SIDEBAR
»
S
I
D
E
B
A
R
«
About this website

SydWalker.Info is a personal website. I live in tropical Australia near Cairns. I oppose war, plutocracy, injustice, sectarian supremacism and apartheid. I support urgent action to achieve genuine sustainability and a fair and prosperous society for all. I rely upon - and support - free speech as defined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (see below).

with the dawg

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers"

Blog Issues

Unless otherwise indicated, material on this website is written by Syd Walker.

Anyone is welcome to re-publish material sourced from this site, as long as the source is acknowledged with a hyperlink.

Material from other sources reproduced here is presented on a 'Fair Use' basis. I try to cite references accurately. Please contact me if you have queries, comments, broken link reports, complaints - or just to say hello.

Boycott Apartheid!
Boycott
Misc Menu
 
July 2010
S M T W T F S
« Jun   Aug »
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
Search this website
Suzanne Vega: collaborator with inhumanity
July 31st, 2010 by Syd Walker

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega: a sad disappointment

Suzanne Vega, whom I’d fondly imagined over decades to be an intelligent and humane individual, apparently hasn’t got the message: playing in segregationalist Israel is no game!

Ms Vega cheapened herself this year in the eyes of many fans by performing in the Zionist State and giving comfort to its Jewish supremacists, desperate to avoid cultural isolation from a world community that’s lost patience with Israeli malevolence.

How many shekels was it worth, Suzanne?

Not for the first time within the last year, an aging rock star has performed in worse-than-Apartheid Israel and breached the growing global cultural boycott. How sad!

The days of cost-free collaboration with worse-than-Apartheid Israel are over. I hope you get heckled at your concerts, Suzanne. If I ever get to one again, I’ll heckle you myself.

These posters by the brilliant young artist Carlos Latuff illustrate the case for boycotting Israel.

They may not impress jaded cynics, but will help inspire a new, less corrupt generation of musicians and poets…

Dont play in worse-than-Apartheid Israel! (illustration by Carlos Latuff)

Dont play in worse-than-Apartheid Israel! (illustration by Carlos Latuff)

More like this at the DesertPeace website.

Boycott Israeli goods!

Boycott Israeli goods! (illustration by Carlos Latuff)


20 Responses  
  • PAUL MILLS writes:
    July 31st, 20105:29 amat

    I am Suzanne Vega’s husband, a civil rights attorney since 1995. There are two sides to every story. Right now Israel is getting the worst of a propaganda campaign concerning the real tragedy of terrorism and military crackdown in the Middle East. Comparing Israel’s actions to Apartheid is unfair and wrong, and accomplishes nothing useful. Ignoring the role of the oil-rich Arab nations is wrong. Suzanne Vega was right to stand up to the hate campaign and perform in Israel. No one should be afraid to defy the Hate Israel campaign.

      

          Reply  
    • Syd Walker writes:
      July 31st, 201010:22 amat

      Thanks for taking the time to reply Paul – and my regards to Suzanne, whose music I’ve enjoyed most of my adult life.

      I disagree with what you say in your comment, however. There may be two (or more) sides to every story – but that was also true in Apartheid South Africa. Did Suzanne oppose the cultural boycott of Apartheid South Africa? I’d be surprised if that was the case – but at least in that event her position would have consistency.

      A direct comparison between South Africa and Palestine certainly reveals differences. I don’t usually say contemporary Israel is ‘Apartheid’ like South Africa. I actually think Israel is more vicious and repressive than Apartheid South Africa in its heyday.

      That is the view of several senior veterans of the struggle against South African Apartheid after visiting Palestine. Recent revelations have shown the Israeli State collaborated with Apartheid South Africa at that time over nuclear weaponry – so similarities were clearly apparent to the Israeli regime of that era.

      Did Suzanne use her visit to make one critical public comment about Israeli repression of the Palestinians? Did she call for the release of any politicial prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti or Mordechai Vanunu? Did she even visit Palestine beyond The Wall? Did she go to Gaza to see for herself? Did she use the visit to inform herself – like Roger Waters the year before?

      Perhaps she did? If so, I’d like to hear that. All I saw was a video when she was interviewed by journalists in Israel and said she was happy and comfortable to be there.

        

            Reply  
      • Mahomed writes:
        July 14th, 20116:09 pmat

        I thought highly of Suzanne Vega and her music but her decision to play in Israel in the light of their current policies is astonishing and very disappointing. Did she make any comments on the situation there regarding the plight of the Palestinians ? If not, then everything she stands for and writes about is just hypocritical. I’m even sad to write this.

