PEN America at odds with some of its members over stance on Gaza. CEO responds on ‘Velshi’

14 днів тому

PEN America, a literary and free expression group, has canceled several upcoming events after hundreds of authors and staffers called on the organization to take a stronger stance against the Israeli offensive in Gaza. CEO of PEN America, Suzanne Nossel, says the authors’ demands conflict with PEN’s mission: ‘We are by design a big tent. We are an organization of people who disagree.’
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#PENAmerica #Gaza #Israel

КОМЕНТАРІ: 97

@shannon_886 12 днів тому

Genocide is wrong. Period.

@bosshogg95SLT 12 днів тому

sure why should hamas take responsibility for whats going on they didnt care about innocents or civilians on oct 7th .. innocent ppl die in war all the time .. America dispatched a million Japanese in response to pearl harbor and it wasn't called a genocide we also killed over 80k civilians between Hiroshima and nagasaki .. no one anywhere called it genocide

@meghan42 12 днів тому

@@bosshogg95SLT Yet it was. Absolutely disgusting all around.

@bosshogg95SLT 12 днів тому

@@meghan42 war is never pretty or fun but the point is that genocide has a very specific meaning with specific defining criteria the genocide argument in gaza has never satisfied those criteria the hamas charter is pretty interesting

@CristianmediceCosta-lg7ce 12 днів тому

When the humanity silence to crimes against themselves; it’s a sick society. we are all humans! we should never tolerate genocide or crimes against ourselves; under no circumstances.

@afry6400 12 днів тому

@@CristianmediceCosta-lg7ce True. Unfortunately humans are hardwired to be violent. Look around. The vast majority of any society has quite a bit of violence even in peace times. Those of us who dislike it try to do what we can with laws and living as peacefully as possible and press governments to do more to keep the peace but it still crops up. Add war to the mix and people in the middle of the conflict zones will do what they have to in order to survive. Those who insist on kicking anyone or anything weaker will run amuck. It's always deplorable regardless of what side of the conflict you support more. Unfortunately the middle east has been at nearly constant war for several hundred years and it doesn't look like it is going to let up no matter what anyone on the outside tries to do to help. Many try but it only seems to settle down for a fairly short time and someone does something stupid to start it all up again. So what do we do? How do we get warring nations to chill and respect life even if they disagree on political views and religious beliefs?

@pageek3487 12 днів тому

Genocide isn’t in your lane?? Ok, good to know I guess. Thought moral issues like that were in all our lanes. Guess just some of us.

@pageek3487 11 днів тому

⁠of course, I’m not Alex Jones. How you respond is the question. I thought we learned after 911 that responding with anger and vengeance is neither moral or effective in the long term.

@rjlchristie 12 днів тому

PEN USA is out of step with PEN International. As are Israel and USA from the majority of world sentiment.

@bontempssss 12 днів тому

I wonder how the conversation might differ over South African apatheid, and vociferous opposition to it? Her words sound good out of context. Remember who else claimed to be a 'big tent:' that would be the GOP as they embraced the southern strategy ..

@dr.victorvs 12 днів тому

One of the most chilling things I've ever watched about free speech is Jon Stewart's interview with Amanpour on the Daily Show channel where they talk about the "consequences" they could face for discussing Gaza fairly on television.

@Alpharizzchad 12 днів тому

Her husband is Jewish. She is christian not Muslim.

@CristianmediceCosta-lg7ce 12 днів тому

When the humanity silence to crimes against themselves; it’s a sick society. we are all humans! we should never tolerate genocide or crimes against ourselves; under no circumstances.

@smartist-witin-Kintuckey 12 днів тому

*imagine starting ww3 over people in the desert arguing over which invisible person in sky who lives with others with wings and a floating lamp in the shape of a circle on there head said this land is ours theology*

@thomaskaminski5611 12 днів тому

Imagine really knowing what's going on before commenting.

@FreedaPeeple-in2mn 12 днів тому

The abrahamic cults; one religion, three names, all hypocrites, all evil.

@FreedaPeeple-in2mn 12 днів тому

@@thomaskaminski5611 I suppose you would claim this is not a religious war, but it is and it has been going on for hundreds, or possibly thousands, of years.

@thomaskaminski5611 12 днів тому

@@FreedaPeeple-in2mn I suppose you don't have to learn anything if you already know it all.

@adamwajih1054 12 днів тому

Another clueless athieshit who knows nothing about the current conflict

@pageek3487 12 днів тому

Doners got to her.

@ricsosa7107 12 днів тому

The U.S is in bed with Isreal bad or good. The U.S says it's against the War in the U.K but not in Gaza ..?

@meghan42 12 днів тому

There's a war in the UK?

@jimjimgl3 12 днів тому

Nossel resigned from Amnesty International after criticism she was supportive of the war in Afghanistan. Can you spell “prevarication”???

