Photo: Miguel de Icaza / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Norman Finkelstein, born on December 8, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, United States, is a political scientist, historian and writer. Norman Finkelstein is 72 years old as of 2026. Schooling on record includes James Madison High School and Princeton University. Credited works include A Nation on Trial, The Holocaust Industry and Beyond Chutzpah.
My Take
Whatever one makes of his conclusions, Finkelstein interests me as a study in conviction over comfort. Princeton-trained, the son of Holocaust survivors, he had every credential to build a safe academic career, and instead chose work like The Holocaust Industry that guaranteed fierce opposition, including from people who should have been his allies. I'm less concerned with adjudicating his arguments than with noting the rare intellectual stubbornness on display: he keeps publishing into the most polarizing terrain, on Gaza and beyond, knowing the cost. You don't have to agree with him to recognize that kind of refusal to bend is uncommon, and worth taking seriously.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Norman Finkelstein
- Name (Japanese)
- ノーマン・フィンケルスタイン
- Reading
- のーまん・ふぃんけるすたいん
- Born
- December 8, 1953 (age 72)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Snake
- Origin
- Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Occupation
- political scientist / historian / writer / university teacher / human rights defender
2. Background
- High school
- James Madison High School
- University
- Princeton University
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | A Nation on Trial | — | |
| Notable work | The Holocaust Industry | — | |
| Notable work | Beyond Chutzpah | — | |
| Notable work | Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://normanfinkelstein.com
- Xhttps://x.com/normfinkelstein
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman%20Finkelstein
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%95%E3%82%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B1%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160163
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-16
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Norman Finkelstein born?
Born December 8, 1953 (age 72).
Where is Norman Finkelstein from?
Norman Finkelstein is from Brooklyn, New York, United States.
What does Norman Finkelstein do?
Norman Finkelstein works as political scientist, historian, writer, university teacher, human rights defender.
What is Norman Finkelstein known for?
Notable works include A Nation on Trial, The Holocaust Industry, Beyond Chutzpah.
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