          

              Reply  
  • MERC writes:
    August 1st, 20109:14 amat

    Israel is indeed an apartheid state, and that’s on both sides of the Green Line. If Paul Mills wants an expert Israeli perspective on apartheid inside Israel itself, he need only read Uri Davis’ 2003 book, Apartheid Israel: Possibilities for the Struggle Within. If he wants an expert South African perspective, he couldn’t do better than the Human Sciences Research Council’s Occupation, Colonialism, Apartheid? A Re-Assessment of Israel’s Practices in the occupied Palestinian territories under international law. End of story.

      

          Reply  
  • Cyril writes:
    June 8th, 20118:06 pmat

    Must you politicise everything? Can average Isrealites, who do not agree with the government, still enjoy her music? Does it mean that if she does not agree with the Obama administration in the treatment of prisoners in Gitmo, she should stop performing in US?

    Suzanne Vega was in Singapore a few years ago. I was so glad to finally meet her after listening to her music since 85.

      

          Reply  
    • Syd Walker writes:
      June 9th, 201110:55 amat

      I heard Suzanne Vega at Glastonbury. Thought she was really cool. I know better now.

      Boycotting apartheid was irritating in the 1970s to some of the folk who’d rather watch cricket and not bother about politics. Irritation is part of what makes BDS an effective tactic.

      I hope Suzanne Vega will see the light on this and drop her apparent support for the nastiest and most militaristic regime on the face of the planet – apartheid with nuclear weapons.

        

            Reply  
  • Nick writes:
    June 9th, 20115:53 pmat

    Cyril, you are wasting your breath here.

    The BSD mob has singled out Israel, while at the same time turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in places like in China, Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe etc. etc.

    The biggest hypocrite of them all is one of the BDS movement’s founders, Omar Barghouti, who happily consumes Israeli goods and services and studies in Tel Aviv.

    The BDS people happily use computers with Israeli produced computer chips in order to tell the rest of us that WE should NOT use them.

    One victim of a boycott in Australia would be the ALF peace team;

    13 Israelis and 13 Palestinians – representing a diverse group from 16 to 36 years of age, of Muslim, Jewish and Christian backgrounds. They hail from communities including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Kiriyat Gat, Beersheva, Yeruham and Ra’anana on the Israeli side, and Tulkarem, Jericho, East Jerusalem and Hebron on the Palestinian side. Outside of the AFL framework, the Palestinian and Israeli players would not have the opportunity to meet.

    But of course this is the very thing they do not want ; Israelis and Palestinians making peace.

    Syd Walker writes:

    ” apartheid with nuclear weapons”.

    India is a state (with nuclear weapons) where apartheid and racism is deeply entrenched in the social fabric. Even the most wretched of Palestinian refugees has a better life than the tens of million of Indians, who by reason of birth alone, are condemned to a life of utter misery and poverty.

    Still, I don’t hear anyone calling for a boycott against India ? So maybe some apartheid is more apart than other apartheid….

      

          Reply  
  • sentience writes:
    June 9th, 20117:06 pmat

    textbook application of tu quoque.

      

          Reply  
    • Nick writes:
      June 11th, 20116:13 pmat

      Et tu, Sentience ?

      Syd provides many “textbook examples” of diversionary tactics and seldom responds to legitimate arguments, instead acting like a politician, ignoring the questions and “staying on message”.

      How does the BDS movement have any credibility when one of its founding members is exposed as a total hypocrite ?

      “Ceterum censeo Israel non esse delendam”

      Maybe we should discuss “petitio principii” next ?

        

            Reply  
  • sentience writes:
    June 12th, 20115:06 pmat

    if syd is fixated on israel’s ills, so what? richard gere has a thing for china’s treatment of tibet. tu quoque is what you are indulging in, pointing out that not all abuses are confined to israel. true, but irrelevant.

      

          Reply  
    • Nick writes:
      June 13th, 20119:41 amat

      What’s true too is that Suzanne Vega ( and I don’t particularly care for her music) gets lambasted for performing in Israel, while Omar Barghouti happily lives and studies in Tel Aviv without attracting the same criticism.

      And if it “tu quocque” that I point out that supporters of the BDS movement apparently have no problem with “apartheid” in places like India, but only in Israel, so what ?

      I think this is highly relevant. Does the BDS movement have an argument with the system of “apartheid” per se , or only when (in their view) it occurs in certain countries ?

        

            Reply  
      • sentience writes:
        June 13th, 20115:51 pmat

        yes, is it a tu quoque. i’m not informed about the bds movement, but pointing out its adherents’ inconsistency (for argument’s sake)is not a defense.

          

              Reply  
        • Nick writes:
          June 14th, 20117:30 amat

          ” pointing out its adherents’ inconsistency (for argument’s sake) is not a defense.”

          And who decides that ? You or some sort of philosophical school of thought you belong to ?

