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Political science professor Norman Finkelstein. (AP)
Last update - 11:37 06/09/2007
U.S. prof. who says Jews abuse Holocaust to curb critics resigns
By The Associated Press
Tags: Holocaust, Alan Dershovitz 

A Chicago university professor who has drawn criticism for accusing some Jews of abusing the legacy of the Holocaust agreed Wednesday to resign immediately "for everybody's sake."

DePaul University officials and political science professor Norman Finkelstein issued a joint statement announcing the resignation, which came as about a hundred protesters gathered outside the dean's office to support him.

Finkelstein, who is the son of Holocaust survivors, was denied tenure in June after spending six years on DePaul's faculty. His remaining class was cut by DePaul last month.
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His most recent book, Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, is largely an attack on Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz's The Case for Israel. In his book, Finkelstein argues that Israel uses perceived anti-Semitism as a weapon to stifle criticism.

Dershowitz, who threatened to sue Finkelstein's publisher for libel, urged DePaul officials to reject Finkelstein's tenure bid.

Finkelstein said in the statement that he believes the tenure decision was tainted by external pressures, but praised the university's "honorable role of providing a scholarly haven for me the past six years."

The school denied that outside parties influenced the decision to deny Finkelstein tenure. The school's portion of the statement called Finkelstein a prolific scholar and an outstanding teacher.

Finkelstein called that acknowledgment the most important part of the statement.

"I felt finally I had gotten what was my due and that maybe it was time, for everybody's sake, that I move on," he said at a news conference that followed a morning rally staged by students and faculty who carried signs and chanted "stop the witch hunt."

Finkelstein added: "DePaul students rose to dazzling spiritual heights in my defense that should be the envy of and an example for every university in the United States."

The professor would not discuss financial terms of the resignation agreement, which he said was confidential, but noted that it does not bar him from speaking out about issues that concern him, including the unfairness of the tenure process.

He also said he does not know what he will do next, but came to realize before Wednesday that "the atmosphere had become so poisoned that it was virtually impossible for me to carry on at DePaul. The least I could hope for is to leave DePaul with my head up high and my reputation intact."

Dershowitz was critical of the school. "DePaul looks like they caved into pressure," he said in a telephone interview. "The idea of describing him as a scholar trades truth for convenience. He's a man who is a propagandist and is not a scholar."

Still, Dershowitz said, "I'm happy he's out of academia. Let him do his ranting on street corners."

