On attacks on Doctor Finkelstein:

- "Finkelstein was the first to publish what was happening in his book The Holocaust Industry. And when I was asked to endorse the book, I did so with specific reference to these claims. I was also struck by the fact that Finkelstein was being attacked over and over...but I was saying the same thing, and I had published my results in that three-volume work, published in 2003 by Yale University Press, and I did not hear from anybody a critical word about what I said, even though it was the same substantive conclusion that Finkelstein had offered."

- "it was clear to me already years ago that some campaigns were launched -- from what sector, I didn't know -- to remove him from the academic world."

- "But there is very clearly a campaign, which was made very obvious in the Wall Street Journal, when Professor Dershowitz wrote in a style which is highly uncharacteristic of the editorial page of this newspaper."

On tenure:

"I will say,.. that I am impressed by the analytical abilities of Finkelstein. He is, when all is said and done, a highly trained political scientist who was given a PhD degree by a highly prestigious university. This should not be overlooked."

"It takes an enormous amount of academic courage to speak the truth when no one else is out there to support him."

"That takes a great amount of courage in and of itself. So I would say that his place in the whole history of writing history is assured, and that those who in the end are proven right triumph, and he will be among those who will have triumphed.."

"I think very highly of Professor Finkelstein. I regard him as a very able, very erudite and original scholar who has made an important contribution to the study of Zionism, to the study of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in particular, to the study of American attitudes towards Israel and towards the Middle East."

"Professor Finkelstein exposed it (Joan Peters's 'From Time Immemorial')* as a hoax, and he showed how dishonest the scholarship or spurious scholarship was in the entire book. And he paid the price for his courage, and he has been a marked man, in a sense, in America ever since. His most recent book is Beyond Chutzpah, follows in the same vein of criticizing and exposing biases and distortions and falsifications in what Americans write about Israel ('The Case for Israel' by Dershowitz)* and about the Middle East. So I consider him to be a very impressive and a very learned and careful scholar."

(* my additions for explanation above in italics)

"his style is very polemical"..."but what really matters in the final analysis is the content, and the content of his books, in my judgement, is of very high quality."

"His last book, Beyond Chutzpah, is based on an amazing amount of research. He seems to have read everything. I find his critique extremely detailed, well-documented and accurate."

The three-page note cites Finkelstein's "deliberately hurtful" scholarship along with his lack of involvement with the school and his tendency for public clashes with other scholars.

"In the opinion of those opposing tenure, your unprofessional personal attacks divert the conversation away from consideration of ideas, and polarize and simplify conversations that deserve layered and subtle consideration..."

Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:31:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Tenure of Dr. Finkelstein
To: president@depaul.edu
CC: mbudde@depaul.edu

Dear Rev. Holtschneider,

I am writing to express my concern about DePaul University's silence regarding the tenure case of Norman Finkelstein, an assistant professor in your Department of Political Science. My attention has been drawn to DePaul University's recent decision to deny Finkelstein tenure due to the troubling reports in the "Chronicle of Higher Education" and to Prof. Alan Dershowitz' active lobbying for this decision among DePaul University faculty.

Prof. Dershowitz' intervention was correctly rebuked by DePaul. However, in the face of public demand for clarification, the university has kept silent. In the absence of information from DePaul, others have taken the task on themselves to explain the tenure decision for the university. I suppose it should not be a surprise that Prof. Dershowitz--whose interest in this affair seems to be completely out of proportion--is one of them.

Taking on the role of a self-designated DePaul spokesman, Prof. Dershowitz explained this past Thursday to readers of the respected British newspaper, "The Guardian", that DePaul's tenure decision process had concluded that Assistant Professor Finkelstein was guilty of "bigotry" and his work amounts to "unscholarly, ad hominem propaganda". Does DePaul consider Dr. Finkelstein's publications to be "propaganda"? Does DePaul consider Dr. Finkelstein a bigot and "anti-Semite" as Prof. Dershowitz suggests? Reading Prof. Dershowitz' article, one wonders how could such a person be hired even as an Assistant Professor at DePaul University?

Prof. Dershowitz not only publicly presumes to have special insight into DePaul's decision to deny tenure, but he accuses DePaul's "radical" Department of Political Science of "having cooked the books" regarding their tenure evaluation of Dr. Finkelstein. Minimally, DePaul should stand up for its own departments against such gratuitous criticism and should not allow outside intriguers to presume to speak for the university. In this case, like many others in history, silence is not meritorious.