@brianmanuel1202 12 днів тому

Since you're so into groups . How about the Shirion Collective?😮

@SN-sz7kw 12 днів тому

Good for her. Reminds me of Vanderbilt’s president. He has emphasized that it’s a University’s responsibility to not take sides so that freedom of expression and discussion can flourish.

@snizami 12 днів тому

"rhetoric against journalists" and "attacks on culture" as in: assassinations of journalists, poets, authors, doctors, researchers, educators and the systematic destruction of civil infrastructure including universities. ReSpOnSiBiLiTy NoT tO tAkE SiDeS 🤡 She IS taking sides, just in a gutless manner, carefully forgiving of one side even when ostensibly criticizing it.

@galemartin9155 12 днів тому

Peo Israel and Pro Palestinians are beginning to annoy me.

@marycicco6564 11 днів тому

All views are not morally equivalent.

@laurabartoletti6412 12 днів тому

🇺🇲🦅💙 Re-elect President Joe Biden 2024 🔊 Voting for USA Democracy and Freedom and Rights and Citizens' duty to VOTE Voting BLUE Voting BIDEN & HARRIS 2024 🗽⚖️💙🇺🇲 Remember 01-06-21 and Roe v Wade in November 2024 📚

@brandon3525 12 днів тому

Americans are rejecting sleepy joe left and right. (no pun intended)

@mkg1321 12 днів тому

These protestors should chill out, they didn't even know about Gaza six months ago

@pageek3487 12 днів тому

Mass slaughter has a tendency to focuses attention on a subject.

@homertangler9529 12 днів тому

@@pageek3487 ...this guy is lying. IF anything, protesters like me, have been calling for BDS for close to two decades. He WISHES we had only started on this six months ago. 😀

@meghan42 12 днів тому

@nmkg1321 Of course they did. Perhaps you are projecting?

@schuler5919 12 днів тому

Was there "another side" to South African apartheid that we need to include in the "big tent"? Why is there only "another side" to Israeli apartheid?

@SN-sz7kw 12 днів тому

It’s not even close to apartheid. Go visit Israel and ask its Arab citizens before running your mouth. Then compare Israel to every other country in the region. But perhaps you know that & are deliberately spreading propaganda.

@Alpharizzchad 12 днів тому

5 South Africa Jewish people went to jail for there support for Nelson Mandala. Google it. These people just confuse the young people out of their minds and future.

@marvink7969 12 днів тому

And there is the problem; the Jewish people, the last remaking indigenous group, returning after a forced exile to a land occupied by one empire after another are characterized as occupiers with no legitimate right to return home. Told to return to Europe even though over 1/2 of the Jewish population are mizrachi, forced out of their Middle East homelands that they lived in even before the advent of Islam. The Palestinian propaganda machine at its best. All that said can’t we outside observers realize that both sides have legitimate claims and must compromise and share; those the last of a long line of occupiers who have lived there for a long time and the Jewish people who not only maintained a continuous presence in their ancestral homeland but maintained their cultural and national identity with the aspirations to return home. While there is a very large peace movement in both Israel and the Jewish community at large supporting Palestinian rights and advocating for peace and compromise I don’t see a reciprocation of any magnitude from Palestinians, even those who are Israeli citizens enjoying more freedom and privileges than any the Arab people.

@pcbacklash_3261 12 днів тому

Indeed! I hear a lot of reckless talk about "genocide" in the Levant, but there's only ONE side of this conflict that wants to commit genocide, and it's NOT Israel! I honestly don't know who's more infuriating -- the MAGA idiots on the Right or the pro-Hamas idiots on the Left.

@SN-sz7kw 12 днів тому

Best summation I’ve read. Very well put. Thank you.

@eldenringer6466 12 днів тому

Very well put. Thank you.

@homertangler9529 12 днів тому

That's a LOT of lying an deception over the course of 3 paragraphs. Do you think anyone but your fellow zionists are going to buy into it at this point?

@karsten9895 11 днів тому

I concur with the two comments above me, praising the OC! Indeed very well said!

@jimmymcgee4101 12 днів тому

Free the hostages, free the hostages, Bring Hersh home, bring the hostages home, bring them home, bring them home

@elizabethflynr7561 12 днів тому

Comments below? You’ll never learn....

@michaelshrader5139 12 днів тому

It seems to me like the Palestinian Arabs are the ones who never learn.... They strike out violently, then cry when they get hit back hard! Who does this for so very long already? You can't claim to be the victim while at the same time committing atrocious war crimes every couple years against your neighbors, that just don't fly in my book!

@michaelshrader5139 12 днів тому

And Google "Black September" if you don't believe me on this point! Cause the Nation of Jordan is also "occupying" some of what was once termed "Palestine" too and they've had their share of problems with these Palestinian Arabs also.

