CAIRO: Norman Finkelstein, an American political scientist of Jewish background, said he is honored to be in Cairo, “the home of the Egyptian Revolution,” during a speech he gave yesterday at the American University in Cairo. “It was an exhilarating moment. That guy (Mubarak) had to go. When I came to age Egyptians were perceived in the Arab world as apathetic. Congratulations to the free Egypt,” he said. In his speech, Finkelstein discussed recent developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the impact of Egypt's 2011 demonstrations. He also discussed Israeli and American fears about the current Arab uprisings, particularly in Egypt. “Israel is scared because there are potential leaders who want to restore the dignity of the Arab world,” said Finkelstein. “That is their problem." Finkelstein said a young country such as Israel has a very continuous way of thinking: just as Israel feared Gamal Abdel Nasser's modernization plans in the 1950s, “it is now in a state of panic because Egypt might enter the modern world to become a power to reckon with in the region.” He said Egypt will be a country that can “no longer be pushed around” and a country that “demonstrates a role in the region that's equal to its history and political weight.” Finkelstein said the revolution also changed Israel's take on the Iran issue, quoting an Israeli statement just after Egypt's revolution: “Without Mubarak there isn't an Israeli attack on Iran.” This, he said, is why prospects have “never been better” for a lasting peace in the Middle East. “For the first time in a long time I feel hopeful,” he said. Finkelstein also discussed the situation in the Gaza strip, which he called a criminal act against humanity. "Anyone who calls what happened in Gaza in 2009 a war is, intentionally or not, an instrument of Israeli propaganda,” he said. “There was no war in Gaza. There was a massacre in Gaza.” Finkelstein said Israel invaded Gaza to ensure the Arab world remained fearful of it, especially after its humiliating casualties from Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanese war. He said the “death and destruction” Israel caused in Gaza was meant to be a message to the Arab world: “‘if you mess with us, not only will we defeat you in the battlefield but we will destroy everything in sight.'" However, Finkelstein expressed hope for the future of the Middle East. “I feel like people have awoken, especially in Egypt,” he said. “There is now hope. A reason to be optimistic."
