tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873837983794172904.post6173096993455041686..comments2023-10-15T07:25:13.077-07:00Comments on BRUMSPEAK: An Irish Artist and Founder & Director of Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group Have Change of Heart re:Israel & PalestiniansDavid Brumerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04290621672310065155noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873837983794172904.post-85953419826556510282012-03-18T09:19:50.620-07:002012-03-18T09:19:50.620-07:00It's indeed refreshing to see reasonable peopl...It's indeed refreshing to see reasonable people have changes of both heart and mind, responding to realities instead of defending ideologies. Would that more people would keep an open mind, and go to Israel and talk to ordinary Israelis. Sadly, this week in Seattle, a group of gays pressured the Seattle LGBT Commission to cancel a Friday reception for a delegation of gay Israeli leaders, citing Israel's human-rights record with the Palestinians. <br />How profoundly sad. They wouldn't even listen to this distinguished and courageous group of individuals, headed by Adir Steiner. He attended my synagogue, Beth Shalom yesterday, and spoke eloquently.<br />As Wider Bridge, a California-based gay Jewish organization that helped to arrange the delegation's visit put it,<br />"The truth is that Israel is a good place to be LGBT, and it is so because there are countless people within Israel doing amazing, courageous work every day ... saving lives, including the lives of young LGBTQ Palestinians who often have nowhere else to turn."<br />Indeed! <br />David BrumerDavid Brumerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04290621672310065155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2873837983794172904.post-91881220728950955122012-03-17T20:21:34.089-07:002012-03-17T20:21:34.089-07:00It is both wonderful and amazing that there are pe...It is both wonderful and amazing that there are people who are open minded and capable of understanding the problems Israel is facing. Unfortunately, most people simply jump on the bandwagon. Ionesco called this phenomenon "rhinoceritis" and wrote a play in which people turn into rhinoceroses because everybody is doing it.<br />http://www.jochnowitz.net/Essays/Rhinoceritis.html<br />As a result of rhinoceritis, Israel is the most hated country on earth. But the Irish artist and the Palestinian director of the human-rights group show that there is a spark of hope.George Jochnowitzhttp://www.jochnowitz.netnoreply@blogger.com