Global Call to Boycott the International Harp Contest in Israel

OPEN LETTER: Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, please don't play for apartheid Israel

27 May 2012
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Alfredo Rolando Ortiz boycott contest harp israel palestine sun city tel aviv

Dear Alfredo Rolando Ortiz,

We are glad that you pulled through a long illness, and that you are back to playing your beautiful harp. We are aware that due to your difficult illness you had to cancel your appearances at the Harp Festival in Israel last year in October, 2011. We heard that you plan to travel to Israel for the 2012 Harp Festival. We are saddened to see how music is appropriated and exploited in order to mask apartheid in Israel.[1]

We feel that it is our duty to let you know that no matter how humanistic your personal views are, performing in an Israeli festival in the current situation would inevitably be perceived as a political act, namely of supporting or condoning one of the most ruthless and antidemocratic regimes: that which Israel imposes on the Palestinians.

Performing in Israel today means crossing an international picket line, as your performance here will be construed as a vote of confidence in Israel’s oppressive policies. It is because of these policies, and the silence about them from governments around the world, that Palestinians have called for an international boycott of Israel, asking artists to refuse to perform in Israel, that is, to refuse of being used to uphold the Israeli façade of normalcy.

As we write this to you we are sure that while dealing with the logistics of your trip, your Israeli hosts failed to inform you that barely a one hour drive from where you are scheduled to perform, nearly 2.5 million Palestinians live under a ruthless occupation in the West Bank. They are surrounded by an illegal apartheid wall and routinely harassed by armed soldiers. These people, who live under an Israeli military regime, will not be allowed to come to hear you play your harp, as they cannot leave the open-air prison that Israel has enclosed them in. The travel restrictions imposed on the Palestinians by the Israeli occupation prevent them from traveling on roads reserved for their Israeli neighbors alone. Hundreds of permanent and arbitrary checkpoints created solely for Palestinians dot the West Bank, and so though you might be able to visit the West Bank as a privileged foreigner, you would never be subjected to the movement control that Palestinians are on their own land.

Only 70 km South of Tel Aviv, over 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza live in an open-air prison forced on them by Israel. The recent International Red Cross report on the siege of Gaza demonstrates how terribly damaging it is to Palestinians. [2] The siege most definitely constitutes human rights abuse. Also, the UN Report of 2009 finds Israel guilty of committing war crimes in its assault on Gaza in 2008/2009, including using white phosphorous on civilians and using human shields. [3]

But travel restrictions are only one aspect of repressing those who live under the Israeli occupation. In fact, the Israeli military regime in the Occupied Territories conducts systematic land expropriation, collective punishments, house demolitions, and mass detainment and imprisonment of thousands of women, men and children, many of whom are the participants of non violent protests against Israel.

We believe that the beautiful music of the harp should not be used in order to silence the oppressed (or to camouflage such a silencing), we urge you to heed the Palestinian call for boycott, and join the many artists who have already refused to lend their names to whitewashing the Israeli Apartheid policies, namely by canceling their scheduled performances in Israel.

Pink Floyd founder Roger Water said “Where governments refuse to act people must, with whatever peaceful means are at their disposal. For me this means declaring an intention to stand in solidarity, not only with the people of Palestine but also with the many thousands of Israelis who disagree with their government's policies, by joining the campaign of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel. My conviction is born in the idea that all people deserve basic human rights. This is not an attack on the people of Israel. This is, however, a plea to my colleagues in the music industry, and also to artists in other disciplines, to join this cultural boycott.

Artists were right to refuse to play in South Africa's Sun City resort until apartheid fell and white people and black people enjoyed equal rights. And we are right to refuse to play in Israel until the day comes – and it surely will come – when the wall of occupation falls and Palestinians live alongside Israelis in the peace, freedom, justice and dignity that they all deserve.”[4]

Don't allow yourself to be "duped" into thinking Israel even resembles a normal democracy. Rick Steves of the PBS travel series had a false view of Israel. Read how he came to realize how the media hid the truth from him. He is glad he knows the truth now. Maybe the documentary that he watched might interest you as well. Rick wrote :

"If you are a friend of Israel, you must watch Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land." [5]

Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, when talking about his joining the boycott stated “I've always felt that it's the only way forward … I think musicians have a major role to play, I find the more I get involved, the more the movement becomes something tangible. I remember going to 'Artists Against Apartheid' gigs, and 'Rock Against Racism' gigs around the same sort of time. Bands like the Clash and the Specials had a lot to do with influencing the minds of the youth in those days. The boycott is not an action of aggression towards the Israeli people, It's towards the government and its policies. Everyone needs to be reminded of this because it's very easy to be accused of being anti-Semitic, and that's not what this is about." [6]

We sincerely hope that you will choose to refrain from playing your harp in Israel, until the day comes when Israeli apartheid ends, and Palestinians are granted equal rights and the opportunity to hear your beautiful harp music together with all people a just and equal society.

With Respect,

Don't Play Apartheid Israel

We are a collective, of over 850 members, representing many nations around the globe, who believe that it is essential for musicians & other artists to heed the call of the PACBI, and join in the boycott of Israel. This is essential in order to work towards justice for the Palestinian people under occupation, and also in refugee camps and in the diaspora throughout the world.

