Richard Stallman answer to me

[Stan Goodman]

On Monday 06 June 2011 at 10:16:43 (GMT+2) geoffrey mendelson 
<geoffreymendelson at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Jun 6, 2011, at 8:57 AM, Shachar Shemesh wrote:
> > RMS has bought on, and is spreading, anti-Israeli propaganda. RMS
> > is also the head of the FSF. Aside from these two, in themselves
> > unrelated, facts what makes you say that the FSF itself should be
> > boycotted?
> 
> I disagree. RMS has opinions that some of us (me) see as anti-Israel.
> That's IMHO fine. He can have anti-Israel opinions, and as RMS post,
> discuss, write op-eds, etc. It's his right.
> 
> However, he has crossed a line, RMS as head of the FSF has stated
> those opinions. Therefore they are now part of the FSF message. He
> did it, not me, and keeping my head in the sand as it were, won't
> undo what he has done, unsay what he has said, or change the
> position of the FSF.
> 
> BTW, I did not say the FSF should be boycotted. In fact, I purposely
> said nothing about what people should or should not do to, with, or
> for the FSF. You made up the boycott part on your own.
> 
> > Has the FSF advanced anti-Israeli policy? Did RMS in FSF sponsored
> > events (which is different than media interviews and such)? If not,
> > I suggest we leave this out of the discussion.
> 
> Yes, he has. He said so in email related to an FSF appearance signed
> as the FSF. (recently quoted)
> Signed:
> 
> "--
> Dr Richard Stallman
> President, Free Software Foundation
> 51 Franklin St
> Boston MA 02110
> USA"
> 
>  From the email address: rms at gnu.org
> 
> That makes it FSF not RMS personal.
> 
> He has also decided to adjust his FSF schedule based upon his anti-
> Israel bias.
> " Thus, I decided to follow their [Palestinian] policies in the trip
> they organized."
> 
> 
> Geoff.

I am pretty much an outsider in this discussion, so I should apologize 
for injecting my views. But my sense is that it would be very wise to 
avoid any hint of boycotting either FSF or RMS personally for any 
reason. What I think should be done is simply to decline to accept the 
boycott imposed by the Palestinians (to which he has acquiesced), and to 
require him to make up his mind if Israeli universities are or are not 
suitable venues for his talk, and to state that the Israel group feels 
that, in Israel, universities are the appropriate places for his talks.

-- 
Stan Goodman
Qiryat Tiv'on
Israel