Stephen Hawking joins academic boycott of Israel

Originally posted by gladtobehere
Physicist pulls out of conference hosted by president Shimon Peres in protest at treatment of Palestinians

Professor Stephen Hawking is backing the academic boycott of Israel by pulling out of a conference hosted by Israeli president Shimon Peres in Jerusalem as a protest at Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

Hawking is in very poor health, but last week he wrote a brief letter to the Israeli president to say he had changed his mind. He has not announced his decision publicly, but a statement published by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine with Hawking's approval described it as "his independent decision to respect the boycott, based upon his knowledge of Palestine, and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there".

In April the Teachers' Union of Ireland became the first lecturers' association in Europe to call for an academic boycott of Israel, and in the United States members of the Association for Asian American Studies voted to support a boycott, the first national academic group to do so.

In 2009, Hawking denounced Israel's three-week attack on Gaza, telling Riz Khan on Al-Jazeera that Israel's response to rocket fire from Gaza was "plain out of proportion … The situation is like that of South Africa before 1990 and cannot continue."

We dont really hear much about Stephen Hawking in regards to politics.

I think its interesting when the most intelligent person on the planet "speaks" about his personal views (even if its through his actions).

I'm not intelligent enough to understand his theories on "gravitational singularities theorems in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation (often called Hawking radiation)" or "the cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics"...

But I would like to know more about his life in general.

He's angry at God. Why wouldn't he also be angry with the Jews. There you go. Nothing new here.

Originally posted by Fromabove
He's angry at God. Why wouldn't he also be angry with the Jews. There you go. Nothing new here.

Well, isnt it possible that hes separating the actions of the israeli government from those who follow the Jewish religion?

I doubt everyone who is Jewish condones, approves of or agrees with the actions of israel.

Are all of the government's actions based on the Jewish religion?

I like to think that he has a bit more sense than that. After all, he is kinda smart.

reply to post by paxnatus


Not really up to him to prove that God does or does not exist. Simply not believing in such, or simply defining God in one's own terms, is good enough to say one has their own opinion on what the world classifies as divine.

In other words, Christ is not the only perspective on the existence of divine things, and there are many more religions than the Abrahamic/Islamic ones to refer to in terms of divine and relationship things.

If it were my guess, none of them have it right because they claim to be correct in the first place.

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Well, he'll not be getting anymore funding then!

I wish he could create black holes, then maybe we could throw Israel into it and then we could all live happy lives again.

Fixed it for you

Bravo Mr. Hawking.

Stepen Hawkings is revered as the 'most' intelligent man on Earth. But make no mistake, that accolade is only meant for his work on theoratical physics and NOTHING else, least of all with regards to International Relations.

He should have stuck to TP and continue with the illusion that he is the 'most' intelligent man on Earth as most fools believed, including avowed muslims whom will willingly give such accolade to this atheist.

His supposed 'protest' with Israel was over its 'disportionate response' to Hamas's terrifying launches of missiles into Israel. where his STUPIDITY clearly shines through.

Just what the heck does 'disportionate response' means when any means of response to violence is used? Is a stone, capable of killing, different from a targetting missile from a gunship?

Is a black hole swallowing entire galaxies a 'disportionate response' for the guilty planets that got caught up it its gravitational pull?

Planets and black holes are not humans with intelligent minds and have no control over events. Only humans do. And when the Israelis are subjected to terrorist attacks, whom have no wish for talks but only DEATHS TO JEWS, the ONLY RESPONSE is retalition in any kind. And he should be glad Israel targets its combatants with precision bombing unlike the terrorists whom fires indiscrimately, even to Tel Aviv.

Instead, where is his outrage that Hamas used innocent palestinian children as BODYSHIELDS, hide their weapons in schools and mosque and even within population centres, inviting Israel to fire upon non-combatants?

However, all that is past. Hawkings is just another guy. Israel and Palestine had both moved on. The situation is not perfect, but at least, both sides had shown willingness now to talk and negotiate, and both should be encouraged to further do so, and NOT stir up more past BS to destroy even this green shoots of peace, for the sake of both innocent palestinians and israeli.

.

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Well, he'll not be getting anymore funding then!

I wish he could create black holes, then maybe we could throw all the worlds governments into it and then we could all live happy lives again.

If it all works as-planned, Hawking is returning to lucidity, post-mortem, as a black hole. He will suck up all of the nonsense. Most of us will need a seatbelt with its own gravitational pull.

reply to post by dontreally


What are you getting on about???
We are speaking of the good doctors ...dislike of the israeli terrorist state.
You are spouting off about "jew haters".
We are not discussing jews and we do understand this trick, "are we bashing israel or jews"?...
We are bashing israel and not the jews, so please go away with your spin.

She (the poster quoted below) didn't say he was the "Anti-Christ" - what she said was that he is anti Christ, as in anti Christian, which is true, and he brags about it and has spent most of his wrongheaded career in astrophysics defending that, and his indefensible scientific position regarding "black hole science," as evidenced by his recent defeat in a long running battle with Leonard Susskind.