[1] See four references below for documentation on apartheid in Israel:

A. Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC) study : Israel is practicing both colonialism and apartheid in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Media_Release-378.phtml

B. Full report of the South African Human Sciences Research Council

http://www.kadaitcha.com/pdfs/3EE20d01.pdf

C. Israel/Palestine, South Africa and the ‘One-State Solution’: The Case for an Apartheid Analysis

[Bakan, Abigail B. and Abu-Laban, Yasmeen(2010)

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/ftinterface~content=a931468637~fulltext=713240930~frm=section

D. Do Israel’s practices in occupied Palestinian territory, namely the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, amount to the crimes of colonialism and apartheid under international law?

http://www.odsg.org/co/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1735%3Ais-israel-an-apartheid-state&catid=35%3Areports&Itemid=57

[2] Gaza Closure: Not Another year!

http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/update/palestine-update-140610.htm

[3] UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/FactFindingMission.htm

[4] Tear down this Israeli wall, I want the music industry to support Palestinians' rights and oppose this inhumane barrier Roger Water, Friday 11 March 2011, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/11/cultural-boycott-west-bank-wall

[5] Reflections on Israel and Palestine http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-steves/reflections-on-israel-and_b_1401220.html

[6] Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack tells William Parry why he is boycotting Israel.http://www.newstatesman.com/music/2010/09/israel-interview-boycott-naja

Normalization Does Nothing: The Salem Music Program

13 May 2012
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12 year Old Violinist in Occupied Palestine, Co - Resistance is Welcome, but Co-Existance is not.

Normalization attempts such as the program of the Salem Music Program, do nothing to halt Israel's harsh and illegal system of injustice.

From Haaretz, Israeli citizen Meron Benvenisti writes against such programs as the Salem Music Program:

"In the activity of the Peres Center for Peace there is no evident effort being made to change the political and socioeconomic status quo in the occupied territories, but just the opposite: Efforts are being made to train the Palestinian population to accept its inferiority and prepare it to survive under the arbitrary constraints imposed by Israel, to guarantee the ethnic superiority of the Jews. With patronizing colonialism, the center presents an olive grower who is discovering the advantages of cooperative marketing; a pediatrician who is receiving professional training in Israeli hospitals; and a Palestinian importer who is learning the secrets of transporting merchandise via Israeli ports, which are famous for their efficiency; and of course soccer competitions and joint orchestras of Israelis and Palestinians, which paint a false picture of coexistence."

For a complete explanation of normalization and how it harms the progress towards justice for Palestine, we focus on this important article by the PACBI:

Debating BDS: On Normalization and Partial Boycotts

Two of the most important issues that arise in debating Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), particularly in Western countries, are (A) whether or not Palestinians should be working with Israelis rather than boycotting them, and (B) whether supporters of BDS should fully boycott Israel or boycott only companies involved in Israel’s occupation and colonial settlements. We hope the discussion below will help shed some light on both issues.

Co-resistance vs. Co-existence

Over the years, at the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), we have consistently outlined our position on normalization in an effort to gain new allies and to clarify to our partners the premise of Palestinian and Israeli exchanges. It is important to note that in the BDS movement, there are several Israeli partners who also support our comprehensive rights under international law, including the Coalition of Women for Peace and Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within [1]. Furthermore, reading the BDS Call of 2005 [2], endorsed by the overwhelming majority of Palestinian civil society, one can note an explicit call on conscientious Israelis to join the movement for freedom, justice and equal rights for all. Therefore, what is important for determining normalization is not mere collaboration with Israelis, but rather, the substance and premise of this collaboration.

Normalization is an English translation of the Arabic word tatbi’, making something abnormal appear normal. As stated before by PACBI:

It is helpful to think of normalization as a “colonization of the mind,” whereby the oppressed subject comes to believe that the oppressor’s reality is the only “normal” reality that must be subscribed to, and that the oppression is a fact of life that must be coped with. Those who engage in normalization either ignore this oppression, or accept it as the status quo that can be lived with. In an attempt to whitewash its violations of international law and human rights, Israel attempts to re-brand itself, or present itself as normal -- even “enlightened” -- through an intricate array of relations and activities encompassing hi-tech, cultural, legal, LGBT and other realms. [3]

Another aspect of normalization is the attempt to use Palestinians and/or Arabs as “fig leaves” [4]. In the context of applying the BDS movement’s guidelines for the international academic and cultural boycott of Israel, PACBI sometimes faces scenarios where boycott bashers attempt to redeem their conscience, and with it some moral ground, by using token Palestinians (or more rarely other Arabs) as a fig leaf to cover up their complicity in Israel’s violations of international law and Palestinian rights. While the pool of available “fig leaves” is diminishing every year, thanks to the recent impressive spread of BDS consciousness among Palestinians and in the Arab world, there are still those who are ready to accept for their names to be manipulated in the cynical political agendas of international boycott violators.

From the above, one can see that normalization applies to relationships that convey a misleading or deceptive image of normalcy, of symmetry, of parity, for a patently abnormal and asymmetric relationship of colonial oppression and apartheid [5].

For a Palestinian-Israeli relationship not to be a form of normalization two basic conditions must be met: (1) the Israeli side must support full and comprehensive rights for all Palestinians in accordance with international law, and (2) the relationship itself must involve a form of resistance to Israel’s occupation and violations of international law. Israelis who support our comprehensive rights under international law and struggle with Palestinians against the wall, checkpoints, and other forms of apartheid are our partners. Relationships with them do not constitute normalization. Activities such as those of "Seeds of Peace" [6], "One Voice" [7], and other such organizations, however, are clear examples of normalization, regardless of what those involved in the projects claim. They deceptively portray Palestinians and Israelis as if they were on the same footing, without any clear-cut position on ending Israeli’s multi-tiered system of oppression.

