Clark U. Calls Off Finkelstein Lecture

Clark University has called off a lecture by Norman Finkelstein, saying that it would conflict with and possibly detract from a conference about the Holocaust on campus, The Boston Globe reported. John Bassett, the university's president, said in a letter to the campus paper that he canceled Finkelstein's talk due to "unfortunate scheduling" near a conference sponsored by the university's Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Clark is known for its programs in Holocaust studies. Finkelstein, an outspoken critic of Israel, is known for writing about the Holocaust that focuses on Israeli use of the history of the Holocaust to justify its actions. Finkelstein was invited to Clark by a group called Clark University Students for Palestinian Rights. The statement from Bassett said: "It is possible that our understanding of the Middle East conflicts would be enriched by conversations with Professor Finkelstein. It is my judgment, however, that having Professor Finkelstein speak on the same evening as our planned conference would only invite controversy and not dialogue or understanding."