Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Jews Banned From Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Conference

Jim Hoft

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Organization is holding a conference this week in Egypt.
No Jews are allowed.
Israel National News reported:A United States-based organization’s conference on breast cancer awareness, to be hosted in Egypt, has been touted by international news networks as an example of “unprecedented cooperation” in the region. However, according to Channel 2 news, the celebration of unity may be premature, as Israeli doctors were told at the last minute that their invitations to participate had been rescinded.

The conference will be held in Alexandria, Egypt this week, under the auspices of the American group Susan G. Komen for the Cure – the world’s largest breast cancer advocacy organization. It is to include meetings between leading researchers from the U.S. and several Mideast countries.

Israeli doctors were invited to the event as well, and several had planned to attend. However, on Sunday night, the doctors received brief notices telling them that they were no longer invited to the conference, by order of Egyptian Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali.

The notices did not include an explanation of Gabali’s decision.

Hat Tip Ken Solomon

Evidently, boycotting Israel is more important than curing breast cancer.

Guest Comment:
Of course, we know this is not the first. Earlier this year Dubai refused visas to Israeli tennis players. Now we have a US based charitable institution choosing to hold its conference in a country that will not allow Israeli doctors to participate. Where is the outrage? Where are the demonstrations? I have not seen a single story from the media about this. Aggie

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why should there be any outrage?

Israel routinely denies medicine to Gaza.

GS Don Morris, Ph.D./Chana Givon said...

Another brave anonymous,
Israel routinely provides surgery, free by the way, to those in need from Gaza and the disputed other territories. We routinely send specialists to assist; we routinely deliver medicines by the truckload only to have Hamas and others intercept the medicines, deny their dispersal.We routinely have to correct comments like yours but of course don't let the truth get in the way of facts!

Anonymous said...

For heaven sake --stop doing all of this to those who spit in our faces. The Susan G. Komen conference should be cancelled because Susan was a Jew and I am sure many who work with this group are Jewish as well. Let them get the Egyptian doctors to help them, not our people in the US and Israel. Haven't we all had enough of anti semitism.

The Letter said...

Dumb to "cut of their noses" by banning some of the most advanced research in the field! And what is the US thinking?

Anonymous said...

Why is it that Jews pioneer medical breakthroughs and Arabs pioneer being complete douchebags?

Anonymous said...

I cordially invite those involved with this event to send all of their wives, sisters and mothers to Egypt and other Arab countries for breast cancer treatment, while we smart folks will go for treatment with the best of the best, regardless of religion, creed or nationality. Susan Komen has commented to me directly via email and phone that "this was out of their control"--but their reaction isn't--they should have stood by their moral character--but they chose to press forward. How shameful!

Dusty said...

When I was in the peace corp, on a remote island in the south Pacific, there was a knock on my door. It was Israelis, sent by the Israeli government to help this tiny island- the Israelis worked with the medical technicians at the local hospital, training them. Other Israelis brought solar energy and desalinization equipment to the island. No, you never read about this in the papers, but I know because I was there. I'll never forget the knock on my door "We heard there was another wandering Jew here...."

And no, anonymouse...over 300 people on avaerage each week travel from Gaza to Israel for free medical care. 342 Gaza residents entered Israel for medical and 62 for humanitarian reasons via Erez Crossing last week alone. What country provides humanitarian aid to a government determined to destroy them? Only Israel.

Dusty said...

I just received this email from the organization:

I would like to thank you for contacting us about breast cancer awareness events that advocates from across the United States and Middle East are attending in Egypt October 21-27. There have been reports that some of the invited participants would not be allowed to attend these events. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has now received clarification that all are invited to fully participate in events to bring breast cancer to the forefront of public discussion in the Middle East. Susan G. Komen for the Cure remains steadfast in our mission to save lives and end breast cancer forever everywhere.



Sincerely,



Nancy G. Brinker

Founder

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

GS Don Morris, Ph.D./Chana Givon said...

Thank you-hope we are invited-doc

Laborman said...

The response from Susan G. Komen for the Cure is very vague and does not specifically mention the Israeli doctors. So I don't know what it really means. But I think the basic premis of this blog is deliberately misleading. There has never been a suggestion that Jews were banned from this conference. Israelis were apparently banned and we all know what thatb is about. Whether you agree or not with the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the international community has a longstanding position on it. So these events are no surprise. The knee-jerk reaction to blame Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which was obviously caught off guard atb the 11th hour, and suggest that people stop donating to the world's largest and most important breast cancer advocacy group, only hurts women with breast cancer and shows the over-the-top fanatacism of certain self-appointed "pro-Israel" folks.

GS Don Morris, Ph.D./Chana Givon said...

This blog reported what was known-as a point of correction, you might want to get off the talking points of occupation and have the facts clarified for you.BTW it was announced that Israelis will now be allowed to attend.

Anonymous said...

Susan G. Komen for the Cure doesn't think things through and routinely WASTES tons of donor money.