[Politics] Club insensitivity re crimes of state of Israel

[Eeyore]

I am sorry so few of those posting seem capable to following the drift of a perfectly coherent argument. Perhaps I should have known better.
No one is expecting individual players to be responsible of the crimes of their individual countries - our home grown players would have a lot of explaining to do
We do not celebrate Sharpeville, the Peterloo Massacre or the Bengal Famine - we should not appear to be celebrating the founding of the State of Israel.
The issue is clear - innocent protesters are being shot and killed as a result of the events put in train 70 years ago this month. It shouldn't take a genius in the marketing department to have worked out May 2018 & Israel are a bad mix.

Nah, I still think you are fishing. It's not working.

Edit: Having just looked at your Twitter page you may not be.

Now, I'm totally opposed to many of the Israeli government actions to the point I have been publicly branded anti-Jew- and others had to come to my defence.

However, you are attacking individuals and discriminating against them. The fact that the Israeli state was formed 70 years ago is not relevant to the celebrating of two of our players birthdays. You entry equates with a suggestion, whether real or unintended, that somehow they are lesser beings. That is racist.

I suggest you reveal now whether this is a fishing trip or not. If it isn't then go debate your thoughts with them before spouting your sewage on here.

 

[The Upper Library]

As others have already said - I am very uneasy about how the state of Israel has conducted itself over the years but the OP is so far off the mark with this display of outrage.

Please direct you indignation and offence somewhere else. Hemed's and Kayal's friendship from childhood is a beautiful symbol of the positive power of sport. I , like many Albion fans , feel great pride about it as it acts as a metaphor for the spirit that runs in the DNA of this great club that tries to remember its roots within the local community and beyond. For the OP to attempt to make some spurious political point from this is beyond pitiful.

And I say again - I am not disagreeing with your views on the state of Israel but I do wholeheartedly condemn your shoddy and misguided method.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yoda]

1/10

That generous? I would've gone for at least 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001/10 or if allowed to do negitive numbers -1000/10.

 

[NooBHA]

If any of these half baked , knee jerk, one line replies were prepared to read the text of my carefully drafted message they would discover the following.
The most important is aspect is the month of May - the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel & the start of brutal repression of the Palestinian people
I have no objection to players from Israel representing our club
There is a very clear distinction between Israeli citizens of different religious persuasions in terms of their rights within the country
Sport and politics cannot and never will be kept apart - the South African regime was brought to its knees through international boycotts, sport being particularly effective in this respect

No offence and I don't mean tof it put you down but your view on the Calendar is entirely the opposite message to what I would take from the Calendar if it was indeed meant to be Political by the Club.

I personally would read it as

Two players share the Calendar

Two Religions share the land

Two faiths working as a team

Two men happy to work together


I could go on but your message is a Political Tirade designed to be Anti Semitic. I have views on the situation in Israel and the only solution is for both faiths and religions to share the land. I don't have any power in bringing that about but your letter or supposed letter was nothing short of supposition into the minds of people at the club without knowing anything behind the reasoning of the Club.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Oh, and barber...

Don't go all "holocaust" on me...because that never happened.
Hitler is a seagull.
Seig Heil...sorry..seagulls

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Oh, and Barber.

I know Tony Bloom is a Jew.

But he doesn't look it...and he goes on the train...so he's ok.

Seig Heil!...sorry....Seagulls!

 

[Eeyore]

Oh, and barber...

Don't go all "holocaust" on me...because that never happened.
Hitler is a seagull.
Seig Heil...sorry..seagulls

And a very pretty pink fairy.

 

[osgood]

Nah, I still think you are fishing. It's not working.

Edit: Having just looked at your Twitter page you may not be.

Now, I'm totally opposed to many of the Israeli government actions to the point I have been publicly branded anti-Jew- and others had to come to my defence.

However, you are attacking individuals and discriminating against them. The fact that the Israeli state was formed 70 years ago is not relevant to the celebrating of two of our players birthdays. You entry equates with a suggestion, whether real or unintended, that somehow they are lesser beings. That is racist.

I suggest you reveal now whether this is a fishing trip or not. If it isn't then go debate your thoughts with them before spouting your sewage on here.

hes probably a robot , and his message translated from Russian , or maybe just a momentum corbynista , ....

 

[Eeyore]

hes probably a robot , and his message translated from Russian , or maybe just a momentum corbynista , ....

I'm a 'Corbynista' and I think his post is raw sewage. Don't assume that the deep left are anti-Jew. For the most part that is myth. It's like saying that BREXIT voters are all racists. There will be some- but few.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Meh, the Arabs have done far worse shit over thousands of years and will continue to do so.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I'm a 'Corbynista' and I think his post is raw sewage. Don't assume that the deep left are anti-Jew. For the most part that is myth. It's like saying that BREXIT voters are all racists. There will be some- but few.

It's not a myth in the US and it's colleges.

 

[studio150]

Reply from the Marketing Department

To ensure that we don't offend anyone next year, the official Brighton and Hove Albion calendar will feature a team photograph on the front cover, and no images of players or anything else will be present on the months page. Also to ensure that we offend no one, we will not be listing any public holidays or religious festival dates, in fact only the number and days of the week will be shown.