I would also suggest however that DePaul demonstrate its confidence in its tenure system and respond forthrightly to the serious concerns raised by the "Chronicle of Higher Education" concerning the Finkelstein case. The unusual--unprecedented to my knowledge--involvement of a outside professor campaigning publicly and privately against the tenure of another makes this case an exceptional one. To clarify elements of this involvement and the measures subsequently taken should only strengthen public and faculty confidence in DePaul as an institute of higher learning where academic freedom is encouraged. On the other hand, your current silence undermines confidence in the tenure decision and suggests that perhaps Dr. Finkelstein has indeed been wronged.

Respectfully yours,
.....

To DePaul University Administration, and to the DePaul University President in particular,

As a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Chicago, I have been closely following the story of Norman Finkelstein's and Mehrene Larudee's denial of tenure. I am not only appalled by the university's decision, I am also dismayed and worried about its implication for academic freedom. I am familiar with the work of Dr. Finkelstein and have heard him speak on many occasions. He is a top-rate scholar, outstanding teacher, and passionate in his beliefs. His style may be brash, his views controversial, but this should have no bearing on his qualifications for tenure; making powerful enemies through one's lawful writings and activism is not grounds for purging him. With his publications and teaching evaluations, he should not only have been granted tenure, but a full professorship. Overtuning the decision of his department and the college review board is a colossal mistake in judgment in my opinion, and it should be reversed. All public evidence points to outside pressure and publicity as having been the prime motive for this unfortunate decision, and I believe it will irreparably scar DePaul's reputation. I urge the administration and the President to reverse this decision, and as a concerned academic and citizen, I will support Finkelstein and Larudee's struggle for academic freedom. I can say with much certainty that many of my colleagues in my department and my institution agree with the views I have expressed here.

Sincerely,

.....

Department of History,
The University of Chicago

Date: Jun 15, 2007 5:33 PM
Subject: Tenure Denial / Alan Dershowitz
To: president@depaul.edu, ekagan@law.harvard.edu

Dear Dean Elena Kagan and President Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider,

My grandmother, Adriana Hagenaar, is a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps. Something she read recently upset her deeply- Alan Dershowitz suggested that the late mother of Norman Finkelstein (with whom Dershowitz has been feuding) had been a kapo in Maidanek. My grandmother is extremely sharp, lucid, fiercely political, and exceptionally independent- she still lives alone in her apartment in New York, and still flies to Europe without assistance of any kind. She is currently in Hamburg Germany, visiting one of her grandsons. Before leaving New York for Europe, Adriana wrote a letter to Alan Dershowitz. Here is my grandmother's actual correspondence with Alan Dershowitz:

From: Adriana Hagenaar
Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2007 12:38:26
To: Alan Dershowitz dersh@law.harvard.edu
Subject: Letter from a camp survivor

Dear Mr. Dershowitz,

My name is Adriana Hagenaar. I am an American, and a New Yorker. During World War II, I was an active member of the Dutch Resistance. I was eventually captured by the Nazis and survived 2 years in various concentration camps. Close to the War's end I was imprisoned in a German concentration camp at Salzwedel, west of the Elbe, in the Saxony-Anhalt district; I was liberated by the US Army's 84th Infantry Division.

In your book, "The Case for Peace," you write the following:
-----
Finkelstein even doubted his own mother's denial that she was a kapo, asking whether her frequent statements that "the best didn't survive" constituted "an indirect admission of guilt?" The most he was willing to do was "assume" that his mother answered him "truthfully." But he questioned even that assumption: "Still, if she didn't cross fundamental moral boundaries, I glimpsed from her manner of pushing and shoving in order to get to the head of a queue, which mortified me... Really, how else would she have survived?"
-----

I was shocked that the child of a survivor would say such things about a parent, or any family member- that they suspect that family member of having been a kapo. I spoke with my daughter about this. My daughter didn't buy Finkelstein's book but she did give me a print out from the internet showing exactly what Finkelstein wrote.

It turns out that in your quotation Mr. Dershowitz, you have removed some words, and replaced those missing words with ellipses.

