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Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournament

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by heyabbott, Feb 16, 2009.

Page 5 of 13
  1. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    This story just reminded me of something... During the first Gulf War, U.S. troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia, and obviously, the Saudi's needed us, because they wouldn't have been able to protect themselves from Sadaam Hussein when he was done with Kuwait. The thing is, then as now, Saudi law forbid Jews from entering the country (although a few years ago, it became an issue when they put it on an official website and Congressman Anthony Weiner made a stink about it and they took it down). There were Jews in the U.S. military, though. And even worse, at the time (I am not sure about now), they put soldier's religions on their dog tags. So to placate the Saudi's, and also they wanted to avoid any U.S. soldiers getting caught anywhere near that region with "Jewish" written on their dog tags, they changed the religious designation for anyone who identified himself as a Jew to "Protestant B." So Jews stationed in Saudi Arabia had "Protestant B" written on their dog tags.
     
    The Big Ragu, Feb 17, 2009
    #49
  2. dixiehack

    dixiehack Well-Known Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    The comparison is between the dipshits running South Africa then and the dipshits running Dubai now, which is entirely valid.
     
    dixiehack, Feb 17, 2009
    #50
  3. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    Maybe the WTA will refuse to sanction the event in future years. The visa denial happened so late this year, there wasn't much they could do about it.
     
    Mark2010, Feb 17, 2009
    #51
  4. Chuck~Taylor

    Chuck~Taylor Active Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    Well yes and no dixie. The reason why Dubai is doing this is because of political reasons, not racial injustice. Discrimination? I guess so, but for different reasons.
     
    Chuck~Taylor, Feb 17, 2009
    #52
  5. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    You really think it is possible to separate religion from politics in the the Middle East, or will you just say anything to try to prop up your argument?
     
    outofplace, Feb 17, 2009
    #53
  6. dixiehack

    dixiehack Well-Known Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    George Wallace helped get a bunch of black people beat up or killed around here for political reasons. How is that any better?

    Look, Arabs and Muslims have plenty of legitimate gripes. But that isn't a free pass to excuse evil and stupidity.
     
    dixiehack, Feb 17, 2009
    #54
  7. Chuck~Taylor

    Chuck~Taylor Active Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    Haha, whoa lets calm down. You honestly think the Israeli government's actions have nothing to do with this? My cousin is going to college in Dubai and he sees a lot of Jewish people. He always tells me the problem there isn't with the jews, its with Israeli Jews. Also Dubai, compared to other countries in the middle east, is a pretty secular country.

    That is true, but those black people didn't have a government with the history of the Israeli government. But I do agree with your second part.
     
    Chuck~Taylor, Feb 17, 2009
    #55
  8. ringer

    ringer Active Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    Here is the bottom line.

    It's a quote from Billie Jean King who was asked by tennis.com about an entirely different issue (what it would take for a gay male player to come out of the closet while in his prime), but her point applies to the Peer-Dubai situation exactly.

    She said support has to come from top players. "[They] influence where the tour goes. That's part of the responsibility of being in the Top 10...That goes hand in hand with making the big bucks, getting the most exposure, getting the most endorsements. That's part of the deal, I think, if you're going to be in that position. And our job in that position is to stick up for whoever is getting a bad deal."

    THE JOB OF THE PEOPLE IN THE TOP 10 IS TO STICK UP FOR WHOEVER IS GETTING A BAD DEAL.
     
    ringer, Feb 17, 2009
    #56
  9. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    I am calm. Again, you are either kidding yourself or trying to kid the rest of us by trying to say religion isn't a factor.

    And even if it is hatred of Israelis rather than all Jews, which is still different from pure politics, that does not justify what they are doing.
     
    outofplace, Feb 17, 2009
    #57
  10. heyabbott

    heyabbott Well-Known Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    You think if the majority of Israelis belonged to the Bethel AME Church they'd still have done this?
     
    heyabbott, Feb 17, 2009
    #58
  11. Chuck~Taylor

    Chuck~Taylor Active Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    The Israeli government's actions yab. Lets focus on that. Thats what Dubai has beef with. Come on yab, you know this. The UAE has had trouble signing peace agreements with Israel. The Dubai Tennis Championships cited fan anger of Israeli's recent actions on the Gaza strip as the reason for this. Not because of Moses.

    Sorry, but I strongy disagree.
    I agree with the second part though. Everyone has the right to play.
     
    Chuck~Taylor, Feb 17, 2009
    #59
  12. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Re: Dubai bans Israeli tennis player from country and tournement

    If Venus Williams became an Israeli citizen and then was denied entry to the tournament, I think you would feel differently, Chuck. You can disagree all you like, but based on your posting history, that's what I believe.
     
    outofplace, Feb 17, 2009
    #60
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