Dr. Norman Finkelstein on Gaza and the Politics of Defining Violence

Dr. Norman Finkelstein argues that Gaza cannot be described as a “war” or an act of “self‑defense.” He says those labels hide what actually happened. In a war, armies fight each other. In Gaza, he notes, there were no real battles to point to. That absence, in his view, exposes the operation as something aimed at civilians, not combatants.He compares this to how past uprisings—like Nat Turner’s rebellion—were stripped of context by those in power. The same pattern, he says, shapes how Palestinian resistance is framed. Violence by the oppressed is isolated and condemned, while the conditions that produced it are ignored.Finkelstein lists the long record of blocked political and nonviolent efforts: the 17‑year siege, the punishment after the 2006 elections, the attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, and the sniper fire on unarmed protesters during the Great March of Return. Each attempt at lawful or peaceful action, he argues, was met with force.He cites Frederick Douglass to underline the point: the cause of rebellion matters more than the rebellion itself. From this perspective, Finkelstein says Israel lost any moral claim to “self‑defense” long before October 7.About Dr. Norman Finkelstein: Political scientist, author of The Holocaust Industry and Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom. Princeton PhD. Known for his sharp critiques of state power, U.S. foreign policy, and media narratives.Manufacturing Dissent exists because of you. We’re independent—powered only by readers and listeners. For less than a coffee, you can join us. Annual memberships are 30% off. Stand with us. Fuel citizen journalism. Keep dissent alive. Get full access to Manufacturing Dissent at mandissent.com/subscribe