[Nettime-bold] Re: <nettime> the Gates of hell

["ana l. valdés" <agora@algonet.se>]

This is the link on  Indynews with the picture:

http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2002/04/123945.php

And the article:
Ana

Microsoft blames Israeli branch for outrageous
                      advertisement

                      Sunday, April 21 2002 @ 04:05 PM GMT

                      By Molouk Y. Ba-Isa

                      RIYADH: Saudi E-Commerce 2002 opens under a cloud with one
of the conference’s Gold
                      Sponsors, Microsoft, accused by the Israeli peace activist
organization Gush Shalom of
                      lending public support to the destructive war launched by
the Sharon government against
                      the Palestinians.

                      According to Adam Keller, spokesperson of Gush Shalom, last
week Israelis traveling on the
                      main highways in the Tel Aviv area were treated to enormous
billboards bearing the
                      Microsoft logo under the text, "From the depth of our heart
— thanks to The Israeli
                      Defense Forces," on a background made of the Israeli flag.

                      The organization mounted a worldwide appeal to its
supporters requesting that they write
                      to Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of
Microsoft Corporation, protesting
                      Microsoft’s dissemination of "crude nationalistic and
militaristic propaganda at the Israeli
                      population centers," and supporting a war "sharply censured
by the international
                      community and controversial among the citizens of Israel
itself."

                      A copy of Keller’s personal letter to Gates was included in
the e-mail campaign. It ended
                      with the plea: "We urge you to take care that this activity
is terminated forthwith, and
                      that the estimated tens of thousands of dollars invested in
the above mentioned billboards
                      be used instead (for) activities aimed at stopping the
bloodshed and promoting an
                      equitable Israeli-Palestinian peace."

                      In the Kingdom, Microsoft Arabia stated that they had yet to
see the Gush Shalom e-mail.
                      However, they were aware of the controversy. Mohammed
Kateeb, GM, Microsoft Gulf, did
                      not diminish the negativity of the issue, but he asserted
that the billboards in Tel Aviv and
                      one banner posting on the MSN Israel website had been
removed.

                      Jonathan Murray, VP, Global Accounts, Microsoft Corporation,
who is in Riyadh to
                      participate in Saudi E-Commerce 2002, did address the
situation. He emphasized that
                      Microsoft is very aware of the sensitivities in the region.
He pointed out that Pan-Arab
                      customers are extremely important to Microsoft and
consequently the region has received
                      significant investment and commitment of Microsoft’s
resources.

                      "The billboards did not require and did not receive the
approval of Microsoft Corporation,"
                      said Murray. "It was a Microsoft Israel decision alone."

                      Murray felt that this was one of the disadvantages of
operating local subsidiaries fairly
                      autonomously. Under this system, local Microsoft management
is given great leeway to
                      function in the manner they consider best. While Murray did
admit that there was a higher
                      review policy for some public materials, such as press
releases, he added that the
                      billboards and banner posting had slipped through the policy
cracks.

                      When asked what action the company would be taking against
those Microsoft employees
                      responsible for the billboards and banner posting, Murray
said that the "matter would be
                      handled internally".

                      Microsoft’s assertions and actions thus far may not be
enough to satisfy an outraged
                      global community of human rights activists. Radio talk show
host and human rights activist
                      Andy Martin, the only American talk radio host who supports
Palestinian rights, will hold an
                      Internet forum on his radio program on Monday, April 22 at
1:00 p.m. to attack Microsoft
                      Corporation for endorsing racism and genocide in Israel and
to demand a worldwide
                      boycott of Microsoft products.

                      "I first learned of Microsoft Corporation’s billboards in
Tel Aviv endorsing racism and
                      genocide on April 16," says Martin. "Now a major scandal is
developing throughout the
                      civilized world. I call on human beings everywhere to
boycott Microsoft products in
                      support of the Palestinian people."

                      Microsoft, Gates and Martin are long-term adversaries.
Microsoft has campaigned against
                      Martin on its websites and Gates has criticized him in
various forums.

                      Martin founded the Committee to Fight Microsoft in 1995 and
has actively opposed
                      Microsoft products, which he calls "monopolistic, high
priced, dysfunctional junk."

                      "The Israeli Peace movement is outraged," said Martin.
"Civilized human beings are
                      outraged. What business does American business have
endorsing mass murder of
                      Palestinians? I salute the brave Israeli peace movement that
has condemned Microsoft,
                      and I join their condemnation."

chris paul wrote:

> I have had no opportunity to corroborate this information ...
>
> To
>  Mr. Bill Gates
>  Chairman and Chief Software Architect
>  c/o Microsoft
>
>  Dear Sir,
>
>  Two days ago, Israelis travelling on the main highways in the Tel-Aviv
>  area were treated to enormous billboards bearing the Microsoft logo under
>  the text "From the depth of our heart - thanks to The Israeli Defence Forces"
>  on the background of the Israeli national flag.
>
>  Microsoft is a major worldwide and world-famous corporation,
>  whose activities overstep national boundaries and which is committed to
>  promote global community, increasing trade, and stronger economic
>  relationships and cultural interaction; which takes pride in promoting
>  extensive community activities of various kinds, and declares on its
>  website "We're serious about making the world a better place";
>  and which maintains offices and conducts active sales campaigns in
>  Israel as well as at Egypt, Morocco, Dubai, Indonesia, Malaysia and other
>  Arab and Islamic countires.
>
>  In view of the above, better could have been expected of Microsoft than
>  disseminating crude nationalistic and militaristic propaganda at the
>  Israeli population centers, and effectively lend its public support to
>  the destructive war recently launched by the Sharon Government -
>  a war sharply censured by the international community and controversial
>  among the citizens of Israel itself.
>
>  We urge you to take care that this activity is terminated forthwith,
>  and that the estimated tens of thousands of dollars invested in the
>  abovementioned billboards be used instead to activities aimed at stopping
>  the bloodshed and promoting an equitable Israeli-Palestinian peace.
>
>  Sincerely Yours,
>  Adam Keller, Spokesperson
>  Gush Shalom (The Israeli Peace Bloc)
>
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