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A review by estark16
Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History by Norman G. Finkelstein
3.0
As a minority Jew in a circle of liberal friends, I often get questioned about my take on the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, my view has been fairly muddled and I could never produce a sophisticated answer as to why I felt so conflicted. In an effort to get up to speed on the various issues and views, I gathered up as many books on the topic as my library carried and started reading. Unfortunately, I can't say I'm any less conflicted, but the nuances now have more depth.
Finkelstein's books are primarily written as rebuttals to things other scholars have written on a subject. The book that is the subject of this review is primarily directed to Alan Dershowitz and his book, "The Case for Israel." Sure, there is quite a bit of background about Finkelstein's position on Israel and "The New Anti-Semitism" discussed in the first half of the book, but his attack (yes, I am using that word) on Dershowitz makes up the meat of this book. I don't disagree with Finkelstein's views necessarily (although, I'm hesitant to say I agree), but I didn't care for the execution. The feud between these two scholars is off-putting for me, and I think I'd prefer to limit my reading to something a bit less emotionally charged.
I would not read another book by this author and I'm hesitant to recommend this book to anyone other than those who enjoy exploring the heated arguments of contemporary scholars.
Finkelstein's books are primarily written as rebuttals to things other scholars have written on a subject. The book that is the subject of this review is primarily directed to Alan Dershowitz and his book, "The Case for Israel." Sure, there is quite a bit of background about Finkelstein's position on Israel and "The New Anti-Semitism" discussed in the first half of the book, but his attack (yes, I am using that word) on Dershowitz makes up the meat of this book. I don't disagree with Finkelstein's views necessarily (although, I'm hesitant to say I agree), but I didn't care for the execution. The feud between these two scholars is off-putting for me, and I think I'd prefer to limit my reading to something a bit less emotionally charged.
I would not read another book by this author and I'm hesitant to recommend this book to anyone other than those who enjoy exploring the heated arguments of contemporary scholars.