As a leading Palestinian youth activist put it, the only normal relationship between those from the oppressor community and those from the oppressed community is co-resistance, not co-existence [8]. Co-existence can only happen (ethically speaking) after the end of oppression, when both sides can enjoy equal rights.

Partial or Full Boycott of Israel?

After failing to slow the spread of BDS, motivated by genuine fear of the demise of Zionism, and with an explicit “save apartheid Israel” agenda, some so-called left-leaning Zionists have recently tried to muddy the waters by suggesting a Zionist-friendly boycott to undermine the Palestinian-led BDS movement [9], which is attracting an increasing number of younger Jewish activists in the West, especially on college campuses. BDS is an ethically-consistent rights-based movement that is anchored in international law and universal human rights. As such, BDS rejects and cannot coexist with racism of any type, including Zionism. A “Zionist BDS” is as logical as a “racist equality”!

BDS is not about saving Israel as an apartheid state, giving up some occupied lands that are densely populated by Palestinians to make Israel a more pure apartheid, and to prolong the life of this apartheid for several more years. BDS is all about achieving Palestinian rights, paramount among which is the inalienable right to self determination, by ending Israel’s three-tiered system of colonial and racial oppression: colonialism, occupation and apartheid.

Of course, PACBI and the BDS National Committee (BNC) advocate a complete boycott until Israel ends its three tiered system of oppression, not simply its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. The main reason for this position is that, according to international law, Israel, as the Occupying Power, bears responsibility for the occupation and all its manifestations (colonies, wall, siege, house demolitions, etc.), not to mention the other grave violations of international law outside the realm of occupation, such as forcible displacement, denial of refugee rights, and the crime of apartheid (which an increasing number of legal scholars is now convinced Israel is guilty of). The BDS movement calls for boycotting Israel as the state responsible for denying Palestinian rights, just as South Africa was the target of boycott due to its apartheid regime, and China is the target of some boycotts due to its occupation of Tibet, and Sudan is the target of some boycotts due to its crimes in Darfur. Only in Israel's case do we hear objections to boycotting the state that is responsible for egregious violations of international law, and do we hear suggestions instead to boycott only some manifestation of these violations (settlements), not the root cause.

Still, BDS is all about context sensitivity. This means that supporters of BDS in any particular context decide what to boycott or divest from, how to pursue their local goals, how to build alliances, and how to campaign--with sensitivity to their own political, cultural and organizational contexts. Partners may decide to boycott only companies implicated in Israel’s occupation, and that is perfectly fine if done tactically, not out of a principled rejection of a full boycott when the circumstances allow it. This is the strength of BDS; it is not a centralized, dogmatic or command-driven movement. It is a morally-consistent, citizens driven, human rights movement that has basic principles of human rights and international law as its common denominator, and a lot of creativity and initiative when it comes to implementing the various forms of BDS in any context.

Whether British, American, German or Dutch supporters of BDS, wish to campaign for a selective boycott or not is entirely up to them, it goes without saying, as we believe in local, context-sensitive initiatives, as explained above. But we sincerely hope they will respect the Palestinian right to self- determination, and will not attempt to speak on our behalf when it comes to asserting our comprehensive rights and civil resistance strategies, as that would be a form of patronizing that is unbecoming to a relationship of partnership in the struggle for a just peace—the only peace that oppressed communities the world over can ever seek.

As was the case in the international struggle against apartheid in South Africa, taking guidance from broadly-endorsed representatives of the oppressed, in this case the Palestinian leadership of the BDS movement, the BNC, and respecting boycott guidelines set by the great majority in the oppressed society is an ethical obligation for any conscientious person or group genuinely standing in solidarity with the oppressed. This must be understood in the context of a decentralized global movement based on respect for partners’ tactics and choice of targets, so long as the overall principles of the movement are safeguarded.

OPEN LETTER to Batsheva Dance Company: Take a strong, unequivocal stance against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians

8 Mar 2012
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adalah new york batsheva dance tickets boycott israel gaga dance style usa tour batsheva

Thirty North American organizations have signed a letter asking the Israeli Batsheva Dance Company to cut ties with the Israeli government sponsored "Brand Israel" campaign. The letter follows. The dance company refused to take up a stand for justice, freedom and & equality for the people that Israel oppresses daily. They are now facing a boycott campaign.

A protester at a Chicago performance of Israel's Batsheva Dance Company. Photo by and copyright Christine Geovanis, HammerHard MediaWorks, Chicago.

(SOURCE) February 21, 2012

To Batsheva Dance Company:

We are writing as human rights activists and artists from North American cities that you plan to visit on your upcoming tour. Palestinian civil society has issued a call for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, modeled on the call for the boycott of apartheid South Africa. Respecting that call, we urge you to cut all ties to the Brand Israel campaign and take a stand against the Israeli government’s violations of Palestinian rights. Until you do so, we will not welcome you in our cities and will organize a boycott of your performances due to your collaboration with the Israeli state.

Batsheva and Brand Israel

You may claim that art and politics can be separated, but the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) knows this is not the case when it refers to Batsheva as "the best known global ambassador of Israeli culture.” Indeed, Batsheva receives funding from the MFA – which cynically uses the arts as a way to distract attention from Israel's oppression of Palestinians. In 2009, Arye Mekel of Israel’s MFA told a reporter, "We will send well-known novelists and writers overseas, theater companies, exhibits . . . This way you show Israel’s prettier face, so we are not thought of purely in the context of war.” Your upcoming tour in particular is prominently advertised on the cultural calendar of the Israeli consulate in New York City, and your host in New York, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), aptly notes that Batsheva is “Israel’s leading cultural ambassador.”

