To the Editor of the London Free Press:
Re: "Hypocrisy reigns in Israel-boycott movement," Oct. 21/10
Eric Duhaime characterizes Israel as a bastion of democracy and equality. Either he is a propagandist or he is ignorant of the facts.
Opposing Israel's human rights abuses and war crimes is simply criticism of the actions of a state.[1] It is not racism. One can criticize the actions of the Canadian state without hating the people who live here.
There is nothing "democratic" about Israel's ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.[2] As countless scholars, journalists, and international observers have concluded, Israel is an apartheid regime that subjects millions of Palestinians to constant misery.[3]
As a gay man, I was shocked by Duhaime's suggestion that Israel is a gay paradise. Not so. Israel denies equality rights to gay Palestinians[4], Orthodox Jews are vicious towards gays[5], and an Israeli court recently ruled that inheritance laws do not apply to gay couples[6].
Duhaime must be using Israel's twisted definition of "democratic."[7]
R. Telfer
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4 comments:
Nice. Shared, and the point on racism is perfect. Hell, I criticize Canada all the time.Equating criticism of a government or an ideology with racism is a blatant straw man. Fortunately, the number of people that see through it is growing.
I had actually gone to an awards show for the gay and lesbian travel industry and I was appalled when Toronto was being linked with Tel Aviv for the show. I was even more distraught when a big speech was given by an Israeli travel industry person touting Israel as a 'gay' destination. Also, the maps that they presented of Israel annexed both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. I wanted so badly to walk out, but I was in a uniform representing my company airline. So, I sat on my hands and stared straight ahead, not eating nor drinking. When a senior member of my group asked what was wrong with me, a colleague said, "He's trying not to lose his job." Had I not been in uniform I would have let loose a tirade. At one point in the speech the guy said, "Imagine being a trans-gender Israel having to grow up with the stress of daily rocket launches flying overhead." To which I wanted to respond, "Imagine being a gay Palestinian teenager who can't keep a boyfriend because you bastards keep KILLING them!" Anyways, I've been there several times and it's disgusting what's happening in Jerusalem. They try to dehumanize the Palestinians by making them mere numbers, which is doubly offensive given that they were 'numbered' (tatooed) in the concentration camps and their propaganda justification for the Gaze war is that the insurgents are using civilians as human shields. Little known fact: Israel is the only country in the world where selling human body parts for transplant is legal. So, if they're not killing them or subjugating them, they're taking their kidneys.
Israel may not be a perfect place, however there is not a single democracy that is. At least in Israel they are not killing gays in the streets as they do in every Muslim country in earth. It is comical how you can criticize Israel while at the same time ignoring the atrocities against gays, women and minorities throughout the Islamic world. You are a complete hypocrite, get your head out of your ass and open your eyes. I hope that one day you have the pleasure of living in a Muslim country and maybe you will realize the idiocy of your writings.
"roccomalone": Are you able to counter any of my arguments by responding to them directly with evidence, or are you just another sand-in-the-eyes propagandist for Israel who relies upon logical fallacies and stereotypes?
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