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July 22, 2010

In News The Israel-Palestine Conflict Video

Dear Dr. Finkelstein,

I recently heard you quote a U.S. Government study on Hamas that you used to support the fact that Hamas is interested in resolving the conflict along the internationally recognized terms (67 borders, right of return for refugees). Could you tell me the name of that study and how to obtain it?

Unrelated question: I’m nearly finished reading your book ‘Beyond Chutzpah’ which I find quite impressive. I’m going through appendix III in the part where you discuss the general public’s (in Israel) support for the terms of a two-state solution and for the harsh tactics employed by Israel against the Palestinians. You quote a study (Arian 2003) which reports that 88% of Israelis supported home demolitions in 2003 an 92% supported “political liquidations”. Considering that ~20% of Israel’s population is Arab isn’t that a bit surprising in your view?…especially since Israel employs many racist policies concerning housing even within Israel? That figure would imply that a significant fraction (~40%) of Arab-Israeli’s support demolitions – even if you assume that fully 100% of Jewish Israelis support house demolitions (which can’t be the case making the paradox worse). What, in your opinion, accounts for that apparent paradox? Maybe I missed that only Jewish Israelis were polled (I admit I haven’t tried to find the study myself) but that possibility didn’t seem to be the case from studying the table you present in Beyond Chutzpah. Could it really be that a significant fraction of Palestinian-Israelis support such horrible things?!

Finally, my mom sent me a cool Ska song on Youtube by a Latin American band that I thought you might enjoy! Cheers.