There is no mistaking it: Batsheva is actively complicit in whitewashing Israeli human rights abuses, apartheid, and occupation of Palestinian land. Brand Israel initiatives such as your tour are designed to distract from the facts, including: Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands; Israel’s 223 Jewish-only settlements and “outposts” built on Palestinian land in violation of international law; Israel’s apartheid wall in the West Bank that further appropriates Palestinian land, also in violation of international law according to the International Court of Justice; Israel’s demolition of over 24,000 Palestinian homes since 1967; and Israel’s 2008-2009 invasion of Gaza, which killed over 1,400 Palestinians, prompting allegations of war crimes by a United Nations Fact Finding Mission. In addition, Israel has enacted over 20 laws that discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel and enshrine their status as second-class citizens.

As Batsheva artistic director Ohad Naharin admitted in a 2005 interview: "I continue to do my work, while 20 km from me people are participating in war crimes.” Even with this knowledge, Batsheva has not once taken a stand, as an institution, against the oppression of the Palestinian people.

Artists and apartheid

Hana Awwad, who spent years performing with one of the premier Palestinian dance troupes, El Funoun, explained to Adalah-NY, “Exhibits and performances by Palestinian artists are systematically banned, sabotaged, and closed down by the Israeli occupation. Artists themselves are targets of violence, arbitrary arrests, and deportations. Israel's three-tiered system of occupation, colonization, and apartheid ruthlessly suffocates the livelihoods of Palestinian communities, including our right to artistic and cultural expression.

“As a Palestinian dancer based in the West Bank, I am prohibited by the Israeli government from traveling to Gaza for performances. After Israel's 2008-2009 military assault on Gaza, our Ramallah-based dance troupe resorted to performing for our people in Gaza via a satellite link in protest of Israel's siege on Gaza. Some of our dancers are also prohibited by the Israeli government from ever accompanying the troupe when it performs in neighboring Palestinian cities and abroad."

Iman Fakhouri, director of the Popular Arts Centre, told Adalah-NY, “In 2009, for example, when the UNESCO and Arab Ministers’ Council declared Jerusalem as the capital of the Arab Culture, Israeli authorities enforced measures to hinder and impede the participation of art organizations to celebrate and perform. Our Centre experienced such unjust and harsh measures, as two of our dance performances were cancelled because Israel denied our dancers entry to Jerusalem and the theater where a German hip hop dancer was to perform was closed down by the Israeli authorities at the last minute. Israeli forces outside the theater were trying to remove people by force. Some people, both from the audience and the artists, were beaten up and arrested [when they] gathered outside the theatre and started dancing Palestinian folk dance, ‘Dabke,’ in a form of protest against the closure.”

While Batsheva travels the globe, Palestinian refugees whose families were driven from their homes in 1948 are often prevented by Israel from performing as dancers in their homeland, much less returning there to live. Houria Al Far, a dance trainer for the Kufiyeh Dabkeh Group in Ein El Hilweh Refugee camp in Lebanon, explained her experience: "The second time our group went to perform in Ramallah was in May of 2011. The night we were leaving Lebanon we received the names of the people who were granted permits by Israel to enter. As I read the names my heart sunk. I was refused entry with five other people from the group. And they were some of the older kids, the musicians who played percussions and bagpipe. . . . The first time we went they had refused entry to one of our younger girls Isra’a, who was nine at the time."

What excuse does Batsheva have for remaining silent while your government denies Palestinians the freedoms of movement and self-expression without which Batsheva itself could not perform?

Acting in solidarity

Given the continued violation of human rights faced by Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli state, it is an immediate imperative that we take a stand in solidarity. As artists and cultural workers, we must take steps to resist our complicity in the crimes being committed, and to publicly renounce the state violence and repression that Palestinians continue to be subjected to every day. While some still hide behind the excuse that art is somehow apolitical, many artists of conscience are standing up. This includes a growing number of musicians, such as Elvis Costello, Carlos Santana, Roger Waters, the Pixies, and Gil Scott-Heron, who have refused to play concerts in Israel.

We hope Batsheva, like a growing number of Israelis, will take a strong, unequivocal stance against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and support justice and equality for all. Until then, we will continue to urge a popular boycott of, and protests against, your performances throughout North America.

Sincerely,

New York
Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel
Artists Against Apartheid
Brooklyn For Peace
Columbia Palestinian Dabke Brigades
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
Hunter SJP
Jews Say No!
Labor for Palestine
New School SJP
New York City Labor Against War
Wespac Foundation
Women in Black Union Square

Bay Area
14 Friends of Palestine
Al Awda, The Palestinian Right to Return Coalition
Bay Area Women in Black
Birthright Unplugged
Culture and Conflict Forum
Free Palestine Movement
International Solidarity Movement – Northern California
Justice for Palestinians – San Jose

Austin
Palestine Solidarity Committee

Chicago
Chicago Movement for Palestinian Rights
Palestine Solidarity Group – Chicago

Arizona
Arizona State University No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes
Arizona State University Students for Justice in Palestine
University of Arizona Students for Justice in Palestine

Montreal
Tadamon!

