4 ms·

The most unfortunate bit comes in the last sentence of the article. "Also listed among the speakers is Munib al-Masri, a Palestinian tycoon from the West Bank

The most unfortunate bit comes in the last sentence of the article. "Also listed among the speakers is Munib al-Masri, a Palestinian tycoon from the West Bank city of Nablus who has been working to promote internal Palestinian reconciliation." Makes me think this line isn't just PR. "The imposition of a boycott is incompatible with open, democratic dialogue.”"

meric 14y ago
Of course it is; How can it be undemocratic to exercise your choice to not attend a conference, to protest against issues you don't agree with? I would have thought such freedoms would have been required for democracy.
- tomerv 14y ago
  It might be compatible with democracy, but it's incompatible with democratic dialog. You can't have a dialog when one side is refusing to talk.
  - Aldream 14y ago
    That's what many organizations reproach Israel... All about points of view, I guess. ;-)
  - Svip 14y ago
    That's assuming you don't explain your reasons for refusing to talk. Hawking and others have made it quite clear why they are boycotting. And by boycotting, they are giving their dialogue more effect. If Hawking went down to Israel, told him what he thought about the whole thing with Palestine and hauled ass out of there; no one would care. 'Great, another European telling Israel they don't it. NEXT!' But this boycott is actually making people talk.
  - meric 14y ago
    If there's a difference between "democratic dialog" and just plain "dialog", I would have thought it'd be the former having the involvement of individuals, as it does now, rather than representatives of nation states. That would be "representative dialog". And that's why I agree saying it isn't a "democratic dialog" is all PR talk. "We object to Stephen Hawking using his authority to threaten us in an undemocratic way."
  - EiZei 14y ago
    By dialog do you mean getting accused of anti-semitism?
PavlovsCat 14y ago
What is "undemocratic" about choosing not to support something indirectly? Isn't it normal to, say, walk out on someone in the Knesset or UN when they engage in an anti-semitic rant? Not that I criticize that, mind you. I just find it odd to suddenly act all perplexed and sad, as if indignation and withdrawal of support was some concept from Mars. Though I am not happy about it any of this either, and never was. I think they should make a point of visiting, and giving them a piece of their mind. Many people in Israel are against many of these policies, and they could use support and motivation (who doesn't). Especially musicians really really should go, IMHO. But it's not for me to decide where someone else goes or doesn't, and to say they have to show up with a smile to every and all occasions just because they were invited isn't just "undemocratic", it's silly. They are not invited to talk about these policies after all, but to perform unrelated things. And they don't want to, as long as this stuff isn't resolved... I may not agree and I wish they'd reconsider, but I can understand the reasoning.

meric 14y ago

Of course it is; How can it be undemocratic to exercise your choice to not attend a conference, to protest against issues you don't agree with? I would have thought such freedoms would have been required for democracy.

tomerv 14y ago
It might be compatible with democracy, but it's incompatible with democratic dialog. You can't have a dialog when one side is refusing to talk.
- Aldream 14y ago
  That's what many organizations reproach Israel... All about points of view, I guess. ;-)
- Svip 14y ago
  That's assuming you don't explain your reasons for refusing to talk. Hawking and others have made it quite clear why they are boycotting. And by boycotting, they are giving their dialogue more effect. If Hawking went down to Israel, told him what he thought about the whole thing with Palestine and hauled ass out of there; no one would care. 'Great, another European telling Israel they don't it. NEXT!' But this boycott is actually making people talk.
- meric 14y ago
  If there's a difference between "democratic dialog" and just plain "dialog", I would have thought it'd be the former having the involvement of individuals, as it does now, rather than representatives of nation states. That would be "representative dialog". And that's why I agree saying it isn't a "democratic dialog" is all PR talk. "We object to Stephen Hawking using his authority to threaten us in an undemocratic way."
- EiZei 14y ago
  By dialog do you mean getting accused of anti-semitism?

PavlovsCat 14y ago

What is "undemocratic" about choosing not to support something indirectly? Isn't it normal to, say, walk out on someone in the Knesset or UN when they engage in an anti-semitic rant? Not that I criticize that, mind you. I just find it odd to suddenly act all perplexed and sad, as if indignation and withdrawal of support was some concept from Mars. Though I am not happy about it any of this either, and never was. I think they should make a point of visiting, and giving them a piece of their mind. Many people in Israel are against many of these policies, and they could use support and motivation (who doesn't). Especially musicians really really should go, IMHO. But it's not for me to decide where someone else goes or doesn't, and to say they have to show up with a smile to every and all occasions just because they were invited isn't just "undemocratic", it's silly. They are not invited to talk about these policies after all, but to perform unrelated things. And they don't want to, as long as this stuff isn't resolved... I may not agree and I wish they'd reconsider, but I can understand the reasoning.