The missing words are:

----
"how my mother must have fought Hobbes's war of all against all many a time in the camps."
----

By removing those words and replacing them with the ellipses, you have changed the meaning of Finkelstein's statements. Your quotation suggests that Finkelstein is saying that his mother had to have been a kapo in order to survive. But when the missing words are put back in, it's clear that what he was actually saying was that she had to have "fought Hobbe's war of all against all" in order to survive.

Being a kapo- and fighting Hobbe's war of all against all- are two different things.

In the camps one of course fought Hobbe's war of all against all in order to survive, this is understood.

The kapos on the other hand were only a tiny minority of the prison population- they were the shameless traitors, the collaborators, the most wretched vicious scoundrels!

One did not need to be a kapo in order to survive; I was NOT a kapo; I survived- thanks to the US Army.

More importantly, saying that someone fought Hobbe's war of all against all IS NOT THE SAME THING as saying that someone was a kapo.

I repeat: saying that someone fought Hobbe's war of all against all IS NOT THE SAME THING as saying that someone was a kapo. AND YOU KNOW THAT, Mr. Dershowitz.

By removing those critical words, you radically changed the meaning of Finkelstein's remarks, deliberately making the paragraph, for a survivor like me, shocking and unfathomable.

(1) Do you have any idea what it would mean to a survivor, like me, to be accused of having been a kapo?

(2) Is it not fundamentally immoral to say such a thing about someone who is no longer alive to defend him or herself from the charge, when there is no evidence to support such an accusation?

(3) Do you believe your quarrel with Mr. Finkelstein (and I am not concerned about Mr. Finkelstein, I am concerned with his late mother, who survived the camps, just as I survived the camps) gives you the right to deliberately and radically distort something that Finkelstein said, when it relates to an issue so extremely serious, not just for survivors like myself, but for those who didn't survive, and for the relatives of the victims?

These are not rhetorical questions. I am a living survivor, and I want formal answers. Absent a formal response I intend to take this up not only with Harvard's administration but also with local Jewish groups and survivors' groups here in New York and in The Netherlands.

Adriana Hagenaar

Re: Letter from a camp survivor
From: Alan Dershowitz dersh@law.harvard.edu
Sent: Wed 6/06/07 1:05 PM
To: Adriana Hagenaar

I believe that the context suggests that he believed is mother may collaborated. His mother also doubted that people (like you)who claimed to be suvivers actually were. He quotes his mothe as saying that if everyone who claims to be a suriver really was one than who did hitler kill. He has also questioned the accounts of survivors like elie wiesel and argued against compensation for survivors. All this leads me to belive he was questioning his mothers deniel of complicty. If you read I'd differently so be it. Why do you care about muy reading unless you and or uyou daughter support finkelsteins bigotry

Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless

Re: Letter from a camp survivor
From: Alan Dershowitz dersh@law.harvard.edu
Sent: Wed 6/06/07 1:11 PM
To: Adriana Hagenaar

By the way I took out the hobbes reference because most readers would not understand it

Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless

Dean Kagan and President Rev. Holtschneider, in 1954 a one-time graduate of the Harvard Law School, Mr. Joseph Welch, told Senator Joseph McCarthy, "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness... Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator... You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

Alan Dershowitz's false and outrageous accusations, and his callous and disrespectful response (spelling and grammar mistakes littered throughout) to my grandmother's letter (which she spent a great deal of time developing, and which turned into an entire family episode and emotional event), illustrate very well Dershowitz's capacity for cruelty, recklessness, indecency, and shameless character assassination.

Dean Kagan, Alan Dershowitz is a high profile professor at Harvard University; he has engaged publicly in vicious, outrageous behavior, apparently with no comment or censure whatsoever from you or from anyone in the Harvard administration. My grandmother Adriana is a camp survivor; if today, or worse, if years in the future, after her death, someone writes that my grandmother Adriana was a kapo, I simply cannot imagine what I would do. Please Dean Kagan, just think if someone were to say the most vicious, horrendous thing about you, or about a member of your family- now multiply that insult by one thousand- then imagine that this insult or accusation is coordinated around the most abominably painful experience you or that family member had ever endured- and finally, that the entire accusation is based on a deliberate falsification of evidence. Dean Kagan, won't you please censure him? If you will not censure him, will you please let me know why you will not censure him, based upon the facts and correspondence I have presented?