@homertangler9529 12 днів тому

@@michaelshrader5139 So what? ...and the whole world has had a problem with jews. Does that justify anything?

@eric2500 12 днів тому

THANK YOU for presenting a complex issue in a complex way!

@homertangler9529 12 днів тому

What was the complex part?

@user-yn1go7pw8s 12 днів тому

If The press stop covering it maybe they'll concentrate on protecting their freedom.

@afry6400 12 днів тому

The press is covering it because they are already running with those ideas. If the press stops covering it then it goes on without being heard about or known about and if nobody knows about it, how can anyone work on dealing with the situation?

@barbararenaud 12 днів тому

But as you speak, children are starving. Whole families have been killed. Don’t you care? Violence breeds violence, and writers know this. The U.S. is a paradox, and we know this too. If your role is free expression, then let the advocates for the violence and resistance to violence be heard. We are not allowed to stop working, as Elizabeth Bishop said.

@62Cristoforo 12 днів тому

Does PEN America not condemn the genocide in Gaza?

@barbararenaud 12 днів тому

Obviously not.

@pjc87guy 12 днів тому

They are a club created to value all sides, all opinions and the freedom to express those opinions. ALL of the authors are free to voice their opinions and are doing so. Trying to force the club to take a side is the opposite of that.

@awtodor 12 днів тому

Seems like a bad take from PEN America. You can say Israel is committing a genocide or at the very least likely war crimes and also say Hamas needs to release the hostages and there needs to be a push for peace. Thats what the ceasefire stance says from PEN international. I think the idea that there needs to be voices in favor of blatant military overreach is overstated and why many writers are upset.

@SN-sz7kw 12 днів тому

No you can’t say that. On what authority? The casualty ratio is less than any other similar conflict. It’s an Hamas engineered hellscape with human shields and asymmetric warfare. No investigation has confirmed any war crimes. Hamas propaganda & Paliwood clips are not evidence. All of it is governed by UN Charter & the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). To push those assertions knowing there’s no evidence amounts to a blood libel. And why is Israel the only nation in the world accused of “military overreach” for eliminating threats to its population. Compare for example the number killed at Pearl Harbor vs. the subsequent death count of Japanese. In war people keep dying until one side gives up or there are successful negotiations. Hamas retains hostages and refuses a ceasefire. They are not without agency. Israel is not required to allow the future slaughter of its own in order to spare Hamas’ citizens now. The survival of Palestinians is Hamas’ responsibility. Why do you not demand it?

@johnkelsch221 12 днів тому

The problem perceived is, the Palestinians have land, and Israeli conservatives want as much of that land as they can get away with.

@snobord99 12 днів тому

PEN America: we're opposed to suppression of speech!! Genocide? That's not what we're concerned about.

@pcbacklash_3261 12 днів тому

If they were, they'd be condemning Hamas.

@snobord99 9 днів тому

@@pcbacklash_3261 yup, Hamas and the genocidal Israeli government that's using Hamas as an excuse to exterminate Palestinians.

@ausername8699 12 днів тому

Man, I love the left. It's full of ideologues trying to be moral and ideological purists in a political wing that is comprised of moral relativists 😂😂😂

@toriesdontgettazered7464 12 днів тому

Irrelevant comment

@regu6582 12 днів тому

You mean like banning books, taking away the rights of women ? That kind of ideology ? Good luck explaining that one.

@ausername8699 12 днів тому

@regu6582 Funny how you assume I hate women and free speech. I'm more of a centrist, Mitt Romney-Joe Manchin type of guy. The far-right and far-left are pretty much the same in my book. The only difference is that the far-right is more united and explicit about the perceived mythological supremacy of their people and ideology. Thus, we have the over-confident, self-destructive nature of those that adhere to it. The left, on the other hand, is way too ideologically incoherent. It's focus on intersectionality and a psuedo-religious obsession with class and oppression is one of its most self-destructive aspects. The notion that all systems need to be radically reformed/destroyed will always be the catalyst for yet another one of their downfalls. This not only leads to constant infighting but also a culture of ideological Puritanism that leads to the impulse to purge impure thoughts and practices; much like far-right religious fundamentalism, ironically enough. 😂 I don't care how rational and good-hearted you think you are. The Pendulum and Horseshoe theories have yet to be proven wrong in my eyes. 🙂

@NHLblkgurl 12 днів тому

7% + mortgages, 1%GDP, 19% Joeflation since taking office, and $6 gas again here in Ca with a Biden and Newsom double whammy. (Any guesses why Ca gas matters to YOUR state? )

@kassandrasilver 11 днів тому

Israel and her neighbours have been engaged in hostilities for as long as any of us can remember. And even before that. But, is Netanyahu justified in calling for genocide (I heard him say it) of every Palestinian man, woman and child? I don't think so. There is no "good side" to be on in this. It is a disgrace and a disaster. Is this really the best we can do as human beings in 2024?