[Haifux] Cancelled Speech in Haifa, Israel

[Tom Balazs]

To: Dr Richard Stallman, President, Free Software Foundation
Regarding: Cancelling Speech in Israel After Encountering Opposition
Palestinian Sponsors

Dear Mr. Stallman,

According to your e-mail, you have allowed the Palestinian group sponsoring
your visit to prevent you from speaking in Israel.

I'm not totally naive, so I know that your attempt to include both a talk to
Palestinians and a talk to Israelis was bound to encounter some controversy.


Nevertheless, I can't help thinking that by accepting these conditions that
you are saying that it is somehow "okay" for this group to prevent you from
speaking to Israelis. I wonder if you would be ready to allow an Israeli
group to prevent you from speaking to Palestinians.

I think that the free software movement will be made a bit weaker by this
unfortunate event. I hope you will come and speak in Israel soon.

Sincerely,
Tom Balazs
Haifa, Israel

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Stallman [mailto:rms at gnu.org <rms at gnu.org>]
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 9:31 PM
Cc: rms at gnu.org
Subject: I have to cancel the speeches at universities

The funds for my travel to Israel are coming from Palestinians who
invited me to give talks for them.  They are unhappy that I offered to
give talks at Israeli universities, and say they won't buy the
tickets if I'm going to do that.  So I can go, and cancel these
speeches, or not go, and cancel these speeches.

I think it is best if I go, and give the speeches they originally
invited me to give.

I am sorry for the disappointment this will cause.

-- 
Dr Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation
51 Franklin St
Boston MA 02110
USA
www.fsf.org, www.gnu.org
Skype: No way! That's nonfree (freedom-denying) software.
  Use free telephony http://directory.fsf.org/category/tel/


2011/5/30 Information Knowledge Mana Graduate School of Management <
ischool at univ.haifa.ac.il>

>  שלום רב
> לצערנו קיבלנו את הודעתו של ד"ר ריצ'רד סטולמן (RMS) על ביטול הרצאתו
> באוניברסיטאות בישראל.
> אנו עושים מאמצים נוספים לקיום ההרצאה.
> במידה והאירוע יתקיים נעדכן אתכם על כך.
> בברכה,
> החוג לניהול מידע וידע ומרכז שגיא לחקר האינטרנט
> אוניברסיטת חיפה
>
> Dep. of Information & Knowledge Management
> Graduate School of Management - University of Haifa
> Tel: 972-4-8288963
> Fax: 972-4-8249194
> http://management.haifa.ac.il/
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Stallman [mailto:rms at gnu.org <rms at gnu.org>]
> Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 9:31 PM
> Cc: rms at gnu.org
> Subject: I have to cancel the speeches at universities
>
> The funds for my travel to Israel are coming from Palestinians who
> invited me to give talks for them.  They are unhappy that I offered to
> give talks at Israeli universities, and say they won't buy the
> tickets if I'm going to do that.  So I can go, and cancel these
> speeches, or not go, and cancel these speeches.
>
> I think it is best if I go, and give the speeches they originally
> invited me to give.
>
> I am sorry for the disappointment this will cause.
>
> --
> Dr Richard Stallman
> President, Free Software Foundation
> 51 Franklin St
> Boston MA 02110
> USA
> www.fsf.org, www.gnu.org
> Skype: No way! That's nonfree (freedom-denying) software.
>   Use free telephony http://directory.fsf.org/category/tel/
>
>
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