President Rev. Holtschneider, it is shocking to me that input and pressure from this scandalous Alan Dershowitz actually helped deny a professor at your university the tenure he deserved. I am speaking of Norman Finkelstein- the same Norman Finkelstein that the most respected Holocaust historian in the entire world, Raul Hilberg, was referring to when he said of Finkelstein recently: "So I would say that his place in the whole history of writing history is assured, and that those who in the end are proven right triumph, and he will be among those who will have triumphed, albeit, it so seems, at great cost." This is what Raul Hilberg said about Norman Finkelstein. Can either of you imagine anyone possessing even a remote fraction of Hilberg's monumental stature ever saying anything so stirring about Professor Dershowitz?

President Rev. Holtschneider, when someone of Raul Hilberg's stature heaps praise upon a professor's work and upon his character ("it takes an enormous amount of academic courage to speak the truth when no one else is out there to support him"), and the DePaul Board on Promotion and Tenure denies that professor tenure, you have the power and the right to make the final decision. You have said that "I find no compelling reasons here to overturn the UBPT's decision." I am writing to ask you now, President Rev. Holtschneider, to please think about the correspondence between Adriana Hagenaar and Alan Dershowitz, and then reconsider your decision to not overturn the UBPT decision. You can tell me that neither your decision nor the UBPT decision were based on Dershowitz's interference- but it is obvious to the entire world that Alan Dershowitz exerted a considerable and negative influence, whether such interference and lobbying was "welcome" or not. I ask you President Rev. Holtschneider, to please reflect on what kind of a person Mr. Dershowitz really is. Also consider that Dershowitz, in spite of his "deliberately hurtful," "inflammatory," "ad hominem," "unprofessional personal attacks" (using terminology from your letter to Norman Finkelstein), has enjoyed tenure at Harvard for years- isn't that correct? If Dershowitz was, and remains worthy of tenure at Harvard, how then can Finkelstein be so unworthy of tenure at DePaul? President Rev. Holtschneider, having learned now about the character of the outside individual who spearheaded the anti-tenure campaign, and the kind of behavior that he engages in- falsification, distortion and outright character assassination- I deeply hope you will reconsider the UBPT decision.

Dean Kagan and President Rev. Holtschneider, I know that you both occupy important positions, and I congratulate you on the success you have earned for yourselves. My grandmother never achieved such professional success; however, she lived through times of high stakes and great danger; for her, the consequences of taking a principled stand meant Nazi prison camps, yet she took that principled stand, and she has never shown any regrets. For you two, the consequences of taking a principled stand- censuring Dershowitz, Dean Kagan- and reconsidering the UBPT decision, President Holtschneider- will not be nearly so severe. I sincerely hope that each of you will pause for just a moment now, and quietly think- and then make the difficult choice, but the right decision, sending out a powerful message of professional and personal commitment to decency and reason.

I look forward to responses from each of you.

Sincerely,

.....

To: DePaulpresidentsoffice@depaul.edu
Sent: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 3:47 pm
Subject: Professor Finkelstein

Dear Fr. Holtschneider;

Only one year ago, our son, Matthew Tweed Thornton, graduated from DePaul University with degrees in Political Science and Theatre Management. We wrote you a letter following his commencement, complimenting you, as well as all the faculty and staff on the outstanding education we feel our son received at DePaul.

We did not mention this specifically in our letter, but by far one of his favorite and most impressive professors while at DePaul was Professor Norman Finkelstein. Prof. Finkelstein is an outstanding teacher and an educator of integrity, who is not afraid to challenge his students to expand their thinking to consider all sides of an issue. It would appear this trait is lacking in members of the University Board on Promotion and Tenure.

We are asking you to seriously reconsider your decision concerning tenure for Prof. Finkelstein. We would like to see our very high opinion of DePaul University reinstated. At present, we are seriously disappointed.

Respectfully,

..... & .....

Sent: lunes, 11 de junio de 2007 15:27
To: dmattson@depaul.edu
Subject: DePaul University menaces freedom of speech

Sir,

In what will go down as one of the most shameful, immoral and disgraceful episodes in your university's history, your 'Catholic' University has bowed to pressure exerted by a self-confessed Jewish war criminal and proven plagiarist (Dershowitz has publicly admitted that he serves on a Mossad Committee that authorizes the murder and assassination of Palestinians, which constitutes a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and thus a serious war crime. Finkelstein has proven the plagiarism accusation without any doubt in his book) and denied tenure to one of the most respected Jewish scholars in the US.