Toronto
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) - Toronto

National Groups
US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI)
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Cello Sounds Lost Like Tears in the Rain: A Palestinian Grandfather's Story

25 Jan 2012
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Jerusalem Children's Orchestra cello israel palestine orchestra palestinian

This recent simple email correspondence shows one example of how Israel's apartheid system tears away at the precious relationship between a grandfather and his grandaughter. Samia only wanted to do what all grandparents would do, hear his grandchild perform what she had been practicing for weeks, her cello, in a special concert. The concert in Jerusalem was cancelled because Israel refused to grant the apartheid permits to the Palestinian children from the West Bank [obviously, such permits to enter Jerusalem are never required from Israelis]. Email follows:

Concert cancelled

January 24, 2012

Friends and family who know me well know how I would love to hibernate in winter. I am just not a winter person, and I would never contemplate stepping out of the house on a rainy day, especially these days when my falls have become unpredictable. Last Sunday seemed to be a nice sunny day, but by noon it turned to be a very rainy and wet day. The Jerusalem children’s orchestra of the Edward Said National Conservatory was scheduled to perform at the Cultural Palace in Ramallah, and the next day at the National Theatre in Ramallah. I already made up my mind to go the next day to Jerusalem and avoid the drive through Kalandia where the road ends up more like a river when the heavy rains fall. But alas the last minute the concert in Jerusalem was cancelled because the children from the West Bank were not granted permits. For the love of my granddaughter, (name withheld), who plays the cello with the orchestra, I was not going to hibernate on that dreadful Sunday afternoon. The children had spent the last three days at the music camp site in Birzeit training for that concert, and they did a marvelous job. As I listened to a lovely variety - Chopin, Sousa, Gershwin, Vivaldi and others, I could not but wonder, why would the Israeli authority prevent children ages 11-16 to get into Jerusalem. Are their violins, cello’s , bassoons, or trumpets any threat to the security of Israel? Or is it one more harassing measure to deprive the children and the community from a little bit of pleasure?? They grudge us even that much while they claim they are the centre of enlightenment and culture. Samia

Jane responds by email :

Dear Samia,

What always amazes me , is the way you relate these family stories which are quietly painful by comparison to so much we read about through the media, with so much dignity and patience.

I share it with my artistic friends. We can immediately empathise with your frustration, after all its what we do too. Our children after a culmination of no doubt hard work get together and play music to perform to a live audience. It is of course encouraged as a most common and necessary practise for those who are gifted musically in all societies.
However the children you speak off effectively are in an open air prison. Their movement is restricted. Their incarceration of course is illegal and inhumane firstly because they have been charged with no crime.
In order to remain measured and rational one attempts to regard both sides. The Israelis after all claim that everything they do, what may seem an abomination to us, is due to their security.

Undoubtedly if a violin, definately if a cello was omitted from its case there is indeed room for explosive devises or an assortment of armaments to be smuggled into Jerusalem, however Kalandia checkpoint is equiped with high surveilance Xray machines and one could no more smuggle armamants through it than at an International airport anywhere in the world. So what then are the Israelis really afraid off ?

You generously suggest that their decission was due to harrasssment and depriving the community of pleasure , but I think we can conclude it goes deeper than that.
Indeed the Israeli claim of their own enlightenment and culture all part and parcel of democratic values they claim is lacking across the region, is used as a justification for their brutality maintaining their stranglehold.

In order to sustain their prejudice, their false claims, Palestinians must be seen as philistines. Their real enemies are not the stone throwers or a violent mob, not even a lone gunman, but instead the ones who are fortunate to grow up with a varied education, who are able to express themselves and communicate with confidence. Their enemies are the ones who are able to take command of a platform and through a composed presence under a spotlight express the truth whether through music or other art forms.
There is no justification for splitting up an orchestra, no justification for maintaining dischord and doubt amongst an emerging generation. Its just definitely more example of the bullying schizophrenic state of mind of the occupier.

My thoughts as always are with you
Jane

The Power Behind Israel's Harp Contest

12 Nov 2011
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A close look at some of the sponsors of the Israel International Harp Contest contest reveal that backers include many official governmental organizations and Israeli banks that finance illegal settlements. These include:

State of Israel Ministry of Tourism http://www.tourism.gov.il/Govheb Participates in promoting migration to illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Jerusalem Municipality (implicated in home demolitions of the indigenous people of Palestine, see a video of a Palestinian home being demolished by the Jerusalem Municipality) http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_main/defaultnew.asp?lng=1
Tel Aviv Municipality http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/Pages/HomePage.aspx (Tel Aviv Municipality operates schools that are segregated and funds programs to prevent Jews and Arabs from dating.). Building permits are denied to Palestinians. More at http://bit.ly/sGG0mC
State of Israel Ministry of Culture and Sport (actively promotes “Zionist culture” and penalizes Israeli artists who will not perform on the illegal settlement Ariel)
Tel Aviv Univ. - A state funded university involved in research serving the occupation and which recruited the lawyer who authorised the phosphorous attack on Gaza.

Israeli Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, and Israel Discount Bank, all three are involved with and/or finance the illegal settlements and violations of international law.

The Israel International Harp Contest is truly not a contest for harpists of conscience. It is a contest that serves to sell the world a very henious lie that Israel is a normal, or even advanced nation through its "vibrant musical life." Young harpists are falsely lured into applying for the contest, and enticed with the idea that it is the most prestigeous contest on the globe. Then they are sold the notion that historical sites in "the Land of Israel await you."

