FactsOfIsrael.com News, Comments and Links

December 05, 2002
 Link to this page
 Email this entry    Printer Friendly Version    digg this
YMCA erases Israel off the map

The Tampa Bay Primer (www.tampabayprimer.org) reports that the YMCA has printed out a T-Shirt with a list of countries where one may find a YMCA presence. The only problem: they leave out Israel (even though there's a YMCA in Jerusalem - I was there) and include "Palestine" (a region that is not a country):

Which country is missing on a YMCA T-shirt?

A new YMCA T-shirt lists the YMCAs around the world, except for one certain country.

On the front of the black YMCA shirt is a quote from Gandhi: “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” On the back is a list of countries that host the many Y’s worldwide.
Curiously, Palestine — a country that does not exist — is listed, while Israel is not.

The shirts, meant to promote world peace, have been handed out at YMCAs throughout Canada to mark World Peace Week, Nov. 17-23.

The list is comprehensive enough to include countries like Madagascar, Malta and Zimbabwe.

If you donate any money to YMCA, please stop - find an alternative. Let them know the reason: they can't just erase Israel off the map and list a non-existing country without consequences (see the Palestine page for details).





Posted by David Melle
 Link to this page |   Email this entry |   digg this
Comments

Hi. My name is Paul Dunne and I am a member of the national board of the Canadian YMCA. The reason that Israel was not included on our peace week T shirt was because the names of the countries included were those where there is a national movement. The YMCA in West Jerusalem is a branch of the YMCA of the USA and there is no national movement in Israel. Israel was not the only country whose name was omitted. More important than the names of countries printed on a T-shirt is our commitment in the Canadian Y to lasting peace in Israel and to the end of violence against Israelis everywhere. We are an open organization with many jewish members and employees. The last CEO of the Canadian Y was jewish and the person who raised this issue initially in Montreal was - and still is - a jewish staff member. I hope your readers understand that the Canadian Y did not intend to offend jews or Israelis by omitting the name of Israel from the T shirt and we wish you all the peace you so greatly deserve. Shalom.

Posted by: Paul Dunne at December 8, 2002 05:17 AM

Assuming Mr. Dunne's rebuttal is factual, I'm not convinced it is a satisfactory response. Above all, it does not address the issue of Palestine being listed as a country on the T shirt. How could anyone with half a brain think that Jews wouldn't be offended by the addition of Palestine on the T shirt? Why was no explanation (not even a flimsy one) offered?

Posted by: Lynn at December 8, 2002 07:58 AM

all you jews can go to hell i hope you all die by burning at the stake, aid hitler!!!!!! achtung!!!!

i wish hitler finished the job

Posted by: ernald rohm at February 20, 2007 03:07 PM

Post a comment




Remember Me?


Enter the code shown:   
This helps us prevent automated spam comments

Comments are open and unmoderated, although obscene or abusive remarks may be deleted. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of FactsOfIsrael.com. See the Terms of Use for more details.

Email this entry
Email this entry to
(Please enter email address):


Your email address:


Message (optional):


Referrers to this Page

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains some copyrighted materials the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.