I believe that my specific criticism of Mazin Qumsiyeh is being confused with apathy towards Gazans. Nobody is asking anyone not to care about Gazans. I hope that both Gazans and Israelis will be released from the iron fist of Hamas soon, and that the safety and security of both Gazans and Israelis will be mutually assured.
That's not what this speaker advocates for. He wants to abolish Israel as a Jewish state. He feels Jews have no connection to the land of Israel. He traffics in many anti-Jewish tropes. He's not shy about it. He has said it repeatedly all over the internet. Try this thought experiment: Someone invites a speaker who publicly supports the abolition of Native American reservations in America, claiming they have no ties to their land. Or a speaker who praises the death of George Floyd, and hopes for many more killings of unarmed black people by cops. Or a speaker who feels that black and brown people don't belong in America and should "go back where they came from." How would you feel? We'd agree that those speakers have the right to present their views, but I hope we would also agree that such speakers wouldn't advance the conversations on indigenous rights or race relations in productive ways. That's how many of us feel about *this* speaker. Inviting hatred and bigotry into our town doesn't make us better off as a town. ᐧ ᐧ On Thu, Dec 5, 2024 at 8:01 AM Kathy Madison via Lincoln < lincoln@lincolntalk.org> wrote: > I very much appreciate your response, Erica — And I wholeheartedly agree > with your view expressed here. > > The presentation will be the opportunity to raise many of the > questions/issues expressed here. > > And the opportunity to have such a presentation at all is one of our > cherished American values — the right to free speech. > > Kathy Madison > > > On Dec 4, 2024, at 9:20 PM, Erica Bronstein <bronstei...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > I appreciate GRALTA's efforts to sponsor what sound like very > knowledgeable speakers on these difficult and fraught issues. I understand > the strong feelings raised by some of the language used in the flyer. > However, to me the bigger moral issue is the disproportionate level of > death and destruction that Israel, with US support, has inflicted on Gaza. > It's hard not to feel that the situation is hopeless, and that the wounds > inflicted on both sides will make peace unattainable for generations to > come. As a Jew who is strongly opposed to Israel's actions, I am > heartbroken by the situation. There are many Jews who share my point of > view -- and others who do not. I think it is important to have these > difficult conversations -- strong language and all-- and welcome the > opportunity to hear a range of ideas about how we might move forward > towards a peaceful solution that recognizes both Palestinian and Israeli > rights. > > Erica Bronstein > > -- > > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > > Browse the archives at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
-- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
