Leah Goldstein had a conversation with Dan Dakich regarding her response to being removed from her role as the main speaker at a women’s event in Ontario, Canada. The event, which is scheduled for March and aims to celebrate International Women’s Day, seemed like a perfect fit for Goldstein. As an accomplished cyclist, she made history by becoming the first woman to win the “Race Across America” in the solo category. However, the organizers of the conference decided to revoke their agreement due to opposition from a group of supporters of Palestine who objected to her service in the Israeli military.
The event organizers released a statement explaining their decision. They emphasized that their priority at INSPIRE has always been to create safe spaces where the incredible stories of women and non-binary individuals can be honored, shared, and celebrated. Considering the current situation and the sensitivity surrounding the conflict in the Middle East, the INSPIRE board decided to change the keynote speaker.
This sudden turn of events caught Goldstein completely off guard, and it was the first time in her life that her military background became a contentious issue. Being Jewish and having lived in Canada for most of her life, she had never encountered anything like this before and felt unsure about how to handle the situation.
Goldstein mentioned that the event organizers requested her to issue a statement regarding her military service, although she did not officially make one. However, she expressed her hypothetical response, which would have defiantly stood against the group’s woke agenda. She stated that the only statement she would make is that she was proud to have served, and if Israel required her services at the age of 55, she would willingly go tomorrow. This would be her unequivocal response to the situation.
Furthermore, Goldstein suggested that if the group truly wanted to be consistent, they should exclude attendees who have served in the Israeli military as well. She argued that using the IDF as an excuse was unjustifiable, as military service is mandatory for all individuals in Israel. Therefore, by their own logic, those who have served in the IDF should also be excluded from the event.
Despite never having faced a situation like this before, Goldstein maintained the only appropriate attitude towards those who attempted to silence her in order to appease progressive ideals.
According to the Source outkick.com