Stephen Hawking has also been spiritually defunct for most of his life. Ironically, he married a religious woman - a devout Christian, and he mocked her throughout the marriage - thank God she finally had enough of his bad behavior and she dumped him - unceremoniously I might add.

Leonard Susskind, by the way is a former NY City plumber and the greatest mathematical genius of his time. He is a straight talker and associates with all kinds of people - a great man ! I was very joyful when he finally put the nail in Hawking's coffin such that Hawking had to publicly admit defeat.

Originally posted by paxnatus
reply to post by buster2010

 

Is this really news? A man who has done nothing but deny God's existence and, now he is speaking out against Israel in support of the Palestinians this is "news worthy" to you? No he is not anti Semitic he is anti Christ.
Pax

Originally posted by dontreally
reply to post by gladtobehere

 

Steven Hawking is the most intelligent person on the planet? Who says?

This is the same who considers himself an authority on whether God exists or not. It's as if when he speaks, the truth has been told.

One wonders whether we treat this man with such godly reverence because he's locked in his body and bound to a wheel chair.

Frankly, he might be the most egotistical person alive.

In any case, this is consistent with his other political interests. His claims about Gods non existence is 100% political in nature, reflecting his solidarity with the new atheists.

Though this is a disturbing development. But in any case, academia isn't quite all on the same page, here. You have your die hard leftists, radicalists, and antisemites, pushing the same idea about Israel. They probably do so for different reasons. Not least of which, in the case of Hawking, is a symbolic attack on the "Jewish" worldview. To just adumbrate this concept: For a long time the west has saw itself in terms of Judaism; Christians replaced the the old "legalist" religion of Judaism, and spent a millenia or so tormenting it's Jews. Then when the Jews were forced into banking by Christian guilds which wouldn't let them join, or feudal law which prohibited them from owning land, then, in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, when Jews found themselves over-represented (but still a minority overall) in banking and commerce, they were accused (again falsely) of rigging the entire system to suit their interests. Again, the Europeans saw themselves in contrast to the Jews.

And now, like clockworks, here we are again. This time it's the Jewish state that the international community (particularly Muslim and European states) seeks to contrast itself with. And this of course, is perfectly valid. There is no connection here. It isn't at all reflective of some pathological psychological trend - of course not, we have evidence.

And yet, here I am, wondering how on earth someone could boycott Israel, a nation which contributes more to humankind's well being than the entire Muslim world combined. A nation which, despite having the audacity to believe it could return to it's ancient land, a land they had been refused from returning to by political decree, won back its land after fighting for it in 1948. Did things go perfectly? Did injustices occur? As in all wars, yes. But do they deserve this? To be blacklisted? Even though this nation bends over backwards to give political rights to all its citizens; allows political representation to its Arab population (something which is de-jure qualification for "apartheid"), made Arabic a co-official language.

My God....Only someone blind to the details and feverishly swept up by political dramas could fail to understand the reasonability of the Jewish states existence.

I would be all for a two state solution were it not for the Arab worlds obvious ill intent towards Israel.

1) Paragraph One: The scientific community, I believe, has a hand in that. When you write a paper that changes humanities understanding of the universe and everything in it, I think that makes you one of the smartest people on the planet.

2) Paragraph Two: He has a motor neuron disease related to ALS.

3) Paragraph Three: So does this mean all atheists are political? So he doesn't believe in God, does that make him the anti-christ?

4) Paragraph Four: I don't even know what you were trying to say here, lol. Comparing? Contrasting?

5) Paragraph Five: Again with the contrasting???

6) Paragraph Six: Rights of the citizen? Tell that to the 40,000 Bedouins’ that are being forced to relocate as it was reported in the news (Bedouin Land Grab

7) Paragraph Seven: Not saying that there shouldn't be a jewish state, but there are better ways of making this happen other than land grabs and military strategies.

8) Paragraph Eight: We are on the same page here. A two-state solution. IMHO, I believe that once a two state solution is reached the violence in the region may subside to somewhat acceptable levels. There may be some groups who don't accept the two-state solution but given time, who knows.

reply to post by Xaphan


Is this how you see your God, your Lord - your faith?

A barbaric god - for a barbaric people?

Christianity: you're doing it wrong

(My sincere apologies to all true Christians)

Meanwhile - Hawking is speaking out against injustice - not Jews. Pay attention

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


Agreed

Wow, still on about this being jew bashing? Amazing. the depths of the paranoia here is scary.

Anyhoo, sorry to burst your "My god is better than your god" nonense but...

Apparently the only reason Hawking isn't attending is because of health concerns and his doctors advised him not to fly.

Go back to trying to spin this as a religious debate.

Originally posted by SeekerofTruth101
Stepen Hawkings is revered as the 'most' intelligent man on Earth. But make no mistake, that accolade is only meant for his work on theoratical physics and NOTHING else, least of all with regards to International Relations.

He should have stuck to TP and continue with the illusion that he is the 'most' intelligent man on Earth as most fools believed, including avowed muslims whom will willingly give such accolade to this atheist.

His supposed 'protest' with Israel was over its 'disportionate response' to Hamas's terrifying launches of missiles into Israel. where his STUPIDITY clearly shines through.

