Wikipedia Argument Over Gay Palestinians
I can't write much, as I'm paying an incredible amount of money to use the internet in Cyprus. But check this out:
Wikipedia, as you know, is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Over the last few weeks, it seems there has been a small battle in the entry "Gay Rights in Israel".
Check out the history page and compare older versions. One day, something that shows abuse of gay Palestinians by the Israeli Secret Service is added. The next day, it is deleted, replaced by something that documents abuse of gay people in the Palestinian Territories.
The pro-Israel writers don't seem to want anything that shows Israel in a bad light, despite the fact that it is true. I recognize that Israel is far ahead of any other country in the Middle East regardging gay rights. But to portray it as a gleaming tower on a hill is unfair and untrue, and serves Israeli political interests. It's important to note that Israel treats Israeli gay people very well, but Palestinian gay people are subject to a different standard.
Palestinian gay people are in one of the worst situations worldwide: they are seen as threats by both Palestinians and Israelis, and cannot live in peace on either side. On the Palestinian side, they are tortured and threatened. On the Israeli side, they are left with no income but prostitution and are recruited by the secret service. Only when this dichotomy is understood can their needs be addressed.
Hopefully, this Wikipedia debacle will calm down and turn out well.
Wikipedia, as you know, is a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Over the last few weeks, it seems there has been a small battle in the entry "Gay Rights in Israel".
Check out the history page and compare older versions. One day, something that shows abuse of gay Palestinians by the Israeli Secret Service is added. The next day, it is deleted, replaced by something that documents abuse of gay people in the Palestinian Territories.
The pro-Israel writers don't seem to want anything that shows Israel in a bad light, despite the fact that it is true. I recognize that Israel is far ahead of any other country in the Middle East regardging gay rights. But to portray it as a gleaming tower on a hill is unfair and untrue, and serves Israeli political interests. It's important to note that Israel treats Israeli gay people very well, but Palestinian gay people are subject to a different standard.
Palestinian gay people are in one of the worst situations worldwide: they are seen as threats by both Palestinians and Israelis, and cannot live in peace on either side. On the Palestinian side, they are tortured and threatened. On the Israeli side, they are left with no income but prostitution and are recruited by the secret service. Only when this dichotomy is understood can their needs be addressed.
Hopefully, this Wikipedia debacle will calm down and turn out well.
posted by Al-Fil at 10:39 AM
6 Comments:
The problem with Wikipedia is that people can go into these tug-of-wars and completely obscure objectivity.
Maybe if it resulted in some sort of progressive debate...
am thinking of you in these difficult times..keep strong. Wish I could do more to help than just wish you well.
If Israel treated the gay Palestinians well, then they correspondingly would be treated WORSE in the Palestinian territories, and seen as collaborators. So there is no easy answer. Furthermore, Israel has no duty to accept anyone into their country. In this sad day and age, I ask you how Israel would know for sure that the gay Palestinians AREN'T a threat?
And yes, Israel is a gleaming city on a hill in terms of its treatment of gay people - at least when one compares Israel to every other country surrounding it.
What a load of crap... have you ever been to Israel mate?
As a non-jew, non israeli I was so impressed with Israel and it's treatment of all it's people.
you should be promoting that, not finding some way to make a stab at Israel.
Palestinian gay people are punished severly in Palestine...but that is by Palestinian's.
Take off your "I have Israel" hat for a moment and open your eyes.
'I hate Israel hat' ...sorry
At a tangent but in reference to Cyprus - Wow - yet again a minus point for
Cyprus - so sorry but where were you writing from ! We do have loads of cheap
comfortable internet cafe's here. Seems you didn't come and ask anyone's advice
at Gay-cyprus.com either before or
during your stay.
We do give a free service online for about 18 hours a day in general (it's
voluntary) and we aren't as unfriendly as you seem to have experienced, it
is only that in the Cypriot culture there have been 2 traditional types of gay
man. The receiver was always the gay, the chap in the mans role was always considered a 'chakos', a man, no difference to any healthily sexed man and
certainly not queer. Only if you like to play the female were you considered to be performing an illegal activity. Just to clear up any misconceptions here. As
my 15 year old has just pointed out, the Cypriots seem to have a completely different take on the subject than any other nationality, but I suspect it is a
totally Levantine viewpoint.
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