latisha's review against another edition
I do think there’s some value in this book’s ideas but it also just reads as a personal disagreement list. Like each paragraph is a different person the author has issue with, it’s just too much for me
shima707's review against another edition
4.0
A very interesting book offering a view of the events from a different analytical perspective.
A must read for anyone who doesn't fear to be different in a world that tries so desperately to fit in the crowd.
A must read for anyone who doesn't fear to be different in a world that tries so desperately to fit in the crowd.
lindsirae's review against another edition
4.0
It was really informative, but felt narrow in focus. I wish it had gone into more detail about the relationship between the US and Israel.
peachycat's review against another edition
4.5
I don't agree with all of Finkelstein's arguments. Regardless, this is an excellent book that deep dives how the Holocaust has turned into a mere rhetorical tool and industry to exploit suffering. Very good analysis on the US's specific use of the tragedy to further its own political goals
charbel14's review against another edition
5.0
Norman Finkelstein is the son of two Holocaust survivors. He is vocal against Israel's crimes against Palestinians, and is strongly opposed to using one of the worst tragedies in history to justify genocide. His willingness to speak the truth without mitigation has put him in many difficult situations; even leading him to lose his job as a university professor.
The Holocaust Industry, however, deals with a different subject. In it, Finkelstein discusses how the nazi holocaust was used to service the greed of individuals and organisations with their own private agendas. It's an intense read to say the least. Finkelstein does not hold back.
Because of what his parents went through, particularly his mother, he takes this subject very personally. He's not wrong to do so.
The term "Holocaust Industry" is used to refer to this wide array of organisations and individuals who claim to be defenders of Jews and Holocaust victims, while in truth they only aim to serve their own interests.
According to Finkelstein, the Holocaust industry has spread the following false ideas into mainstream American culture:
1) Gentiles have an inert hatred of Jews. They possess an irrational need to spill Jewish blood.
2) The Jews have suffered because they are superior to the Gentiles, and it’s the Gentiles jealousy of the Jews that had created silent executioners during the Holocaust.
3) The Holocaust is a unique event in history. To even suggest that the suffering of any other group is just as tragic constitutes holocaust denial.
4) To criticise Israel in any way is an act of anti-Semitism, which will lead to a new Holocaust.
One cannot say that Finkelstein is exaggerating since he offers more than enough support. One citation after another, footnotes extending more than half the page, some of the most detailed referencing that I have ever come across, only serve to strengthen his credibility (that along with his outstanding academic achievements in political science).
Finkelstein explores in depth how "the Holocaust Industry" demanded compensation from countries such as Switzerland and Germany several times over in the name of the actual survivors while, the survivors received very little (Finkelstein's mother only recieved $3500 out of a deal that offered billions in compensation). He explains how the money went to fund "Jewish cultural projects" that, instead of insuring the rights of the survivors or the heirs, only continued to serve the interests of a chosen few. He also goes into great detail about the hypocrisy that lies behind the "Industry's" outcries and accusations of anti-Semitism.
'When Germans or Swiss refuse to pay compensation, the heavens cannot contain the righteous indignation of organised American Jewry. but when Jewish elites rob Jewish survivors, no ethical issues arise: it’s just about money.' (page 86).
The quote refers to how actual Jewish survivors of the Nazi holocaust received very little from the monetary compensation, while the bulk went to financing “various pet projects” and individual payments to rabbis and “outstanding Jewish leaders”.
Finkelstein also discusses the extortion of poor Eastern European countries by the "Holocaust Industry" right after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The demands this time, unlike the many compensation demands against Germany and the Swiss banks, were not publicised; as it might come off as 'grave robbery'.
'To justify the pressures exerted on Eastern Europe, he (Stuart Eizenstat) explained that a hallmark of "Western" normality is to "return or pay compensation for communal and private property wrongfully appropriated". For the "new democracies" in Eastern Europe, meeting this standard "would be to commensurate with their passage from totalitarianism to a democratic states." Eizenstat is a senior US government official and a prominent supporter of Israel. Yet, judging by the respective claims of Native Americans and Palestinians, neither the US nor Israel has yet made the transition.' (page 134).