Palestinian Art Depicts Woman's / Children's Suffering

16 Oct 2011
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boycott israel harp contest harps whitewash israel's crimes no harps for palestinians

"Torment" by Najah

Child's Art from Gaza by MECA

Child's Art from Gaza by MECA

Al-Shawa

Child's Art from Gaza by MECA

Child's Art from Gaza by MECA

Child's Art from Gaza by MECA

OPEN letter to participants of Israel International Harp Contest

5 Oct 2011
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Apply Information Israel International Harp Contest Application Renan Raz Israeli citizen

Dear International Harp Contest Participant,

My name is Renen Raz,and I live in Israel. I enjoy a lot of privileges, like all the Jews here.

I am supporting the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS), against the policies of the Israeli state.

The BDS call is about human rights. Because of the apartheid wall, all the rights of the Palestinians are restricted, for an example, they do not have freedom of movement, nor the freedom of speech.
Palestinians cannot walk with their sheep, because the settlements can attack them, and the army of Israel will not do a thing.
Palestinians also cannot work in their olive tree groves, the JNF (Jewish National Fund) will uproot them. A lot of the the olive tree groves are on the “Israeli side” so the owner of the land (the Palestinian) needs special access to work in his field.
Do not come here and play the harp for Jews only, when your Palestinian fans will not be able to see you.
At each holiday, there is a siege that closes in on Gaza and the West Bank. No one can come in.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports you to play for apartheid.
You want to play in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, so you should know about the ethnic cleansing that happened in Jaffa in 1948, and all over Israel. In Haifa, Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Acre, and many more places.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs may pay for part of your hotel and foods bill, and even may pay for your flight costs. They also fund the auditorium you will be performing in, because it is part of the municipality.
When you come here, do you play like “business as usual?” When the Palestinians cannot drink water, the solders harm them or shoot them with gas canisters. When they can not eat food, because they do not have the money to pay.
Also, on September 30th, at Anatot Settlements,the settlers attacked all the Israeli activists, nevertheless the police and the border police did not do a thing.
Do you want to collaborate with racism, and hate?
Please read our website for more info.[1]
I also recommend for you to read Natasha Atlas’ comment about her show in Israel. [2]
If you have more questions,please send it to our website.

Yours in the name of BOYCOTT!

Renen Raz

[1] http://boycottisrael.info/
[2] http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=257850224253526&id=125501987488351
Palestinian owned sheep injured by gunshots from illegal Israeli colonists. (Photo: CPT)

Palestinian olive trees destroyed and uprooted by Israel in village of occupied Ni'ilin - Active Stills

"Rosalind Grant Weindling Prize"

27 Sep 2011
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Harp Contest Israel Prize Rosalind Grant Weindling Prize Israel

Find out what lies behind Israel's elite tapestry of high society.

The last Harp Contest in Israel was held in 2009. In 2012 there will be another contest. Harpists are expected to deem this as the "most prestigious harp contest in the world." Indeed, in her resume, 2009 contestant Ina Zdorovetchi, boasts of her performance in Israel.[1] She was the recipient of the Rosalind Grant Weindling prize.[2] This prize is to be offered again in 2012.

I'm a harpist of conscience, Is the Rosalind Grant Weindling prize something worth striving for?

Veteran harpist Rosalind Weindling is a staunch supporter of apartheid Israel. She remains a fellow and member of the National Leadership Council of the American Jewish Council [3], which is known for its support of Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who was complicit in war crimes upon civilians in Gaza.[4]

The American Jewish Council seeks to "win friends for Israel everywhere" and specifically target humanitarians who advocate for justice for the indigenous people of Palestine. [5]

Maybe its not such an honor after all to receive the Rosalind G. Weindling prize?

Rosalind Grant Weindling is also married to Irwin Weindling, a diamond mogul who co-founded London Star Diamond in New York City.[6] London Star is one of New York's largest diamond houses, supplying many larger jeweler retailers with diamonds and reportedly has ties with diamonds cut in Israel.[7]

The diamond industry trade in Israel funds war crimes. Israeli political economist Shir Hever, in evidence to the Russell Tribunal on Palestine stated in November 2010: “Overall the Israeli diamond industry contributes about $1 billion annually to the Israeli military and security industries … every time somebody buys a diamond that was exported from Israel some of that money ends up in the Israeli military so the financial connection is quite clear” (“Day 2, Part 1 of London Session, Russell Tribunal on Palestine,” 21 November 2010). For the people in Gaza, on the receiving end of Israel’s diamond-funded white phosphorous and flechette nail bombs, diamonds are more likely to symbolize murder, mayhem and blood-soaked terror than love and commitment. [8]

The International Harp Contest in Israel is NOT the place to play my harp. I won't apply for it. I don't want any part of apartheid!

It is essential for Israel to maintain the elegant facade of philharmonic concerts, chamber music ensembles, and gatherings of sophisticated harpists. Covering up the brutal occupation in the West Bank, the slow genocide in Gaza, and the multiple violations of International Law in easier when a veil of eliteness is donned. The denial of the rights of the Palestinian refugees to seek compensation or to return to their own property is ignored. The legalized discrimination against Arabs with Israeli IDs is hidden from young harpists who are misled into thinking they must add "Israel" to their resume.

[1]"The honors given to Ina Zdorovetchi for her talent and extraordinary performances are

numerous and include winning ... at the 17th International Harp Contest in Israel (the world’s most prestigious harp competition)" http://www.inazdorovetchi.com/biographylong.pdf

[2] http://www.harpcontest-israel.org.il/g/winners

[3] see page 23 of http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/13669.pdf

[4] http://www.haaretz.com/news/report-olmert-livni-may-face-war-crimes-charges-in-norway-1.274588

[5] see pages 12-14 of http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/13669.pdf

[6] see "notes for Irwin Weindling" at http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/e/i/Dick--Weindling/GENE1-0015.html

[7] See "Years of Vision and Opportunism" http://www.stardiamond.com/html/history.html

[8] http://electronicintifada.net/content/diamond-industrys-double-standard-israel/10102

Violinists Tom Eisner, Nancy Elan, Sarah Streatfeild, & Cellist Sue Sutherley, THANK YOU!

