Performers and Israeli BDS

Quote:

One lives in hope that music is more than mere noise, filling up idle time, whether intending to elate or lament.

Then there are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent.

I must believe that the audience for the coming concerts would have contained many people who question the policies of their government on settlement and deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation or much worse on Palestinian civilians in the name of national security.

[url=http://www.elviscostello.com/#/news/it-is-after-considerable-contemplati... Costello's full statement[/url]

Oh. So Elvis Costello, the guy who once called Ray Charles a "blind, ignorant nigger", is boycotting Israel? Wow. I cower in awe of his moral authority.

My "Israeli heroes" consist of a bunch of research scientists and one tennis player. I don't know what they have to apologize for. Making medical breakthroughs? Being great at sports?

Michelle wrote:

Figures.  And you're lecturing us on "moral authority"?

Whatever.  I'm done talking to you in this thread.  Maybe others won't bother with you either now that your little smear has been debunked.

Little smear? He called somebody the N-word, jsut about the most offensive thing one can say. Pointing out that it was in '79 is only an excuse if if it were 1879. Yeah, I've gotten drunk and said some silly things before. Never called someone that word. How bout you?

Quote:

 He called somebody the N-word.

31 years ago. And apologized. But he should not be cut any slack? What if he had performed in Israel? Then it would have been okay?

Let's remember that in 1979 Israel was in an alliance with South Africa providing them with arms to crush the resistance to apartheid. I guess it was OK to help kill people as long as they never used the "N word". 

Quote:

 

Yeah, I've gotten drunk and said some silly things before.

Quote:

 Anti-Semitic perhaps.

Good try. 

Michelle wrote:

I thought an omnibus thread about performers who are following or not following the BDS movement ...

blah blah blah yawn

[poop pic removed by moderator. So sue me.]

Now, first and foremost, one has to realize that if Israel, and the organizers of this event Costello is now boycotting, had issues with Costello's use of the N word over 30 years ago,  they would not have invited him to play there, or allowed it.

For Israeli apologists to use his use of the N word, to bash him for following the boycott, is hypocrisy at its worst.

Really, if such was the case of outrage over it, he should not have been invited in the first place.

Did they think they could use his past faux pas to  pressure him to play once invited? As he would have to be aware that he would be targeted with it should he refuse...

..am now thinking of the impact on Atwood's book sales, had Chapters Indigo,  refused to carry them anymore.....not that I am saying that happened or anything, but it would have been good leverage....

Too bad about the pic being removed though.  It's not often we get a new poster showing ID.

Looked like bull to me.

Caissa wrote:

Language is interesting.

People who support BDS are sometimes called anti-semitic.

People who do not support BDS are sometimes called Zionists.

I find both characterizations to be unacceptable.

I think there is a difference between these two statements though.  The first is generally a smear with no bearing in truth when it is applied to Palestinian solidarity activists instead of actual anti-semites.

The second, it seems to me, isn't that far from the definition of "Zionist".  Part of the definition of Zionism, at least modern Zionism, is support of the state of Israel and its apartheid practices.  It seems as though opposing BDS falls under that column, unless you have a really good explanation for why you don't support the oppression of the Palestinians but actively oppose doing something about it.

It's okay to refer to a liberal as a liberal.  It's okay to refer to a Feminist as a Feminist.  It's okay to refer to a Zionist as a Zionist.  It's not okay to refer to a Palestinian solidarity activist as an anti-semite.

Some people use "zionist" as a smear but there's no clear definition of "zionism". Which zionism are people referring to? The secular, socialist zionism of the Israeli founders? THe religious zionism of Rabbi Kook? If someone supports Israel's right to exist, are they, ipso facto, a zionist?

Thanks! Maybe I'll just stick to watching Costello's show on CTV - the only thing on CTV worth watching, besides QP every Sunday.

Star Spangled Canadian wrote:

Some people use "zionist" as a smear but there's no clear definition of "zionism". Which zionism are people referring to? The secular, socialist zionism of the Israeli founders? THe religious zionism of Rabbi Kook?

What's "socialist" about colonialism?  What's "secular" about establishing a religious state?

I would say opposing campaigns against Israeli apartheid such as the BDS campaign would qualify

Star Spangled Canadian wrote:

If someone supports Israel's right to exist, are they, ipso facto, a zionist?

Depends.  What do they mean by "Israel's right to exist"?  Do they really mean "Israel's right to exist as an apartheid state"?  And do they ask questions and demand others support "Israel's right to exist" while the only nation whose right to exist is seriously threatened and trampled is Palestine?  Do they ask this question only to delegitimize the point of view of those who support a one-state solution?  How is Israel defined - is it the Israeli state in its current configuration?  What about anarchists - is it not logically consistent that those who oppose the existence of all states oppose the existence of the Israeli state?