          If you condemn so-called apartheid” in Israel, but ignore a different form of “apartheid” in India, then you have zero credibility, “tu quoque” or not.

          Is the issue really with apartheid or is the issue only with Israel ?

          Your objection is purely theoretical and has nothing to do with the subject at hand.

            

                Reply  
          • Syd Walker writes:
            June 14th, 20112:07 pmat

            WHAT IS BDS?

            “In 2005, Palestinian civil society issued a call for a campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights. A truly global movement against Israeli Apartheid is rapidly emerging in response to this call.”

            http://www.bdsmovement.net/

            (Not to be confused with the website that’s currently No 2 in Google searches for “BDS Palestine” – see http://www.bds-palestine.net/ for another view of the sewer-side mindset of spiteful Zionists)

              

                  Reply  
            • Nick writes:
              June 15th, 20114:56 pmat

              There is an enormous list of companies and products that are apparently legitimate targets for the boycott.

              If you were to boycott them all you’d have to grow your own vegies and dress in hessian bags. But there are plenty of blogs out there that can advise you on this dilemma. From anxious American muslims whose family members have accidently bough banned goods (should I throw it out ?) to suggestions to just select 20 or so products/companies to make a point.

              I just realised that I have been supporting the BDS for years without knowing it. I don’t drink Coca Cola and I do not use products from Estee Lauder. Both those companies are on the list. That’s how easy it is. You can easily participate in the boycott without having to make too much effort and still have that warm inner glow.

              It might get harder if we include all American products in the ban. After all The Yanks are Israel’s number 1 supporter. So how will we survive without American computer operating systems ?

              Another dilemma is Intel chips. If we don’t use the Israeli made ones, is it ok to use the ones that are produced in that hellhole factory in China, where 85 workers have committed suicide because of overwork and exploitation ?

              Boycotting is certainly not easy in the modern, globalised world.

              You could of course make it more personal and demonstrate on the footy field next time the AFL organises an international tournament featuring a mixed Palestinian-Israeli team. That would really hit home. We don’t want Israelis and Palestinians playing football together after all. Maybe the AFL should be on the banned list as well.

              There is some good news though. It seems to be ok to study in Israel, if you were so inclined.

              Omar Barghouti made the following statement :

              “Critics who challenge academic boycott of Israel on the grounds that it jeopardizes the academic freedom of Israelis, the author says, “completely ignore that by denying Palestinians their basic rights — all our freedoms — Israel is infringing deeply on our academic freedom”.

              That’s why he himself as chosen Tel Aviv as a good place to study, rather than Teheran, Damascus or Tripoli.He provided some lame excuse why his personal preferences had nothing to do with the BDS as such and that’s fine by me.

              A bit like Bono with his tax-avoidance schemes. But then again, what can you expect from a rock band that has no qualms about playing in Israel.

                

                     
  • Peter D writes:
    June 12th, 20118:49 pmat

    Susan Vega and Lou Reed, headlining the celebrations for the opening of the rebuilt WTC7 building:

    http://downtownexpress.com/de_158/takeawalk.html

      

          Reply  
    • Syd Walker writes:
      June 14th, 20111:10 pmat

      That is a GEM Peter.

      Thank you. Makes wading through the comments worthwhile. :-)

        

            Reply  
  • sentience writes:
    June 12th, 20119:47 pmat

    maybe there’s a good reason wtc VII has been reconstructed. the debris and collapse was different to that of wtc I and II. whatever disposed of the twins may have also damaged the bt building, because that reconstruction sure didn’t work out as planned. and the subway has undergone four rebuilds and counting. chronic and devastating rust to structural beams. makes you wonder.
    http://is.gd/kRNH4g

      

          Reply  
    • Peter D writes:
      June 14th, 201110:42 amat

      No wonder Judy Wood parted company with acadamia – she’d be laughed out of town if the content of her website was intended to engage with her engineering peers, rather than would-be internet sleuths.

      Metal rusts? Who knew?

        

            Reply  
      • sentience writes:
        June 14th, 20114:26 pmat

        ha ha, i guess i was asking for that. sure, metal rusts, but through primed and painted structural steel? the subway has had constant rebuilds.(fig #118)

        and what’s with the hazmat suits so many years after the event? (fig #268). asbestos? maybe, but this is after a rebuild (and an all clear on air quality years earlier, too).

        http://is.gd/pm2VJk

        unfortunately asking questions is all that can be done, given that the perps have destroyed or limited access to any materials for forensic work.

        if you’re prepared to go along with the inside job thesis, then the readiness of academics to fall in behind the government should not surprise.

          

              Reply  


Leave a Reply

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

»  Substance:WordPress   »  Style:Ahren Ahimsa