Just what the heck does 'disportionate response' means when any means of response to violence is used? Is a stone, capable of killing, different from a targetting missile from a gunship?

Is a black hole swallowing entire galaxies a 'disportionate response' for the guilty planets that got caught up it its gravitational pull?

Planets and black holes are not humans with intelligent minds and have no control over events. Only humans do. And when the Israelis are subjected to terrorist attacks, whom have no wish for talks but only DEATHS TO JEWS, the ONLY RESPONSE is retalition in any kind. And he should be glad Israel targets its combatants with precision bombing unlike the terrorists whom fires indiscrimately, even to Tel Aviv.

Instead, where is his outrage that Hamas used innocent palestinian children as BODYSHIELDS, hide their weapons in schools and mosque and even within population centres, inviting Israel to fire upon non-combatants?

However, all that is past. Hawkings is just another guy. Israel and Palestine had both moved on. The situation is not perfect, but at least, both sides had shown willingness now to talk and negotiate, and both should be encouraged to further do so, and NOT stir up more past BS to destroy even this green shoots of peace, for the sake of both innocent palestinians and israeli.

.

How dare you talk about Palestinians using children and women as human shields and hiding weapons in schools and mosques. Israel is the bad one, making those people act the the inhuman animals they really are. Why doesn't Egypt or Saudi Arabia give them a little sliver of sand to live on? Because guess what, the rest of the ME doesn't like the Palestinians either but only uses them as an excuse to hate on Israel.

Originally posted by paxnatus
reply to post by buster2010

 

Is this really news? A man who has done nothing but deny God's existence and, now he is speaking out against Israel in support of the Palestinians this is "news worthy" to you? No he is not anti Semitic he is anti Christ.

Pax

What is anti Christ about supporting Palestinians over Israel? You realize that Jews don't believe in Jesus either, right?

Also, what is anti Christ about speaking out against oppressors in a foreign land? Yes, Palestine fights back, but they're having their land stolen from them. Israel is the stronger force, that has the power to stop all of the violence and come to terms, they're slowly eradicating the Palestinians until there is none left.

Do you also think that it was Christ-like for Europeans to annihilate the native americans for their land?

Originally posted by UnBreakable
How dare you talk about Palestinians using children and women as human shields and hiding weapons in schools and mosques. Israel is the bad one, making those people act the the inhuman animals they really are. Why doesn't Egypt or Saudi Arabia give them a little sliver of sand to live on? Because guess what, the rest of the ME doesn't like the Palestinians either but only uses them as an excuse to hate on Israel.

Do you truly want me to tell you why I DARE?

It's only because of the TRUTH, and truth fears nothing.

You can hate jews all you want and worship the Shia Hizbollah misled Hamas all you want, and while it, why not ask your kind 'benefactor', the Supreme Apostate Khomenei of Persia, to give up a parcel of his land if he truly 'LOVES' palestinians, and not used them as cannon fodder against Israel to cunningly unite all muslims so that the majority Sunnis can STUPIDLY be manipulated to killed and be killed as terrorists, espacially the later respected PLO and its sadly recognised Persian lapdog Hamas?

Fortunately, the awakened Meeshal had returned from Iran in disgust. May his disgust of being foolishly used for decades be real, or the entire Sunni majority is gonna spit on him and label him a traitor for sacrificing innocent sunni palestinian children to keep that persian apostate in power, free and hungry to complete his nuke program to make ALL sunnis bow to him.

The sacriledge upon the holy city of Mecca spilt with bloodshed by the hardcore elements within muslim brotherhood and funded by Khamenei's predeccessor - Khomeni - will never be forgotten or forgiven. Only Allah can do that but there is no more divine messenger sent, as prophet Muhammad had warned. What you see in Syria today and its revelation of Persia's unravelling of its true intentions to sunnis and Islam is plain to see.

Know who your true enemy is, and who even hides here and insidiously name others as israeli counter intelligence agents. Palestinians had been fooled by the persian apostate and his lapdogs long enough.

As for Hawkings, I can only hope that it is his works on theoratical physics that is admired by muslims, as Islam stands for progress, and not because Hawkings is an avowed atheist who deny the existance of Allah, let alone prophet Muhammad.

Regardless if Hawkings attend or not, he is just another equal human and NOT the MOST intellligent man on Earth or Allah. There is only ONE GOD.

Allah Akbar!

reply to post by buster2010


Exactly. If you don't support what Israel does, you obviously hate who they are.

That is complete and utter BS logic. The victim card is getting a little worn around the edges.

Glad to see Israeli counterintelligence is at work already in this thread. I mean, they have entire handbooks on how to side track, derail and discredit people with anti-Israeli viewpoints.

Like I've said before, if someone is ardently defending Israel, check when they joined ATS. If they're pretty new, click on their name to see what topics they have been posting in. If they have been posting mainly in topics that have to with Palestine or Israeli interests -- bingo!

They're really not hard to spot, I think we can even put them on an "ignore" list so we don't have to even see their posts.

Stephen Hawking is a wierd man.

reply to post by Xaphan

Sometimes I cant tell if people are kidding.

Was your post meant to be silly?