I just dug up an article by Robert Fisk in which he enumerated some of the many comparisons by Israeli leaders of Palestinians to animals, insects, diseases, etc. And there was the following quote as well:

Quote:

Even before the slaughter inside the camps had ended, Shahira Abu Rudeina says she was taken to the Cite Sportif where, in one of the underground "holding centres", she saw a retarded man, watched by Israeli soldiers, burying bodies in a pit. Her evidence might be rejected were it not for the fact that she also expressed her gratitude for an Israeli soldier--inside the Chatila camp, against all the evidence given by the Israelis--who prevented the murder of her daughters by the Phalange.

Long after the war, the ruins of the Cite Sportif were torn down and a brand new marble stadium was built in its place, partly by the British. Pavarotti has sung there. But the testimony of what may lie beneath its foundations--and its frightful implications--might give Ariel Sharon further reason to fear an indictment.

Sharon fears nothing now, being in a permanent vegetative state after a massive stroke.

What artist wants to do a concert in Israel and discover that the bodies of the victims of Israeli atrocities and torture were dumped underneath the very stage they played on?

There are plenty of reasons for an artist NOT to perform in Israel, not to go to Israel at all. And those reasons may not all be clear for some time.

After 19 years, the truth at last? Fisk (back in 2001) on the Sabra and Chatila massacres.

I have read some more and must acknowledge that I've made an error here. The Cite Sportif was the site of terrible Israeli atrocities. But it was also just outside Beiruit, Lebanon. My argument here, is still sound however.

Michelle wrote:

I think it's crossing a line for any babbler to label people who support BDS "anti-semitic", even with weasel words like "perhaps".

Just thought I'd point a certain "animal" word out that no-one seemed to object to.

<quote>In a statement posted on his website, Costello described his decision as a “matter of instinct and conscience.” Israel’s culture minister, Limor Livnat, responded by saying that Costello “is not worthy” of performing in Israel.

<quote/>

Yeah, this guy hasn`t so much as shoplifted from a Palestinian, never mind stealing her home or killing her.

http://www.forward.com/articles/128185/

[url=http://www.rnw.nl/africa/bulletin/tutu-urges-south-african-opera-boycott... urges South African opera to boycott Israel[/url]

Quote:

"Just as we said during apartheid that it was inappropriate for international artists to perform in South Africa in a society founded on discriminatory laws and racial exclusivity, so it would be wrong for Cape Town Opera to perform in Israel," he said.

"Only the thickest-skinned South Africans would be comfortable performing before an audience that excluded residents living, for example, in an occupied West Bank village... while including his Jewish neighbours from an illegal settlement on occupied Palestinian territory."

Great find, Ripple! Thank you.

Michelle wrote:

I thought an omnibus thread about performers who are following or not following the BDS movement (that is, refusing or not refusing to play in Israel) might be useful

According to the [url=http://www.cjpme.org/TabbedEnhancedItemList.aspx?EITID=6&MNITEM=10000003... of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East[/url], these performers have honoured the cultural boycott:

[b]• VANESSA PARADIS[/b] - February 2011
Vanessa Paradis is an international singer model and actress of French origin, scheduled to perform in Israel on February 10, 2011. She became a child star at 14 (in the mid-1980s) with the worldwide success of her single "Joe le taxi." Since then, she has been successful as a singer, as an actress and in modeling.

[b]• TINDERSTICKS[/b] - November 2010
Tindersticks is an indie rock band from Nottingham, England that has been active on the music scene since 1992. On November 23rd 2010, Tindersticks announced the cancelation of its December 1-2 shows in Tel Aviv. In an official statement explaining their decision, they said ""When agreeing to play our music in Israel we, perhaps naively, believed that the music we make is beyond political considerations. Over the past weeks, the pressure exerted on us by people and organizations, some close to us, has shown us that this is not the case. It is difficult to defy a rapidly growing movement with whose aims we agree, even if we are not wholly convinced by their methods."

[b]• MIKE LEIGH[/b] - November 2010
Filmgoers have come to love British director Mike Leigh's films (Life is Sweet, Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake, and Happy-Go-Lucky, to name just a few). Now we all have two other reasons to appreciate him: he cancelled a master class he was scheduled to teach in Israel in November and had the courage to announce that he had done so because of Israel's conduct toward the Palestinians.