We trust this will meet with your approval

 

[Megazone]

I agree with the OP and I don't think Hemed and Kayal being on the calendar is the only major issue either.

-The Gross signing was way too early for my liking. There's still every chance the Germans will go for a third time lucky.

-Knockaert's been signed as if the Napoleonic wars were imaginary

-The club have paired up Dunk and Duffy with absolute no regards to the Battle of Dublin.

-The Argentinians must be fuming about Schelotto playing for us. First we take the Falklands, then we take Che Guevara.

An apology is the least our club could do.

 

[dazzer6666]

When are you going to post Mr Barber’s reply (assuming you actually did send it) ? He’s way too professional to tell you to **** off, even if that’s what he’s really thinking.

 

[curly69]

I agree with the OP and I don't think Hemed and Kayal being on the calendar is the only major issue either.

-The Gross signing was way too early for my liking. There's still every chance the Germans will go for a third time lucky.

-Knockaert's been signed as if the Napoleonic wars were imaginary

-The club have paired up Dunk and Duffy with absolute no regards to the Battle of Dublin.

-The Argentinians must be fuming about Schelotto playing for us. First we take the Falklands, then we take Che Guevara.

An apology is the least our club could do.

I 100% agree with this and hope not only the club but all fans apologize and i would also like to apologize for the titanic,and the thing with the dinosaurs we should all feel there pain.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

No offence and I don't mean tof it put you down but your view on the Calendar is entirely the opposite message to what I would take from the Calendar if it was indeed meant to be Political by the Club.

I personally would read it as

Two players share the Calendar

Two Religions share the land

Two faiths working as a team

Two men happy to work together


I could go on but your message is a Political Tirade designed to be Anti Semitic. I have views on the situation in Israel and the only solution is for both faiths and religions to share the land. I don't have any power in bringing that about but your letter or supposed letter was nothing short of supposition into the minds of people at the club without knowing anything behind the reasoning of the Club.

Good post, but I must correct one statement.
Three religions share the land. There are many Israeli Christians & churches.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Here's my email to Paul Barber
Dear Mr Barber,

I am an Albion supporter of almost 50 years standing and a season ticket holder for over 15 years. I was surprised to find calendar images for May of Brighton’s Israeli players Tomer Hemed and Beram Kayal. I am aware that Hemed is Jewish & Kayal Palestinian by birth, that both came through the ranks together at Macabi Haifa and the pair are on the most cordial terms.

As you may well be aware May 2018 marks the founding of the modern state of Israel. The enforced expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands which followed is known by them as the Nakba or Great Catastrophe. The subsequent history of the Israeli state is one of the brutal repression of Palestinians in Gaza, continued settlement building in the West Bank and an apartheid regime for those Palestinians still residing within Israel. This oppression is illegal under international law and has been condemned in UN resolutions too numerous to mention.

During recent events in Gaza unarmed protesters claiming their UN mandated rights to return home have been fired upon with high calibre live ammunition by the Israeli army (somewhat disingenuously known as the Israeli ‘Defence’ Force). At time of writing over 40 Palestinians have been killed and thousands wounded. Casualties include clearly marked journalists and paramedics.

Brighton & Hove Albion is a club I have been proud to support, the city’s cosmopolitan culture and tolerance being reflected in its fan base. I find it difficult to understand how the club could be so insensitive over a matter of this kind. I feel a public statement of apology re this month’s featured players would be appropriate. I look forward to your reply.

You’ll have already received a reply from PB. Given you posted your email to him, it’d be only fair on him for you to post his reply.

It’d be tacky in the extreme to post your complaint but not the club’s response.

Unless, of course, this is all a wind up. One way of proving it isn’t would also be to post PB’s reply.

 

[Brovion]

I am sorry so few of those posting seem capable to following the drift of a perfectly coherent argument. Perhaps I should have known better.
No one is expecting individual players to be responsible of the crimes of their individual countries - our home grown players would have a lot of explaining to do
We do not celebrate Sharpeville, the Peterloo Massacre or the Bengal Famine - we should not appear to be celebrating the founding of the State of Israel.
The issue is clear - innocent protesters are being shot and killed as a result of the events put in train 70 years ago this month. It shouldn't take a genius in the marketing department to have worked out May 2018 & Israel are a bad mix.

So you're saying that the Israeli players should change their birthdays? Have official ones, in say June (like the queen), and then they can appear on the calendar then. Would that be acceptable?

Speaking as someone who has always been pro-Palestinian I do think action such as you have taken (emailing the club over calendar pictures) actually do more harm than good. You haven't advanced the cause one iota, indeed I suspect those who claim you're on a fishing trip are correct: I suspect you're actually an Israeli sympathiser who wants to make Palestinian supporters look like Permanently Outraged simpletons. Congratulations, judging by the a lot of the other responses on here - you've succeeded

 

[Goldstone1976]

Good post, but I must correct one statement.
Three religions share the land. There are many Israeli Christians & churches.

Almost as many Druze as Christians in the Israeli population...

 

[mikeyjh]

Almost as many Druze as Christians in the Israeli population...

To this day, I believe this is an offshoot religion accidentally created by a rabbi with a speech impediment.