This is nothing short of scandalous and is a perfect example of how political pressure can be brought to bear to deny someone's right to free speech. It is also an ominous sign when the Principle of a Catholic University resorts to what can only be called cold-blooded lies and distortion or linguistic acrobatics worthy of Orwell's Big Brother - it is apparently Finkelstein's alleged "ad hominem" attacks that have resulted in his being denied tenure, whereas anyone with any knowledge of Derhowitz and Finkelstein can tell you, the person not worthy of tenure anywhere is the war criminal and plagiarist Dershowitz.

In Spain, the word for this kind of behaviour is "sinverguenza"? Your decision had nothing to do with scholarship or academic achievement but was based on “transparently political grounds” and an “egregious violation” of academic freedom as Prof Finkelstein has stated.

Yours in disgust

.....
Member of the Roman Catholic Hermandad de Santa Marta
Seville, Spain.

Links:
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story-061007100808.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/arts/11depa.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Dear President Holtschneider:

As one of the hundreds of thousands who has been informed by the courageous words of Prof. Norman Finkelstein, I am deeply saddened at your capitulation to the forces of Zionism. As I have long been aware, however, the political aspects of being president of a large university outweigh academic as well as religious concerns.

You stated that Prof. Finkelstein did not ‘show due respect for the opinions of others and strive to be objective in their professional judgement of colleagues” and further that his scholarship did not honor the university’s commitment “to creating an environment in which all persons engaged in research and learning exercise academic freedom and respect it in others.”

How can one meet the qualifications listed above and still remain dedicated to disseminating truth when that truth, itself, creates an environment of hostility and hatred on the part of those in disagreement? Is this not the message of the crucifixion? As a believer in personal crucifixion, it is my conviction that each of us is called to “speak truth to power,” that is speak truth to the power of the “other” whoever that other may be. In speaking that truth, the speaker knows he/she challenges the society. The trick is to remain intact and avoid crucifixion if at all possible. Jesus was unable to do it. Norman Finkelstein was unable to do it. Am I comparing Norman Finkelstein to Jesus? Indeed I am. Not in the infallibility assigned to Jesus but in his dedication to truth-telling.

Too bad you had to be placed in the position of Pontius Pilate.

Sincerely .....

Sent: Mon 6/11/2007 4:54 PM
To: depaulpresidentsofffice@depaul.edu
Subject: tenure denial for Prof. Finkelstein

President Holtschneider,

I am writing to express considerable disappointment over the recent decision to deny tenure to Prof. Norman Finkelstein.

First off, I must state that I am not affiliated in any way with the campaign to support his tenure process. Second, I do not know him personally. Third, I am not associated with the DePaul community. I am an unbiased outsider with a deep interest in promoting peace in the Mideast through a two state solution.

Despite my lack of ties to Prof. Finkelstein and DePaul, I have recently become acquainted with some of his intellectual contributions in the area of Israeli-Palestinian history and politics. For example, I recently heard an interview with him on the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War. Having studied Mideast politics as an undergraduate at Harvard University (A.B., '89), lived in Jerusalem doing dialogue work on a Rockefeller Graduate Fellowship ('89-90), and maintained a lifelong interest in the conflict, I must state that his voice and perspective is gravely needed.

For far too long pro-Israeli forces have effectively silenced and intimidated scholars and politicians who deviate from an unwavering support for Israel and Zionist doctrine. The outrageous attack antics of Alan Dershowitz are good examples of this problem. Though controversial, Finkelstein's critical evaluations of Israeli government policies are incredibly valuable. They provide an intellecutal antidote to the academic and political imbalance that exists on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Although I am not familiar with the specific nuances of his bid for tenure nor the decisionmaking process at your school, on the surface it appears that DePaul University has retreated from its commitment to academic freedom and leadership. Having had the opportunity to study and work at Harvard University yourself, you should personally know that a halmark of great universities is the open exchange of ideas. DePaul appears to have instead chosen a safer route, preferring stability and security. This is not only a loss to your institution, it is also a larger loss for students, professors, policymakers, and citizens who benefited from receiving a rare and unique perspective on one of the most pressing international issues of our time.

