Norman Finkelstein Speech – ‘This House Believes Israel is a Rogue State’

One has to, I think, be faithful to the factual record and also one has to preserve moral sense. And that’s why I arrived on this side of the proposition.
There was a British poll taken a few months ago I think, and the poll found that , except for North Korea that the British people {sic} said they have an unfavourable opinion of Israel among all the states listed. Personally, I think that it is unfair to North Korea but we’ll set that aside.
The big question is why? Why that poll result? Some will say because there is a resurgence of anti-Semitism in the UK and others including myself will say, it’s a rational reaction to Israeli conduct. Let’s just limit ourselves to the past decade.
Let’s start with Gaza. Gaza consists of 80% refugees 60% children. Your Prime Minister [Cameron] called it a giant open-aired prison. What did Israel visit on Gaza just in the last decade? The last decade it unleashed the full force of its high tech killing machine not less than eight times.
Operation Rainbow,
Operation Days of Penitence,
Operation Summer Rains,
Operation Autumn Clouds,
Operation Hot Winter,
Operation Cast Lead,
Operation Pillar of Defense,
Operation Protective Edge.

In 2008, it launched Operation Cast Lead even as Israel’s semi-official think tanks said, and I am quoting it “Hamas was careful to maintain the ceasefire” it killed 1200 civilians. Three Israeli civilians were killed. You’re right the violence is emitted out on both sides. You’re correct. But you left out the ratio. In the case of Cast Lead it was 400 to 1. That’s not a trivial fact. After the cast lead the dovish, the dovish, then Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on January 17th she went on Channel Ten News and she boasted, she boasted Israel went WILD in Gaza. She boasted that Israel, quote “demonstrated real hooliganism” in Gaza.
In 2012, Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defence. What was the first act? It assassinated the senior Hamas leader who was negotiating a permanent ceasefire with Israel.
And then came Operation Protective Edge, this past summer, 1500 Palestinian civilians killed 5 Israeli civilians killed.
YOUNG MAN: (inaudible) of information
FINKELSTEIN: Five hundred… Go ahead sir.
YOUNG MAN: I’d like to point out that, although every death tragic, sorry, I think that comparing death tolls is not a very effective way to…
FINKELSTEIN: I appreciate your point but if Jews are allowed to say 6 million, 6 million, 6 million we can talk about the numbers in Israel and Palestine also.
(Applause)
YOUNG MAN: But can I, can I give you…
FINKELSTEIN: You’ve made your point, you’ve made your point, I’ve responded you can sit down young man. Thank you

Courage.

In Operation Protective Edge 540 Palestinians children were killed, 1 Israeli child. So you’re right violence is emitted out on both sides. But you leave out a critical factor 540 to 1.
Now after unleashing eight, eight, eight murderous operations on Gaza, sixty percent children, eighty percent refugees, a giant prison camp.

You read a current minister Mr Liberman he says “The next round is just a matter of time” he says the big problem is we have to make sure the next round is the last round. You can use your own imagination how Israel will make sure the next round is the last round.
But it’s not just Gaza. It’s not just Palestine. Let’s look at Lebanon.

“TYRE, LEBANON. WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2006: Israeli aircraft struck and destroyed two buildings in downtown Tyre, Lebanon Wednesday evening. As people searched through the burning remains, aircraft again could be heard overhead, panicking the people that a second strike was coming. This man fell and was injured in the panic to flee the scene. He is helped by another man, and carried to an ambulance. (Photo: Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)”

In 2006, Israel went to war with Lebanon. The ratio of killings 1000 Lebanese, 40 Israelis – 25 to 1. OK, the proportion is a little better. But what did Israel do in Lebanon? Some of our memories are not so short. In the last seventy two hours of the war when it was already over. The war was over. The UN resolution was passed. What did Israel do? The last seventy two hours, it dropped 4 MILLION, 4 MILLION cluster submunition on South Lebanon. It was like a science fiction movie, saturating entire villages, population centers with the cluster submunitions . One Israeli commander said “what we did with the cluster ammunition was insane and monstrous”. Now Mr Liberman says we need another war in Lebanon that too is inevitable he says. A former Israeli general however points out “this time we will wreak destruction on the state of Lebanon of a magnitude that will have the entire world CRYING for a ceasefire in two days”. Another senior official he said that we are going to inflict eighty Shuja’iyya’s on Lebanon. Shuja’iyya was the area in Gaza that was pulverised during the last war. So much so that even Ban Ki Moon, the comatosed US puppet called it an atrocious action.
And then there is Israel’s plan now is for a war with Iran. Everybody’s trying to negotiate a deal except one state on Earth, alright I will grant Saudi Arabia behind the stage, but one the front stage state one state, one state that wants to have a war with Iran. Is that what we need now? Was the Iraqi war such a success? Was it such a liberating experience? Did it do so much for humanity? That now after that we need to follow Israel’s lead to launch a war with Iran?

If you look at the record if you look at it a study it, if you recognise the human MISERY that that country keeps inflicting incessantly on the people of Palestine and the neighbours then you can only reach in my opinion one conclusion. If Israel’s regard as a rouge state it’s not because of anti-Semitism it’s not because it’s been held to a double standard , if it’s being regarded as a rogue state there’s a simple reason why because to carries on like a rouge state.
Thank you.