Mayor Murray’s trip to Israel is not ‘pinkwashing’

[King_David]

Rather than condemning the mayor’s trip to Israel, we should encourage him and others to go learn firsthand.

By Zari Weiss
Special to The Times
FORMER secretary-general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, once said, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”

This is my response to local activists who oppose Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s upcoming trip to Israel and the emerging state of Palestine this June for an LGBTQ-related conference. The mayor will be leading a delegation there, as well as delivering the closing keynote address at the 40 Years of Pride Conference being held in Tel Aviv.
Activists claim that Murray is engaging in “pinkwashing” — in other words, painting over the real problems in Israel, specifically the treatment of Palestinians, by representing Israel as gay-friendly.

First of all, let’s celebrate the fact that Israel is indeed gay friendly. For 40 years, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer Jews have been able to march with pride in Tel Aviv, one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world — something that could not happen in many countries throughout the world, including some cities in the United States.

http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/mayor-murrays-trip-to-israel-is-not-pinkwashing/

[JDPriestly]

1. K&R.

[azurnoir]

2. well that's great but 1 thing 1997 was 40 years ago?

your OP states " For 40 years, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer Jews have been able to march with pride in Tel Aviv, one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world — something that could not happen in many countries throughout the world, including some cities in the United States. "

but according to this the parade started in 1997, Israel did not legalize being Gay until 1988

The Tel Aviv Pride Parade, originally known as the Tel Aviv Love Parade, started in 1997; it assembles and begins at Meir Park, then travels along Bugrashov Street, Ben Yehuda Street and Ben Gurion Boulevard, and culminates in a beach party on the seafront. The Parade is part of the biggest pride celebration in continental Asia, drawing more than 100,000 people in 2011 alone,[2] approximately 5,000 of them tourists.[3] Tel Aviv was the first location in Israel where "gay" events were organised and also the first city in Israel to host a gay pride parade.

This page was last modified on 20 May 2015, at 20:07.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Aviv_Pride

[King_David]

4. Your post is proof the term "Pinkwashing " was invented so that a progressive Israel would look bad no matter what.

First of all, let’s celebrate the fact that Israel is indeed gay friendly

From the OP

[azurnoir]

5. my post was about dates nothing trashing Israel unless 'Israel' wrote the article

I am to take it we not allowed to question things such as dates?

[geek tragedy]

3. "The emerging state of Palestine"

Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth.

[Little Tich]

6. QuAIA Seattle: Mayor Murray: Cancel your pinkwashing trip to Israel!

Source: QuAIA Seattle

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray is planning a trip to Israel this coming June. He’ll be keynoting a pinkwashing conference organized by A Wider Bridge (the Israel advocacy group that partnered with StandWithUs to organize the pinkwashing tour we protested in Seattle in 2012). He’ll also be engaging in a “business and trade mission” to Israel with the Seattle Trade Alliance.

Write to Ed Murray ([e-mail]) and tell him to honor the boycott of Israeli apartheid and refuse to participate in pinkwashing Israel’s brutality. There is No Pride in Apartheid!

Your letter is important–no matter how short or how long. Write to Ed Murray and tell him to cancel his trip to Palestine. Lots of
info you can add below if you want.

Read more: http://quaiaseattle.org/?p=62

I'm inclined to say that there's no pinkwashing going on, and that QuAIA Seattle is wrong. However it's good to know the positions of both sides.