Sincerely,
.....
University of Iowa

Letter of Support for Tenure for Dr. Norman Finkelstein

Dear Father Holtschneider,

I am writing to express my support for Dr. Norman Finkelstein and the issue of his receiving tenure. I am a staff member in a non-academic department at the University of Southern California. I should add that my views are my own and should not be considered as necessarily representing those of the university or the faculty. This formality is offered because of the clearly contentious nature of the issues Dr. Finkelstein regularly addresses. I was at one time the staff advisor to the campus atheist group and had sought for most of my five years in that position to bring Dr. Finkelstein to campus to speak or debate but was unable to find another group able or willing to co-sponsor an event with Dr. Finkelstein. I feel this was largely due to the fact that Dr. Finkelstein is a formidable opponent and they would rather not lock horns with him in an event where their position would be so thoroughly challenged. The professor has always been very generous of his time and more than willing to discuss issues in depth. I was quite pleased to see him speak recently at Cal State Irvine. His presentation was quite compelling and he was warmly received.

You have a fine educator in the person of Norman Finkelstein. His scholarship, by necessity, is quite exacting because if it weren't, the attacks upon him would be more than just the ad hominem ones he is subjected to on a regular basis. Possibly one of his warmest replies I received was when I mentioned in a correspondence that it was clear just how much he loved teaching. I know through his works that I have learned much. He has used his academic talents as a force multiplier in that those understanding the arguments he puts forth are able to champion those same arguments when engaging others. This is no small feat considering the often subjective nature of the issues he deals with. I have met and exchanged emails with many others like myself who value the man as a truth-teller. We recognize his integrity and the depth of his ethical values. He is willing to stand firm in the face of relentless opposition by those with a barely hidden agenda.

I consider Dr. Norman Finkelstein a credit to DePaul University and his academic department and hope you do as well. It would be an acknowledgement of that fact for the university to grant him tenure.

Respectfully yours,

.....

From: "Holtschneider, Fr. Dennis" PRESIDENT@depaul.edu
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:24 PM
Subject: RE: Vincentian Spirituality

Dear Duncan,

I have long heard about Strawberry Hill, its wonderful program, and its ready hospitality when Vincentians from the USA would come to visit. Anyone who ever came back from visiting your institution, spoke highly about it.

Thank you for taking the time to write me about this. I can assure you, the faculty member's claims to the contrary, this decision was made by the faculty review committee, and it focused entirely on the traditional criteria for tenure, especially quality of research. I promise you that it was not made because of the particular political positions espoused by Dr. Finkelstein.

God bless!

Fr. Dennis Holtschneider

Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 10:53 AM
To: dmattson@depaul.edu
Subject: Norman Finkelstein

Dear Sirs or Madam:

The recent denial of tenure to Professor Norman G. Finkelstein is a travesty of academic freedom. As a Catholic , I am outraged that a Catholic institution would betray the educational standards that are an imperative in these times of crass politicization. Professor Finkelstein's credentials are impeccable. His standards of scholarship are unassailable. It appear that the dubious rants of Alan Dershowitz have affected your good judgment. Professor Finkelstein has more intellectual integrity in his little finger than Dershowitz has in his whole body. Thank God that scholars like Professor Finkelstein here and in Israel have allowed many of us to learn the real facts with regard to the Israel/Palestinian conflict. Denying Professor Finkelstein tenure will not stop the facts from being distributed to those who wish to untangle the myriad myths from the historical record. It only diminishes the academic standards of your university and exposes the mettle of the craven individuals who denied him tenure.

Regards,

.....
SEIU 888
Interfaith Alliance
Brit v' Tzedek v' Shalom

Dear Reverend Holtschneider,

Your decision to deny tenure to Dr. Norman Finkelstein has caused disbelief, anger, and dismay around the world, Canada included.

How sad it is that when given an opportunity to choose good over evil, you allowed evil to win. You listened to the supporters of terrorism, the supporters of torture, the plagiarists, and then you claim that pressure brought to bear upon you from the likes of Alan Dershowitz and friends was not a factor. Surely you jest?

I believe St. Vincent de Paul would have done the right thing. In fact, St. Vincent de Paul would be openly supporting the oppressed and brutally occupied Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, for civil, social, political, economic, and human rights. He would be standing with them because he was a fierce supporter of the poor and oppressed.

How ironic that you, the President of a university named after him, preferred to side with the oppressors, the imperialists, the elitists.

