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I didn't know Banks personally, unfortunately, but I challenge you to find a single anti-semitic statement he made. As for BDS, I wasn't familiar with it until

I didn't know Banks personally, unfortunately, but I challenge you to find a single anti-semitic statement he made. As for BDS, I wasn't familiar with it until 5 minutes ago, but it seems to be a group calling for a non-violent boycott of Israel. I have a hard imagining how you can paint everybody who supports them as antisemitic. If you want a shortcut into his politics, I suggest you read Dead Air.

ars 13y ago
> but it seems to be a group calling for a non-violent boycott of Israel They are calling for the delegitimization of Israel as a country. > how you can paint everybody who supports them as antisemitic I can't. I don't know him, but if you are going to publicly support a group it behooves you to look into them first. Thanks for the mention of Dead Air - have you read it? I'm not familiar with UK politics - why is he so mad at Tony Blair?
- Argorak 13y ago
  > They are calling for the delegitimization of Israel as a country. [Citation needed] While there is a fair bit of criticism flying around that argues one way or the other that thought through, the goals of the group could mean just that, there is no statement from the group itself. So they are certainly not 'calling'. It is a very controversial group, I give you that, but it is not as clear cut as you make it seem to be. I agree that I wouldn't touch it with a stick, but that still doesn't make it as easy you try to make it seem.
- mercurial 13y ago
  > They are calling for the delegitimization of Israel as a country. They are? They don't exactly advertise that on their website. Even if they were, it's like saying "Belgium is not a real country". It's orthogonal to one's feelings wrt Belgian nationals. Unless you think Stephen Hawking, another BDS supporter, dons a balaclava at night to beat up his kippa-bearing neighbours. I have read Dead Air. And it's pretty easy to understand why he would be pissed off at Blair. If your country was headed by a compulsive liar, whose lies had brought your country in a protracted, costly, pointless war, you'd be pissed too.

ars 13y ago

> but it seems to be a group calling for a non-violent boycott of Israel They are calling for the delegitimization of Israel as a country. > how you can paint everybody who supports them as antisemitic I can't. I don't know him, but if you are going to publicly support a group it behooves you to look into them first. Thanks for the mention of Dead Air - have you read it? I'm not familiar with UK politics - why is he so mad at Tony Blair?

Argorak 13y ago
> They are calling for the delegitimization of Israel as a country. [Citation needed] While there is a fair bit of criticism flying around that argues one way or the other that thought through, the goals of the group could mean just that, there is no statement from the group itself. So they are certainly not 'calling'. It is a very controversial group, I give you that, but it is not as clear cut as you make it seem to be. I agree that I wouldn't touch it with a stick, but that still doesn't make it as easy you try to make it seem.
mercurial 13y ago
> They are calling for the delegitimization of Israel as a country. They are? They don't exactly advertise that on their website. Even if they were, it's like saying "Belgium is not a real country". It's orthogonal to one's feelings wrt Belgian nationals. Unless you think Stephen Hawking, another BDS supporter, dons a balaclava at night to beat up his kippa-bearing neighbours. I have read Dead Air. And it's pretty easy to understand why he would be pissed off at Blair. If your country was headed by a compulsive liar, whose lies had brought your country in a protracted, costly, pointless war, you'd be pissed too.