[b]• ELVIS COSTELLO[/b] - May 2010
Every once in a while, someone puts ethics above financial gain. Elvis Costello is one such person. In May 2010 he cancelled two summer concert dates in Israel. In Mr. Costello's statement, he said, "There are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act ... and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent... It is a matter of instinct and conscience."
[Too bad Diana doesn't agree - see below] 

...and these performers have not (so far):

[b]• THE FALL[/b] - January 2011
The Fall are an English post-punk band, formed in Prestwich, Greater Manchester in 1976. The group has existed in some form ever since then, and is built around its founder and only constant member, Mark E. Smith. Smith is proudly working class and anti-authority. The Fall have released 58 albums and 50 EPs and singles, as well as appearing on dozens of compilation albums. The group is known for its witty lyrics and caustic social observations. The Fall have played for Rock Against Racism concerts. The group is scheduled to play in Barbi, Tel Aviv, on January 20.

[b]• JEFF BECK[/b] - October 2010
Jeff Beck is a British rock guitarist, ranked 14th in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of 100 top guitarists. He has been inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of fame twice. Beck has given benefit concerts for tsunami victims and research on multiple sclerosis.

[b]• OZZY OSBOURNE[/b] - September 2010
Ozzy Osbourne is an English heavy metal singer, who divides his time between England and L.A. He rose to prominence as the leader of Black Sabbath. He and his family had a reality TV show from 2002 to 2005, with the highest ratings in MTV history. All of his solo albums have gone platinum. Osbourne has said, "I've never seen any intelligent military person, nor I have seen any sense in the bloody stupid wars." He has been involved in benefit concerts for Live Aid, the homeless and Haiti earthquake victims.

[b]• LCD SOUNDSYSTEM[/b] - August 2010
LCD Soundsystem is the stage name of dance-punk musician and music producer James Murphy. In live concerts he is usually accompanied by six other musicians. He has released three critically acclaimed albums, including 2010's This Is Happening, which made Billboard's Top 10. LCD won Grammy Awards in 2006 and 2008. Has participated in a concert to fund Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders' work in Darfur.

[b]• PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.[/b] - August 2010
Public Image Limited is a British post-punk band led by former Sex Pistol John Lydon. They entered a hiatus after being very active from 1978 to 1992, but reformed in 2009 and hit the road for a new string of concerts. Lydon indicated in a recent MoJo interview that sanctions against Iraq and Iran have not worked, therefore he saw no reason they would have any impact on Israel, therefore he would proceed with the concert scheduled there, despite pressure to cancel.

[b]• THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS[/b] - August 2010
Thirty Seconds to Mars is a Los Angeles - based rock band composed of Jared Leto, his brother Shannon Leto and Tomo Milicevic. To date they have released three studio albums and two EPs. The group has won three MTV Europe Music Awards and four Kerrang! Awards. It has been involved in charitable work for Haiti earthquake victims and Habitat for Humanity projects in Malaysia and publicly expressed alarm about global warming and the dissolution of the Arctic shelf.

[b]• DIANA KRALL[/b] - August 2010
On August 4, 2010, Diana Krall performed in Israel, despite the fact that her husband, performer Elvis Costello, had chosen not to do so two month earlier for reasons of conscience. Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer. She has sold over 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide - altogether, more albums than any other female jazz artist in the 1990s and the 2000s. Krall has been involved in benefits for Katrina hurricane relief and research on multiple myeloma. She was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005. She lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her husband, singer Elvis Costello, who in May 2010 cancelled his own concert dates in Israel.

[b]• MISSY ELLIOTT[/b] - July 2010
On July 15, 2010, despite receiving letters and hundreds of emails, American rapper Missy Elliott performed in Israel. Missy Elliott is an American rapper, and former member of R&B band Sista as well as the Swing Mob collective. With record sales of over seven million in the United States, she is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum. Elliott has contributed to charity for a number of causes, including domestic violence, teen obesity, AIDS and poverty.

[b]• SUZANNE VEGA[/b] - July 2010
On July 15 and 16, 2010, despite appeals not to do so, Suzanne Vega performed in Israel. Suzanne Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her folk-inspired music. An international performer since the mid-1980s, Vega has had two songs which have reached the top 10 of various international chart listings. In 2006, Vega performed in New York City in a benefit concert for "The Save Darfur Coalition." At the same time, she asserted her support for Amnesty International and its important work. Vega says she has been a member of Amnesty International since 1988.

[b]• ROD STEWART[/b] - June 2010
On June 30, 2010, despite requests not to do so, Rod Stewart performed in Tel Aviv Israel. Rod Stewart is an international performer who began his career in the 1960s. He has sold over 130 million records worldwide, and is one of the best selling British singers of all time.

Macy Gray is Waiting To Hear From You: Shall I perform in Israel?

http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2011/01/bds-macy-gray-is-waiting...

Macy is being coy - but ask her not to play in Israel

[IMG]http://i51.tinypic.com/96vx93.jpg[/IMG]

This is brilliant - spread the word:

[url=http://artthreat.net/2011/02/justin-bieber-israel-bds/]Music video by John Greyson asks Justin Bieber to cancel his upcoming Israel concert[/url]

JB is definitely a WMD.