My online comment published RE Sam Jadallah: Netanyahu's Silicon Valley visit a lost opportunity

Golden Rule Thinking

An excellent article! It is always a challenge to figure out how to explain the very real plight of the Palestinians so that outsiders might better understand.  It is also very hard to try to figure out which few telling facts to point out from the growing avalanche of mounting evidence regarding the difficulties Israel imposes on the native non-Jewish population.  It is hard to remain calm and thoughtful when trying to explain.  Sam Jadallah does an admirable job of both. I like his advice- and totally agree... "Silicon Valley leaders missed an important opportunity to use these meetings to insist on equal opportunity and access for all people, including Palestinians committed to developing technology skills and startups like their Israeli counterparts. These business ties should be conditioned on Palestinians having their freedom, equal rights and equal access to technology and the startup opportunities that our industry represents."

Anne Selden Annab

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_25315043

Sam Jadallah: Netanyahu's Silicon Valley visit a lost opportunity

By Sam Jadallah

Special to the Mercury News

Posted:   03/10/2014 05:09:41 PM PDT | Updated:   about 21 hours ago

Silicon Valley, to my mind, is about equality, empowerment and equal access. Consequently, it's been very disturbing to see technology companies such as Apple and WhatsApp meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while disregarding that his country treats its non-Jewish population like second-class citizens and implements harsh military rule on Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. 

Silicon Valley's model of empowerment and equality couldn't be more different from Israel's technology hub or its practices of technology disenfranchisement for Palestinians. The agreement between Gov. Jerry Brown and Netanyahu dangerously ignores the underlying differences and implicitly condones effective technology apartheid.

If Apple CEO Tim Cook were a Palestinian living in Ramallah, he would not be able to use any iPhone applications, including WhatsApp, on the local cell network. Globally, over 2 billion people have 3G access, including Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, but Palestinians are prohibited by Israeli military dictate.

If I want to Skype with a relative, it costs 25 cents per minute, but calling a nearby Israeli settler is only 2.3 cents per minute.

Want to live tweet an event? Forget about it. In the West Bank, only Israeli settlers have that privilege.

Starting a company is no easy task for Palestinians. Mobile entrepreneurs? Try building a mobile startup without 3G...READ MORE 

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]