23 Sep 2011
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(above) Tom Eisner has been a member of the first violin section of the London Philharmonic Orchestra for 26 years, here he is signing a tour poster while on tour in the USA in 2010. For standing up for Palestinian human rights, he has been suspended from the London Philharmonic.

Thanks Tom Eisner, Nancy Elan, Sarah Streatfeild and Sue Sutherley! More of the London Philharmonic should have had your courage, the whole orchestra should have signed! But the four of you are simply exemplary! Bravo!

The four musicians - Tom Eisner, Nancy Elan and Sarah Streatfeild, all violinists, and Sue Sutherley, a cellist - had called for the cancellation of a September 1 Proms concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Now they are actually removed from the London Philharmonic's list of musicians.[2]

They added their names and LPO affiliation to a letter published on August 30 which stated that “Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians fits the UN definition of apartheid”.

The four were handed a suspension of up to nine months by the LPO.

Film directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, theatre director Michael Attenborough and actress Dame Harriet Walter are among the 117 signatories to a letter of protest over the “harsh” punishment. They claim that artists should be allowed to express themselves freely “without fear of financial or professional retribution”.

Dozens of artists and academics have joined together to protest against the suspension of four members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Here is their letter in full.[1] (Published by the UK's "Telegraph" on 22 Sept, 2011)

Dear Sir,

We are shocked to hear of the suspension of four members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra for adding their signatures to a letter calling for the BBC to cancel a concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

According to a statement from LPO managers, quoted in the Jewish Chronicle ("UK musicians suspended over Israel Proms row,” 13-9-11) the action was taken because the musicians included their affiliation to the orchestra with their signatures (a convention which is common practice within the academic world, for example).

One does not have to share the musicians’ support for the campaign for boycotting Israeli institutions to feel a grave concern about the bigger issue at stake for artists and others.

There is a clear link being forcibly created here between personal conscience and employment, which we must all resist. A healthy civil society is founded on the ability of all to express non-violent and non- prejudiced opinions, freely and openly, without fear of financial or professional retribution.

The LPO management state that for them, “music and politics don't mix” - yet their decision to jeopardise the livelihoods of four talented musicians for expressing their sincerely held views is itself political.

Why should it be so dangerous for artists to speak out on the issue of Israel/Palestine? We are dismayed at the precedent set by this harsh punishment, and we strongly urge the LPO to reconsider its decision.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Barrett, composer

Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC, solicitor

Howard Brenton, playwright

Caryl Churchill, playwright

Siobhan Davies CBE, choreographer

John Harte co-director, Choir of London

Philip Hensher, novelist

A.L. Kennedy, author

Ken Loach, film director

Miriam Margolyes actor

Simon McBurney OBE actor, writer, director

Mike Leigh, playwright and film director

Steve Martland, composer

Annette Moreau Founder Arts Council Contemporary Music Network

Cornelia Parker OBE artist

Prof. Jacqueline Rose, Queen Mary University, London

Michael Rosen, writer

Alexei Sayle, writer and comedian

Kamila Shamsie, writer

Mark Wallinger, artist

Dame Harriet Walter DBE, actress

Benjamin Zephaniah, author and performer

Kirsty Alexander artist and teacher

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, writer and broadcaster

Michael Attenborough, theatre director

Prof. Mona Baker, University of Manchester

Derek Ball, composer

Chris Bluemel, pianist

Richard Black, pianist

Ian Bournartist/filmmaker

Prof. HaimBresheeth, University of East London

Victoria Brittain, author and journalist

Michael Carlin, production designer

Jonathan Chadwick theatre maker

Prof. Michael Chanan, University of Roehampton

Sacha Craddock, curator

Andy Cowton, composer

Raymond Deane, composer

Ivor Dembina, comedian

Dr KayDickinson, Goldsmiths College, University of London

Dr HughDunkerley, writer University of Chichester

Tony Dowmunt filmmaker, Goldsmiths College, University of London

Patrick Duval, cinematographer

Gareth Evans, writer and curator

Moris Farhi, MBE writer

Dr Naomi Foyle, poet and writer

Jane Frere artist, theatre designer

Carol-AnneGrainger, soprano

Tony Graham, theatre director

Lee Hall playwright.