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  1.   Dershowitz is a Disgrace 04:02  |  MB 06/09/07
  2.   Criticism of Israel 04:02  |  Philippe 06/09/07
  3.   Of course , Norman Finkelstein is right... 04:06  |  Dutch 06/09/07
  4.   Finkelstein 04:18  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  5.   PLENTY of "scholarship"grants available for"correct" professors 05:02  |  PETER SM 06/09/07
  6.   Good riddance 05:44  |  Gordon 06/09/07
  7.   DePaul is now a better university 06:05  |  Murray of Montreal 06/09/07
  8.   Finkelstein 06:31  |  Johnson 06/09/07
  9.   Sad that Jews turn on a child of Holocaust 06:33  |  Kevin 06/09/07
  10.   I have no doubt Norman Finkelstein is right on point 06:46  |  Dutch 06/09/07
  11.   Dershowitz should resign 06:52  |  More of the Same 06/09/07
  12.   What`s all the fuss about? 06:52  |  Reader 06/09/07
  13.   I agree with Dershowitz 07:04  |  Robbins 06/09/07
  14.   Academic Freedom 07:16  |  Paul Fingerhut 06/09/07
  15.   Finkelstein is a Hero 07:26  |  Hanthala 06/09/07
  16.   The Wrong Law Professor Resigned.... 07:27  |  Dutch 06/09/07
  17.   He is always welcome in Teheran U 07:31  |  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 06/09/07
  18.   DePaul is now a worse university 07:50  |  Bill 06/09/07
  19.   WHAT A PRICE TO PAY FOR SAYING THE TRUTH 07:56  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  20.   zionists against academic freedom 08:08  |  RICK 06/09/07
  21.   What are they afraid of? 08:13  |  Steve Beikirch 06/09/07
  22.   But doesn`t Haaretz have a view? 08:19  |  Rowan Berkeley 06/09/07
  23.   The Real Issue Here Is... 08:24  |  Sceanf 06/09/07
  24.   The last surviving "*ism" has its way again. 08:27  |  Andreas 06/09/07
  25.   All sorts of reasons justify this 08:28  |  Gordon 06/09/07
  26.   Mel Gibson needs an assistant 08:38  |  Aron Vergelis 06/09/07
  27.   Private feud or public scandal? 08:41  |  Dani Reiss 06/09/07
  28.   Israeli academia 08:48  |  sh 06/09/07
  29.   STEVE BEIKRICH `Ambulance Chaser Dreshowitz" Sources please?? 08:54  |  PETER SM 06/09/07
  30.   Political Correctness in action 08:56  |  MC 06/09/07
  31.   To all "free speech lovers".Finklestein resigned.He was NOT fired 08:58  |  PETER.SM 06/09/07
  32.   Dershowitz` perfidy 09:02  |  Daniel Donaly 06/09/07
  33.   Show me one example 09:03  |  MarkC 06/09/07
  34.   Boycott? Error? Truth? Dershowitz attempted.. 09:16  |  JW 06/09/07
  35.   Douche-a-witz Uses Joan Peters as a Source 09:26  |  MaoSayTongue 06/09/07
  36.   AHMADINEJAD GOT THE POINT, PROBABLY 09:27  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  37.   AHMADINEJAD GOT THE POINT, PROBABLY 09:27  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  38.   # 31, PETER SM 09:32  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  39.   Alan Dershowitz for President 09:34  |  Natallie Durson 06/09/07
  40.   GALUT MENTALITY OF SELF-HATING JEWS GETS OUT OF PROPORTION))))))) 09:42  |  MOSHIACH NOW!))))))) 06/09/07
  41.   Laughable 09:43  |  JES 06/09/07
  42.   Semite & anti-semite? 09:43  |  Semite 06/09/07
  43.   America, love it or leave it 09:44  |  Ralph is back 06/09/07
  44.   I`ve read Finkelsteins work and ... 09:51  |  DB 06/09/07
  45.   Finkelstein 09:56  |  David Schwartz 06/09/07
  46.   #21 - So, you tell me Steve 09:56  |  JES 06/09/07
  47.   He was on Lebanese TV / Cute in old picture 10:00  |  Laila 06/09/07
  48.   #9 1 million Jews expelled from Arab lands not ethnic cleansing? 10:04  |  Liliane 06/09/07
  49.   #1 the arguments of national socialism reused by mb 10:07  |  victor hardman 06/09/07
  50.   #16 DORIS IS NOW AMISTRESS OF LAW AND JUSTICE 10:09  |  PAUL HARRIS 06/09/07
  51.   To DB 10:27  |  Academic 06/09/07
  52.   ***** Another Proof of the Power of Zionism!! ** 10:38  |  Samy 06/09/07
  53.   DISGUSTING 10:44  |  Nicole 06/09/07
  54.   INDRAJAYA you are confusing the USA with Indonesia. 10:47  |  PETER SM 06/09/07
  55.   FAKE HANNAH (aka Ms Kohn) ALERT! #3 10:52  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  56.   abuse of the holocaust 10:55  |  Freddie Rosenberg 06/09/07
  57.   Finkelstein, Shoa and antisemitism 10:55  |  Maimon 06/09/07
  58.   On academic standards... 10:58  |  Maimon 06/09/07
  59.   Funny seeing so many opinions 11:02  |  Johnny 06/09/07
  60.   Thou shalt not criticise Israel 11:02  |  Clickfool 06/09/07
  61.   Dershowitz NOT Finkelstein should go 11:10  |  Josh Goldman 06/09/07
  62.   MB 11:10  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/09/07
  63.   Johnston 11:12  |  Wolf 06/09/07
  64.   Dear Academic 11:13  |  Maimon 06/09/07
  65.   Kevin and ethnic cleansing 11:14  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/09/07
  66.   Stifled by Zionists? 11:15  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/09/07
  67.   #52, Nicole, you are a 1,000% right 11:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/09/07
  68.   Dershowitz will still only ever be remembered for OJ 11:18  |  Michael 06/09/07
  69.   #51, Academic 11:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/09/07
  70.   Paul Fingerhut 11:25  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/09/07
  71.   RICK A challenge for you.Did the UNI say he was unfit to teach? 11:26  |  PETER S.M. 06/09/07