One would have thought that Dr. Finkelstein's passion for truth and justice, his integrity, and his brilliant intellect would have made him a perfect candidate for tenure anywhere. Presumably these characteristics are not what you are seeking in your professors.

Having been born and raised a Catholic and being familiar with the numerous saints, a statement from St. Vincent de Paul comes to mind, one presumably you've not committed to memory.

"We should strive to keep our hearts open to the sufferings and wretchedness of other people, and pray continually that God may grant us that spirit of compassion which is truly the spirit of God."

By openly supporting the Palestinian people in their valiant efforts against a brutal occupation, Dr. Finkelstein has shown the true spirit of what St. Vincent de Paul represented.

How disappointed that good saint must be with your decision. How disappointed are caring decent people world wide. You’ve sided with evil over good, and that, Reverend Father, is how you will always be remembered on earth and above.

.....

Canada

Dear ADC,

As a former ADC intern, I am writing to urge you to issue an immediate ACTION ALERT to respond to the unfair decision to deny university tenure to human rights advocate and Israel critic Norman Finkelstein. Since his parents were holocaust survivors, he is an important voice against Israel's human rights abuses and a prolific champion of the issues we advocate.

Perhaps the ADC alert can urge members to write to Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, University President, whose address is as follows:

Rev. Dennis Holtschneider
Office of the President
1 East Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604

Perhaps ADC members can tell President Holtschneider that the decision to deny tenure to human rights advocate Dr. Finkelstein and the international storm of negative publicity following this act of university intolerance makes them hesitant to donate money to the university or recommend the school to their college-age relatives. Rev. Holtschneider might also be reminded that Arab-Americans are students and faculty at his university, and consist of numerous religious denominations, including those who share his own human rights-embracing Christian faith.

Thank you for your prompt response to this matter. Please do not add my email to any ADC contact lists.

Sincerely,

.....

To the President's Office at DePaul University

Fr. Holtschneider,

Would you deny the right of life to Jesus Christ? A fanatic cult of Jewish Rabbis decided to have Christ crucified. Not all Jews agreed - Mary was Jewish, as were many of the Apostles and Disciples. Even one or two rabbis disagreed. But an honest man was crucified because he told the truth. Would you persecute an honest man?

Today and for more than 50 years, the Palestinians have been raped, their home and lands taken, their children and parents and spouses killed, their water, food, medicine, money and respect taken - and Zionist Jews have been the murderers, rapists and aggressors in these heinous crimes that make the Holocaust look like a boy scout exercise.

My grandfather died in the Holocaust. I have several relatives that were shot during the Holocaust. I have read much about it from both sides.

Jewish Zionists have successfully controlled the American and most International media. Thus, they have been able to easily lie about the facts of the Palestinian invasion.

Have you joined them? If so, you are a supporter of the rape and killing of innocent victims, in most cases unarmed men, women and children.

You are a Harvard graduate. Dershowitz is a Harvard professor.

AIPAC is a Zionist lobbying group that promotes the rape and killing, and AIPAC is closely connected to Harvard.

But of course, you would not allow these influences to consider your decisions. You are a priest.

There has been one light shining in the darkness. This light has illumined the truth. You and the students at DePaul are privileged to have Professor Finkelstein, a Jewish professor suffer the consequences of standing up to the real truth among his own people and the so-called Catholic professors at DePaul. But these professors are not Catholic when they do not accept the truth. The truth is unpopular, as Jesus taught us. But many people read about Jesus, they do not know Jesus. There is a big difference. I had hoped you would overcome the mistakes of a few dissenters and the pressure from the Zionist and Harvard lobby. Your statement says this did not influence you, but it seems either it did, or you are really not Catholic. Or perhaps you had to take some action against Professor Finkelstein that you gathered out of the past, and then used this as an excuse to deny tenure.

It may take a few minutes to do some research to find the truth. But to judge without the truth is a terrible sin. Especially when it is done while listening to those who are committing the crimes. What is the price of this sin? Read the books written by a great Jesuit - Fr. Shouppe. These two books were written many years ago, but carefully researched. Everything still applies today. The titles of these books are entitled "Purgatory" and "Hell". They are published by TAN Books in Rockford, IL.