Finkelstein has been criticised as a self-hating Jew. However, the truth could not be more different. It is his unwillingness to accept the exploitation of his heritage, and his parents' suffering, that motivates him to speak. If anything, it is his self-respect as a Jew that has driven him to take up this position.
In conclusion, The Holocaust Industry is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more than the superficial on this topic. People like Finkelstein care about the truth; they deserve to be heard.
The Holocaust Industry, however, deals with a different subject. In it, Finkelstein discusses how the nazi holocaust was used to service the greed of individuals and organisations with their own private agendas. It's an intense read to say the least. Finkelstein does not hold back.
Because of what his parents went through, particularly his mother, he takes this subject very personally. He's not wrong to do so.
The term "Holocaust Industry" is used to refer to this wide array of organisations and individuals who claim to be defenders of Jews and Holocaust victims, while in truth they only aim to serve their own interests.
According to Finkelstein, the Holocaust industry has spread the following false ideas into mainstream American culture:
1) Gentiles have an inert hatred of Jews. They possess an irrational need to spill Jewish blood.
2) The Jews have suffered because they are superior to the Gentiles, and it’s the Gentiles jealousy of the Jews that had created silent executioners during the Holocaust.
3) The Holocaust is a unique event in history. To even suggest that the suffering of any other group is just as tragic constitutes holocaust denial.
4) To criticise Israel in any way is an act of anti-Semitism, which will lead to a new Holocaust.
One cannot say that Finkelstein is exaggerating since he offers more than enough support. One citation after another, footnotes extending more than half the page, some of the most detailed referencing that I have ever come across, only serve to strengthen his credibility (that along with his outstanding academic achievements in political science).
Finkelstein explores in depth how "the Holocaust Industry" demanded compensation from countries such as Switzerland and Germany several times over in the name of the actual survivors while, the survivors received very little (Finkelstein's mother only recieved $3500 out of a deal that offered billions in compensation). He explains how the money went to fund "Jewish cultural projects" that, instead of insuring the rights of the survivors or the heirs, only continued to serve the interests of a chosen few. He also goes into great detail about the hypocrisy that lies behind the "Industry's" outcries and accusations of anti-Semitism.
'When Germans or Swiss refuse to pay compensation, the heavens cannot contain the righteous indignation of organised American Jewry. but when Jewish elites rob Jewish survivors, no ethical issues arise: it’s just about money.' (page 86).
The quote refers to how actual Jewish survivors of the Nazi holocaust received very little from the monetary compensation, while the bulk went to financing “various pet projects” and individual payments to rabbis and “outstanding Jewish leaders”.
Finkelstein also discusses the extortion of poor Eastern European countries by the "Holocaust Industry" right after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The demands this time, unlike the many compensation demands against Germany and the Swiss banks, were not publicised; as it might come off as 'grave robbery'.
'To justify the pressures exerted on Eastern Europe, he (Stuart Eizenstat) explained that a hallmark of "Western" normality is to "return or pay compensation for communal and private property wrongfully appropriated". For the "new democracies" in Eastern Europe, meeting this standard "would be to commensurate with their passage from totalitarianism to a democratic states." Eizenstat is a senior US government official and a prominent supporter of Israel. Yet, judging by the respective claims of Native Americans and Palestinians, neither the US nor Israel has yet made the transition.' (page 134).
Finkelstein has been criticised as a self-hating Jew. However, the truth could not be more different. It is his unwillingness to accept the exploitation of his heritage, and his parents' suffering, that motivates him to speak. If anything, it is his self-respect as a Jew that has driven him to take up this position.
In conclusion, The Holocaust Industry is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more than the superficial on this topic. People like Finkelstein care about the truth; they deserve to be heard.