Norman Finkelstein, professor of political science at DePaul University and controversial author of The Holocaust Industry as well as Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, spoke last Wednesday at the University of California-Davis. His lecture took place as part of the Muslim Students Association’s Justice Week; Finkelstein was invited by the MSA.

[Finkelstein] will give a talk titled “Israel and Palestine: The Roots of Conflict, Prospects for Peace” at 8 p.m. in 194 Chemistry.

Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors, has been accused by some as being a Holocaust denier. Author of several books, including The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering, Finkelstein has argued that the Holocaust has been over-exploited for pro-Israel means.

[MSA organizer Amir] Asifuddin defended Finkelstein, saying he is not a Holocaust denier. Additionally, Asifuddin encouraged students to come to the talk to draw their own conclusions.

“No matter what your political views are or what your preconceptions about Finkelstein are, listen to what he has to say and then make a decision,” he said.

The week-long event is designed to highlight injustice throughout the world. In addition to Finkelstein, it included a discussion of U.S. detentions of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a lecture by human-rights activist Leisa Faulkner Barnes on the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas, and an lecture focusing on the situation in Iraq.

In regards to the week’s title, Asifuddin said, “It’s really a twist on the word. You aren’t going to see any justice at these events.”