Finally - A RMS talk in Tel-Aviv. Including details

[Stan Goodman]

On 07/17/2011 04:35 PM, Nadav Har'El wrote:
> On Sun, Jul 17, 2011, Guy Sheffer wrote about "Finally - A RMS talk in Tel-Aviv. Including details":
>> Hey all,
>> I just spoke to the organizer, Sami Abu-Schada. Talk is in the
>> Hebrew-Arab theater in Yafo.
>> They sound like good folks. And they would be happy to have people come
>> (and don't want to get in to the politics).
>> ...
>> PDF with the full info:
>> http://pdfcast.org/pdf/invitation-to-a-talk-by-richard-stallman-in-tel-aviv-israel-july-22nd
> They sure *do* want to get into the politics :(
> Did you see the emphasized text in the end of that invitation?
>
> 	"the organizers of the event would like it to be known that they are
> 	in full support of the rights of Palestenians. In particular, the
> 	organizers support the call for boycott of complicit Israeli
> 	institutions. Richard Stallman is following the boycott during this
> 	trip out of respect to the Palestinians hosts who invited him to the
> 	region"
>
> Do people who "don't want to get in to the politics" normally include such
> texts on invitations to talks about software?
>
> As it stands, because this text is so boldly included in the *invitation*,
> it looks like just *attending* this talk means you support this statement
> by its hosts. And if I consider that "complicit Israeli institutions"
> include, according to their definition, almost all Israeli institutions
> (and not just those directly involved with the occupied territories), certainly
> even insitution I ever worked at or studied at, I frankly don't see how I can
> attend this talk.
>
>
It isn't necessary to read the invitation to the end. Right at the top, 
you can ask yourself about the probabilities of the reasons that would 
bring someone named Sawyer (the "submitter") to Yafo. The organization 
is a dry-land flotilla. It was very foolish to arrange to meet in their 
premises. In face, it was very foolish indeed to try to cater to Mr 
Stallman's prejudices.

To be more general, it is unheard of for a prospective guest to set 
political conditions for his hosts. Aside of any other aspects, the man 
is a boor, and should have been ignored.
-- 

Stan Goodman
Qiryat Tiv'on
Israel