Michelle Hanson, columnist

Laura Hastings-Smith, film producer

Dr Wallace Heim, writer

John Hegley, poet

Matthew Herbert, composer

Prof. Susan Himmelweit

Mary Hoffman, writer

Dr Fergus Johnston, composer

Ann Jungmana, author

Reem Kelani, musician

Judith Kazantzis, poet and writer

Conor Kelly, artist

Anthea Kennedy, filmmaker

Aleksander Kolkowski, musician

Dr AdamKossoff, artist/filmmaker

Malcolm Le Grice artist, Emeritus Professor, University of the Arts, London

Prof. Yosefa Loshitzky

Jamie McCarthy, musician and lecturer

Dr CaroleMcKenzie FRSA

Ewan McLennan, folk musician

Jeff McMillan, artist

Helen Legg, curator

China Mcville, novelist

Lowkey,musician

Roger Mitchell, film and theatre director

Jenny Morgan, film director

Carol Morley, film director

Alan Morrison, writer

Paul Morrison, film director

Ian Pace, concert pianist

Sam Paechter, composer

Miranda Pennell, filmmaker

Jeremy Peyton Jones, composer

Henry Porter, novelist and commentator

James Purefoy, actor

Laure Prouvost, artist

William Raban, filmmaker, reader at University of the Arts London

A.L.Rees, writer

Lynne Reid Banks, writer

Frances Rifkin, theatre director, Utopia Arts

Leon Rosselson, singer songwriter

Martin Rowson cartoonist

Dr Khadiga Safwatwriter

Sukhdev Sandhuwriter and historian

Dominic Saunders, pianist

Guy Sherwin, artist

Kevin Smith, art activist, PLATFORM

Prof. John Smith, filmmaker University of East London

Anne Solomon, violinist

Ahdaf Soueif, writer

Helen Statman, performer

Michael Stevens, co-director, Choir of London

Susannah Stone picture researcher,

Trevor Stuart, performer

Ingrid Swenson, director PEER

Alia Syed, artist

Jennet Thomas, artist, senior lecturer, University of the Arts

MirandaTufnell, dance artist

Prof. DavidTurner

Francesca Viceconti,artist

Michelene Wandor, writer

David Ward, composer

Samuel West, actor and director

Ian Wiblin, photographer

Andrew Wilson, curator

Eliza Wyatt, playwright

RobinYassin-Kassab novelist

[1] See full article, in the UK Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8779843/Artists-protest-Philharmonic-Four-suspension-full-letter.html

[2] See

http://www.lpo.co.uk/about/whos_who.html

23 September 2011

Young Harpists in Japan: Don't Apply for the Harp Contest in Apartheid Israel

8 Sep 2011
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Application Harp Contest Israel Online Etsuko Shoiji Israel Motoko Tanaka Naoko Yoshino

Japan: Don't Pluck Harp Strings for *apartheid Israel

The Japanese Harp is a beautiful instrument, and it is celebrated throughout Japan. The western harp is also popular in Japan.

Striving to do well on the harp, can also mean, to compete in harp contests.

Palestinian civil society, and thousands of humanitarians worldwide, are asking and endorsing the call to boycott Israel. This includes asking Japan's finest young harpists to boycott the International harp Contest in Israel.

Just one small aspect, of the illegal actions of Israel, are seen in the below slideshow. This monstrous apartheid wall is illegal by International Law. It cuts people off from their land, and from their families and jobs. It creates a ghetto that only Israel controls. Israel says what goes in, and out. Israel performs arbitrary raids on families and arrests children within these sickening walls. Israel continues to this day, to build this prison-wall.

Due to the present boycott, we urge young aspiring Japanese harpists, to ignore the Israel harp contest. Applications are widely available to compete in many other harp contests. It is a shame, not an honor to compete in and place in the Israel harp contest. The Israel contest is an attempt to normalize the illegal actions of Israel. Harp music should not be used this way.

Japanese harpist Naoko Yoshino, on her biography, still mentions that she was the recipient of first prize in the Harp Contest in Israel twenty six years ago in 1985.

Etsuko Shoiji is quick to mention that she received the Gulbenkian prize during the 2003 Harp Contest in Israel.

Motoko Tanaka, seems unashamed to post on her home page cover that she played with the Israel Philharmonic orchestra last year in 2010 during there government sponsored tour of Japan.

Great respect to all young harpists who ignore the Israel Harp Contest.

*See references below for documentation on apartheid in Israel:
Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC) study : Israel is practicing both colonialism and apartheid in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Media_Release-378.phtml

Full report of the South African Human Sciences Research Council
http://www.kadaitcha.com/pdfs/3EE20d01.pdf

Israel/Palestine, South Africa and the ‘One-State Solution’: The Case for an Apartheid Analysis
[Bakan, Abigail B. and Abu-Laban, Yasmeen(2010)
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/ftinterface~content=a931468637~fulltext=713240930~frm=section

Do Israel’s practices in occupied Palestinian territory, namely the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, amount to the crimes of colonialism and apartheid under international law?

http://www.odsg.org/co/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1735%3Ais-israel-an-apartheid-state&catid=35%3Areports&Itemid=57

Global Call to Boycott the International Harp Contest in Israel

OPEN LETTER: Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, please don't play for apartheid Israel

D. Do Israel’s practices in occupied Palestinian territory, namely the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, amount to the crimes of colonialism and apartheid under international law?

Normalization Does Nothing: The Salem Music Program

OPEN LETTER to Batsheva Dance Company: Take a strong, unequivocal stance against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians

Cello Sounds Lost Like Tears in the Rain: A Palestinian Grandfather's Story

The Power Behind Israel's Harp Contest

Palestinian Art Depicts Woman's / Children's Suffering

OPEN letter to participants of Israel International Harp Contest

"Rosalind Grant Weindling Prize"

Violinists Tom Eisner, Nancy Elan, Sarah Streatfeild, & Cellist Sue Sutherley, THANK YOU!

Dozens of artists and academics have joined together to protest against the suspension of four members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Here is their letter in full.[1] (Published by the UK's "Telegraph" on 22 Sept, 2011)

Young Harpists in Japan: Don't Apply for the Harp Contest in Apartheid Israel

Do Israel’s practices in occupied Palestinian territory, namely the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, amount to the crimes of colonialism and apartheid under international law?

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