Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

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Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by cronus » Wed May 08, 2013 5:04 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22446054

Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

UK cosmologist Prof Stephen Hawking has withdrawn from a high-profile Israeli conference, in support of an academic boycott of the country.

He initially planned to speak at the event in June but pulled out following advice from Palestinian academics.

Pro-Palestinian campaigners said the 71-year-old wrote to the organisers on 3 May saying that he had planned to criticise the Israeli government.

The conference chairman criticised the move as "improper".

Previous speakers at the Israeli Presidential Conference include former UK prime minister Tony Blaire, former US president George W Bush and former US Secretary of State and Nobel Peace laureate Dr Henry Kissinger.

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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Coito ergo sum » Wed May 08, 2013 5:12 pm

Wow - any detail available as to his specific reasons for boycotting? The blurb they included in the article and the link in the article was embarrassingly vague.

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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Jason » Wed May 08, 2013 5:24 pm

I was going to post that it's very vague. The article is really just about Israeli outrage over his 'boycott'. I suppose he'll issue a statement soon.

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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by cronus » Wed May 08, 2013 5:27 pm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... rence.html

Another side to the story. It makes you wonder if he hasn't become a pawn in the game of his facilitators? after all he isn't getting any younger and people often put words into the mouth of those unable to speak for themselves?
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Jason » Wed May 08, 2013 5:37 pm

Professor Hawking, 71, who is wheelchair bound, had been fiercely criticised following initial reports that he was boycotting the event. A spate of abusive messages on Facebook mocked his physical disability.
Classy. :tea:

Theoretically, how would, since it's not clear if he is boycotting the event or not, his choice to boycott the event possibly be 'outrageous', 'wrong', or 'improper'? Because he's been critical of Israel in the past? Because he's critical of the Israeli war on Palestinians? Both? It seems they're stopping short of accusing him of antisemitism because he may be boycotting the event for political reasons. Their reaction is outrageous and improper.

Respect for freedom of speech indeed.

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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by MrJonno » Wed May 08, 2013 7:50 pm

There has been a general academic boycott of Israel in most of Europe for years, it would have been more of a new story if he had broken it
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by klr » Wed May 08, 2013 7:57 pm

MrJonno wrote:There has been a general academic boycott of Israel in most of Europe for years, it would have been more of a new story if he had broken it
There is? News to me. That certain quarters have for some time wanted such a boycott is well known. But it does not in fact exist.
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by En_Route » Wed May 08, 2013 11:11 pm

This is a prime example of the essential vacuity of moralspeak. The protagonists deploy signifiers such as right and wrong ( and as here, equivalents such as proper and improper) as if they were argument- clinches rather merely phoatic expressions of their own chagrin.
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Svartalf » Thu May 09, 2013 1:08 am

Pfffttt, He could have declined on health grounds and never gotten a snide word... As to whether the pro palestinian lobby is manipulating our lefty academics, I have no idea.
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Thu May 09, 2013 1:59 am

Where is Gawd when you need him??!!1!!//>/?>/. :dunno:

There is nobody else that I trust to sufficiently give the anti-Israeli POV than he! :tea:



I mean. Isn't it obvious that ANYTHING to do with Israel must be something?????? If not SOMETHING-ELSE!!1!!!!!! :shock:
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by charlou » Thu May 09, 2013 3:33 am

What's wrong with anti-Semitism? Especially when it's part of an overall philosophy of anti-tribalism and anti-divisiveness. We're talking about idiotic division based on centuries old crap, related to unenlightened tribalism .. where people treat others badly based on the circumstances under which they were born.
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Jason » Thu May 09, 2013 3:41 am

Xamonas Chegwé wrote:Where is Gawd when you need him??!!1!!//>/?>/. :dunno:

There is nobody else that I trust to sufficiently give the anti-Israeli POV than he! :tea:



I mean. Isn't it obvious that ANYTHING to do with Israel must be something?????? If not SOMETHING-ELSE!!1!!!!!! :shock:
Well the Israel-Palestine connection was made explicit in the articles..

Also I am very critical of Israel's foreign policy, especially regarding the Palestinians.. but it doesn't come up here very often.

I am, however, not an antisemite. :tea:

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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Thu May 09, 2013 3:53 am

Făkünamę wrote:
Xamonas Chegwé wrote:Where is Gawd when you need him??!!1!!//>/?>/. :dunno:

There is nobody else that I trust to sufficiently give the anti-Israeli POV than he! :tea:



I mean. Isn't it obvious that ANYTHING to do with Israel must be something?????? If not SOMETHING-ELSE!!1!!!!!! :shock:
Well the Israel-Palestine connection was made explicit in the articles..

Also I am very critical of Israel's foreign policy, especially regarding the Palestinians.. but it doesn't come up here very often.

I am, however, not an antisemite. :tea:
I posted that dunk. I am now, sadly, a little less dunk. I therefore neither confirm nor deny anything I may or may not nor may have not nor have not may nor not or nor not have said, or not. Or some shit... :tea:


I hope this clears things up.






Actually, I don't! :hehe:
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by JimC » Thu May 09, 2013 9:27 am

RiverF wrote:What's wrong with anti-Semitism? Especially when it's part of an overall philosophy of anti-tribalism and anti-divisiveness. We're talking about idiotic division based on centuries old crap, related to unenlightened tribalism .. where people treat others badly based on the circumstances under which they were born.
Interesting point, if by that you mean being critical of people so strongly identifying with an ethnic group that they (almost certainly) become prey to the fear and hatred of the other...

Of course, the more usual meaning of anti-semitism is an irrational and emotionally driven hatred of Jews...
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Re: Stephen Hawking boycotts major Israel conference

Post by Audley Strange » Thu May 09, 2013 9:40 am

I dunno perhaps Hwkings heard about the opportunistic and frankly tasteless bombings of Damascus? Classy bunch of fucks if they did start bombing a civil war zone, they're probably did it for blowback sympathy and cash. The Knesset does love to play up the stereotype. I lso get the feeling that Israel is a trauma-state not a Jewish State, and that like many in trauma-states, is doomed to act out with behaviours that will lead to a manifestation of that trauma to be confronted. Considering how ingrained and vile that cultural trauma was, the results are not going to be pretty for all involved. I hope I am alive to see it.
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