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[Neil]

Originally Posted by Stripey

Absolutely, for example my local supermarket sells packs of cut herbs grown in israel, which I refuse to buy - and not just for political reasons, it is environmentally dispicable to fly such products on a daily basis all the way from israel to the uk.
I'm sure there are people on this forum who remember avoiding buying south african avacados etc during the apartheid era.

I assume you also boycott US exports as well then? Following that logic.

[Stripey]

Originally Posted by Neil

I assume you also boycott US exports as well then? Following that logic.

What are you getting at?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Stripey

What are you getting at?

I'm getting at that you are suggesting people should not go and see this band because of the simple fact that they are from Israel. So you are suggesting that the people of Israel are responsible for the actions of their government both past and present and should be collectively punished by the rest of the world by the use of such boycotts.

If this is the case, then as the US are Israel's strongest ally on the world stage as well as their number one supplier of military equipment (which all go some way to helping them flex their strength in the middle-east), I assume we should also boycott their exports. I imagine this would be especially so considering your previously expressed strong views on the on-going Iraq conflict of which the US takes a huge slice of the responsibility.

I also assume you are a British citizen and are of voting age. Like Israel and the US this country is a democracy, and so as you are holding Israelis to account for the actions of their government, then I assume we can hold ourselves accountable for the actions of our government. And we all know what part our country has played in all this.

If you think we should be boycotting touring Israeli musicians then following your logic we should also be boycotting US and UK musicians. Including yourself.

[Stripey]

Originally Posted by Neil

I'm getting at that you are suggesting people should not go and see this band because of the simple fact that they are from Israel. So you are suggesting that the people of Israel are responsible for the actions of their government

Yes that is exactly what I'm suggesting, and this is the same rationale behind the unilateral sanctions the US has imposed on Iran for pursuing its *right to develop civilian nuclear technology as a signatory of the nuclear non-prolifieration treaty*. A treaty which Israel is not a signatory of, even though they posses a massive stockpile of undeclared nuclear weapons and refuse all access to international inspectors.

[Swingin' Ryan]

I understand boycotting Israeli produce, but a band is the creative work of an individual, and I assume you have no idea of their personal political stand-point. Would you feel comfortable having your music boycotted in Iraq and a thread about your music being used as a forum to display news links to atrocities at the hands of the British?

As well-meaning as I assume your intentions are, you can't boycott art in the same way as you can a product as you are boycotting human beings, with opinions and feelings and you have no idea where they stand on the issue. It's not the same as a Nestle bar or a pair of Gap jeans.

[Bear]

When we killed millions of Iraqi's due to years of harsh sanctions we were basically making those innocent people pay for the policies of Saddam Hussein. I didn't think it was fair to make those innocents pay for their governments policies so I therefore don't agree with boycotting a band (who's members views I know nothing about) just because of where they happened to be born either. That seems unfair too. They're no more responsible for their government than I am for mine.

Just my views although no doubt Stripey will have a problem with something I've just written there and rant about how I have no fucken clue and don't know a damn thing and simply have absolutely know idea of what I'm talking about, and that further posts of mine are not worth reading because I clearly have no clue about anything etc, etc...

[Stripey]

Originally Posted by Swingin' Ryan

I understand boycotting Israeli produce, but a band is the creative work of an individual, and I assume you have no idea of their personal political stand-point. Would you feel comfortable having your music boycotted in Iraq and a thread about your music being used as a forum to display news links to atrocities at the hands of the British?

Sorry but a touring band coming here to make money is no different than an avacado being sent here to make money. I have nothing against the avacados themselves. Being Israeli though, the members of this band *will* have served in the IDF and therefore complicit in the crimes of their government. Unless of course they are conscientious objectors?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Stripey

Being Israeli though, the members of this band *will* have served in the IDF and therefore complicit in the crimes of their government. Unless of course they are conscientious objectors?

Well you don't know either way. So who are you to assume?

And as I mentioned in my previous post - I assume you will be boycotting US and UK musicians as well?

[Bear]

Originally Posted by Stripey

Being Israeli though, the members of this band *will* have served in the IDF and therefore complicit in the crimes of their government. Unless of course they are conscientious objectors?

Do you really think it's that black and white though? Are all Israeli's who serve in the IDF (as they are pretty much required to) some sort of criminals in your eyes?

[Stripey]

Originally Posted by Neil

Well you don't know either way. So who are you to assume?

Military service is mandatory in Israel, there is an interesting article here relating to the kind of thing conscripts commonly experience Our reign of terror, by the Israeli army - Middle East, World - The Independent