Controversial teacher Norman Finkelstein said he may commit civil disobedience after his one remaining class at DePaul University was canceled.
Finkelstein, who was denied tenure in June after Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz waged a public battle against him, was supposed to be allowed to teach for the remaining year on his contract. On Friday, the university e-mailed students to announce that Finkelstein’s last class had been canceled, The Associated Press reported.
“I intend to go to my office on the first day of classes and, if my way is barred, to engage in civil disobedience,” Finkelstein told the Chicago Tribune. “If arrested, I’ll go on a hunger strike. If released, I’ll do it all over again. I’ll fast in jail for as long as it takes.”
Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors, has argued that some Jews have exploited the legacy of the Holocaust. He has also emerged as a vocal critic of Israeli policies. His work has led to a long-running feud with Dershowitz, who waged an ultimately successful campaign to deny Finkelstein tenure. The university denied that Dershowitz had an impact on its decision.
