Finkelstein to speak at Calvin College

Grand Rapids, Michigan—Norm Finkelstein, author of six controversial books and

one of the boldest Jewish voices in the Israeli-Palestinian debate will speak on

Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at Calvin Collegeʼs Covenant Fine Arts Center Recital Hall at 3:30 p.m.

A PhD graduate of Princeton University and a son of Jewish holocaust survivors, Norman Finkelstein has been lecturing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. He is one of America’s most prominent dissident scholars, widely acknowledged as a leading authority on the subject.  Known for his bold, uncompromising stances on such controversial issues as the holocaust and the ubiquity of the Israel lobby within the American political system, Professor Finkelstein offers a unique and compelling view of the maze of politics surrounding the conflict.

The title of his speech is How to Solve The Israeli Palestinian Conflict. The speechis o pen to the public and free. Finkelstein will address a range of issues including the Israeli lobby in the United States and how politics have used the Holocaust in this debate.

“Finkelstein brings up a discussion that needs to be had.  Because his arguments explore themes dealing with so many areas - religion, culture, politics, memory - his is a voice that cannot be easily ignored.” said Jordan Davis, member of the Middle East Club at Calvin College, the sponsoring campus club.

Together with the Middle East Club, the event will be cosponsored by the History Department, the Political Science department, the CRWRC Office of Social Justice, and Hope Equals.

It will be the second talk that Finkelstein will deliver on a two-day tour of West Michigan campuses. He will also speak at Western Michigan University on January 31, and then again on February 1 at 7:00 p.m. at Grand Valley State University. Attendance is expected to be high so the hosts suggest arriving early as there is no assigned seating.