4 ms·

Many people remain uncomfortable about how DebConf organizers are handling the challenges presented in the middle east. As someone, who has zero experience wit

Many people remain uncomfortable about how DebConf organizers are handling the challenges presented in the middle east. As someone, who has zero experience with DebConf whatsoever, I have to say, I can see how such an intro could be interpreted as anti-semitic. What "challenges" would have an Israli conference have to handle? How and why. If it's just because it is Israeli then do all Israeli conferences need to "handle" this challenge? Should DebCon be boycotted if it doesn't live up to said "challenges"? But maybe someone can explain, what is meant by "challenges"? Also, as a sidenote, the article doesn't help it's case either, if it uses the Holocaust as a reason to criticize Israel.

slim 7y ago
For example : the territory is zoned, there are military checkpoints and depending on your ethnicity, you are not free to go where you want. So if you are Muslim for instance you could be banned from attending the conference.
- woodpanel 7y ago
  > the territory is zoned Haifa is not zoned. It's inside Israel, which once entered you're free to wander around. > there are military checkpoints Given the threat posed by terrorism, blaming the Israelis for having military checkpoints on their land borders is kind of disengenious > depending on your ethnicity Arabic is an official language of Israel. 20% of its people are Muslim. I've never witnessed a security check where men wearing a Taqiyah were treated different. Please ride the Jerusalem tram, which is packed almost 50/50 with orthodox jews and orthodox muslims and tell me, this is an Apartheit-state and not a place of civic order. > So if you are Muslim for instance you could be banned from attending the conference. No, you're not. As the place of the conference is Haifa, once you've managed to pass border-customs at the airport your movement is unrestriced inside Israel.

slim 7y ago

For example : the territory is zoned, there are military checkpoints and depending on your ethnicity, you are not free to go where you want. So if you are Muslim for instance you could be banned from attending the conference.

woodpanel 7y ago
> the territory is zoned Haifa is not zoned. It's inside Israel, which once entered you're free to wander around. > there are military checkpoints Given the threat posed by terrorism, blaming the Israelis for having military checkpoints on their land borders is kind of disengenious > depending on your ethnicity Arabic is an official language of Israel. 20% of its people are Muslim. I've never witnessed a security check where men wearing a Taqiyah were treated different. Please ride the Jerusalem tram, which is packed almost 50/50 with orthodox jews and orthodox muslims and tell me, this is an Apartheit-state and not a place of civic order. > So if you are Muslim for instance you could be banned from attending the conference. No, you're not. As the place of the conference is Haifa, once you've managed to pass border-customs at the airport your movement is unrestriced inside Israel.