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Beyond Chutzpah: on the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History by Norman G. Finkelstein. 2005 It would probably ease reading this book if one has done some prior reading on Soft Power. The book is a refutation of several books by Alan Dershowitz using primarily reports from Amnesty International, HRW (Human Rights Watch) and B'Tselem (Israel Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories). A good summary point is "When the United States joined ranks with Israel in the "war against terrorism," Dershowitz began advocating draconian domestic legislation like the "torture warrant." Yet no analogy is perfect. However corrupted, the ideals of Communists were real, as were the sacrifices they made for these ideals. The likes of Dershowitz are opportunists and their purported defense of Israel in the face of overwhelming opposition is all theater." page 224. Of particular interest to me was his discussion of the Israel Supreme Court. As one who is interested in honesty, I cannot give any standing to decisions of this court. Maybe one has to have a flair for medieval scholasticism, be a Jew versed in the Torah, or interest in the Kabalah. Dershowitz should have been living in the Middle Ages for his erudition to shine.
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