr mlli is you don't
know the English language I can read
from the UN website itself in regard to
the great March said while the vast
toils isra forces incendiary K and into
Israeli territory the L results in
extensive damage to agricultural land
and nature reserves inside isra and risk
the lives isra civilians some in of shoo
explos talk fast talk fast so people
think that you're coher I'm just reading
from the US you like you got the months
wrong you got the months wrong we're
talking about beginning in March 30th
you describe that March is mostly allow
me to finish so there we the snip ERS
now you find it so farfetched Israelis
purposely deliberately targeting
civilians that's such a far-fetched idea
an overwhelmingly nonviolent March what
did the international investig a
campaign whatever you want to calls
whatever you want to call it yeah what
did the UN investigation find well he
just read I read the report I don't read
things off of those machines I read the
report what did it find brace yourself
you thought it was so funny the idea of
IDF targeting civilians it found go look
this up on your machine I already know
what you're going to say you're going to
say or two of
them targeted journalists targeted
Medics and here's the funniest one of
all it's so hilarious they targeted
disabled people who were 300 M away from
the fence and just standing by Tre true
my criticism of Norman finklestein is
slightly more praic I have no problem at
all with writers being provocative it's
what I am paid to do but you're not very
good at it you're a hack writer you made
a factual error you're certainly
entitled to your opinion I don't know if
any expertise I don't know I don't know
if any expertise you have in the top you
understated by a large number the number
of Holocaust surv that's the last
question very brief I would like to
answer that very briefly please I don't
claim at all to be an authority in the
Nazi Holocaust the book The Holocaust
industry is not about the Nazi Holocaust
it's a book about how the Holocaust has
been rendered in popular opinion and in
so-called scholarship the figure I got
of under 100,000 survivors of the Nazi
Holocaust it didn't come from me it came
from Raul hilberg I think you'll agree
if you have any knowledge of the Nazi
Holocaust which is doubtful but if you
have any knowledge of the Nazi Holocaust
you'll know that the world's leading
Authority in the Nazi Holocaust bar nun
was Raul hilberg he was in the class all
his own Raul hilberg praised the
Holocaust industry in fact he said my
conclusions in the book were
conservative now Raul hilberg was begged
by the US Holocaust Museum and his close
friend El wiel to remove his name from
the book and he said no I refuse to
remove my name from the book because
what finlin wrote is true he said thinkl
Stein's place in history as a historian
is secure and what was done to me was a
travesty so when you come along and say
you're a hack writer I attach as much
value to that as I attach to the dust on this
floor we have now seen incident after
incident where entire families are
vaporized and single strikes who is in
the families who lives in the house no
next to the house which these families
we have seen incident do you know that
hamnik weren't in that house do you know
that their ammunition dumps weren't have
to prove a negative you're saying that
they deliberately T families if Israel
wanted to kill civilians in Gaza they
could have killed 500,000 by now the
number ofes fact that they only killed a
certain small number a small number
small number in, small number in
proportion over four months probably is an
an
indication targeted and that there are
Hamas Targets in these places so 12,000
children is only and if that's the case
why is it yeah you said only Professor
Mars here's a question for you if we
take every combat zone in the world for
the past three years every combat zone
in the world in Vietnam Americans killed
a milon
people I wasn't yeah I was antiwar movement
movement
don't fine 30 million Russians were
killed so in during World War II so
everything else is irrelevant here's the
question professor professor Mars here's
a question it's very perplexing if you
take every combat zone in the world for
the past 3 years and you multiply the
number of children killed by four every
combat zone in the world you get Gaza
okay so when you to prove
I'm you're relying numbers I'm not I'm
lying on the numbers everybody else I'm
rying on the numbers we take the numbers
what do that those areas numbers okay
which may not be true they could invent
any anything because you know that they
are a mous organiz I know mous believe
me mous as in the Israeli Ministry of
Foreign Affairs so here's the thing you
say they could have killed 500,000 but
they only killed only that's your word
they only killed 30,000 believe that
they deliberately Target civilians they
could would have killed many many more
the fact is that they target civili
Professor Mar for you don't understand
for historian I don't want to understand
Israeli Society you want know the truth
I don't want to I don't want to against
inside their heads
0% a good historian historian tries to
get into the heads
of there's a limit when 0% when 90% of
Israelis think that Israel is using
enough or too little force in Gaza I
don't want to get inside that head 40%
think that Israel is using insufficient
force in Gaza I don't want to gide that
head I don't want to gide the head of
people who think they're using
insufficient Force against the
population against the population half
of which is children I don't want to get
inside that head why is that illegal the block
block
I'll tell you what you don't rocket your
neighbor Rock expect consequences expect
consequences but that works both I know
that Professor I'll tell you why because
every human rights humanitarian and un
organization in the world has said has said
said
the is a form of collective punishment
which is illegal under International La
you think you think a blockade you
understand way the world works these
things are irr and you think confining
cuz that's the blockade yes you confing
a million children
confing milon children in what the
economist called a human rubbish sheep
The Economist supported Israel in this
war and Contin to support Israel what
international Committee of Red Cross
called a sinking ship but the UN High
Commissioner for human rights called a
toxic slum you think it is a SL you
think under international law you think
it's legitimate hey I know you want to
forget the law it's the one thing that
every it's what every Israeli fears the
the law asy said I studied international
law I oppose international law of course
you don't want to hear about the law
that's got to do anything okay so here's
the thing then don't complain about
October 7th if you don't want if you
want to say forget about the law all I
said was they like bar there is no
International humanitarian law There's
no distinction between civilians and
combatant should and so now you're doing
what Meen said you're becoming very
selective about the law if you want to
forget about the law Hamas had do it did
it had every right to do what it did
according to you not to me CU you want
to forget the law [Music]
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