A few months ago at Viterbo College (Now being renamed Viterbo University) in La Crosse, Wisconsin; a lecture was given by Eli Wiesel - sometime ago named the "clown prince" by Professor Finkelstein. A very accurate title for Wiesel the Zionist. His statement concerning the efforts of Pope Pius XII to speak for, protect and save the Jews during the war, has been published in The Catholic Times" in the October 19th , 2006 issue on Page 3. He stated that "His (Pope Pius XII) silence during those years is howling". Yet the record shows that there was a very special ceremony by the leading Jewish Rabbis at the end of the war, honoring Pope Pius XII for the speeches he made against Hitler, the many thousands of Jews he saved through a network developed by the Vatican and the help he gave to so many Jews after the war. This was a special ceremony that was well documented. But apparently Eli Wiesel and other Zionists are not aware of this, or choose not to tell the truth about it. After so many years of lecturing, we know that it is not a case of Wiesel not knowing it, it is clearly a case of a blatant lie in order to allow the world to continue to grieve for the Holocaust victims and continue to condemn the Pope and all those who have fought against the Hitler regime. Thus supporting the mass murder of the Palestinian people by the Israeli Zionist government.

Apparently you also support Eli Wiesel. This means of course that you do not support Pope Pius XII.

Professor Finkelstein told the truth when he referred to Wiesel as the "Clown Prince". But Wiesel is not only a clown, he is aiding and abetting the mass murder in the plot to ethnically cleanse Israel of their rightful Palestinian owners. Thus the truth in this case must be told. But you seem to be condemning the truth and the messenger.

May God have mercy on you.

.....

To: dmattson@depaul.edu
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 6:17 AM
Subject: in re: Norman Finkelstein
To whom it may concern:

I have followed the controversy regarding the issue you had created over granting tenure to the eminently qualified Norman Finkelstein, and note with dismay and disgust your decision to allow political pressure to trump the overriding issues of truth and academic freedom.

You have done your institution and its reputation a great disservice.

.....

Dear President Holtschneider,

I am writing this letter to let you know how disappointed I am with DePaul’s tenure decision regarding Professor Finkelstein. I was in Professor Finkelstein’s HON 201 class during Spring Quarter 2007, and I regard it as one of the best classes I have taken at DePaul University. Professor Finkelstein is an incredibly intelligent man, and the philosophy that I learned from him will stay with me my whole life. He is a dynamic and interesting teacher. I am lucky to have had him, and I regret that other DePaul students will lose out on my opportunity. It is also worth mentioning that Professor Finkelstein never mentioned anything to do with Israel, the Palestinians, or the Holocaust without being directly asked by his students.

I am ashamed that DePaul University couldn’t ignore the ridiculous and pointless controversy surrounding this decision, and instead bowed to outside pressure. I can see no other reason why Professor Finkelstein would fail to receive tenure; his student reviews are good and he is more well published than nearly any member of the DePaul faculty. The reasoning I have heard is that Professor Finkelstein does not respect others, which may or may not be true. However, as far as I can tell, academia is a very ruthless and somewhat catty institution. I have no doubt that every professor at DePaul has negative things to say about their colleagues rather than just their colleagues’ works; to see someone lose tenure over such remarks is fairly ridiculous. Finally, regardless of what you, I, or anyone else think of his writings, I find this censorship at the University level to be very disturbing.

The loss of Professor Finkelstein will be a very big loss to our University.

Thank you for your time,

.....

Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider C.M.
President, DePaul University
dholtsch@depaul.edu

Dear President Holtschneider

In your enthusiastic support for DePaul's university's inquisition against the brilliant author and researcher Norman Finkelstein, culminating with the denial of tenure, you have disgraced the legacy of your institution's namesake, St. Vincent DePaul, who fought without fear or favor for the rights of the unpopular and the oppressed.

In your disingenuous statement, you use risible jargon to justify the repression against Dr. Finkelstein, claiming Finkelstein "...divert(s) the conversation away from consideration of ideas, and polarize and simplify conversations that deserve layered and subtle consideration."

Actually Finkelstein's meticulous research stimulated the "conversation" in ways too dynamic and subtle for the Israeli lobby to handle.

You obviously feared the effect of bucking the Israeli lobby on your university's endowment. In other words, you sold Finkelstein for thirty pieces of silver. May God have mercy on your soul for the grave injustice you have done to a courageously honest and highly independent scholar, whose original research is desperately needed for the enlightenment of humanity; an enlightenment you have denied the students of DePaul University.

Sincerely, Michael A. Hoffman II

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