HOORAY FOR LANA DEL REY

September 2, 2018 at 12:32 (Boycott Israel, Entertainment)

Lana Del Rey cancels Israel concert

After pressure from BDS, American singer and songwriter announces she will postpone Israel concert until she can also visit “Palestine”.

Lana Del Rey

American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey on Friday announced she would be postponing a planned concert in Israel, following calls on her not to perform in the Jewish state.

Del Rey had been scheduled to perform in Israel as part of the Meteor Festival which will take place at Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan, outside of Tiberias in the upper Galilee, from September 6 through 8.

On Friday, however, she announced, “It’s important to me to perform in both Palestine and Israel and treat all my fans equally. Unfortunately it hasn’t been possible to line up both visits with such short notice and therefore I’m postponing my appearance at the Meteor Festival until a time when I can schedule visits for both my Israeli and Palestinian fans, as well as hopefully other countries in the region.”

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ROGER WATERS PLAYS MUNICH DESPITE MUNICIPAL OPPOSITION

June 21, 2018 at 15:54 (Activism, Associate Post, Boycott Israel, Entertainment, Germany, International Solidarity)

Roger Waters plays Munich despite mayor’s effort to stop concert over his support for BDS

“I believe all people, all of us, all of our brothers and sisters, all of our fragile globe, whatever their ethnicity or religion or nationality, deserve the same basic human rights under the law,” Roger Waters told the crowd at a Munich concert last week. 

Waters performed in Munich following a campaign to cancel his concert backed by the city’s mayor, Dieter Reiter, who accused Waters of anti-Semitism. An attorney for Waters asked Reiter to retract his statement, according to the Jerusalem Post, and Waters addressed the row himself from the stage at Munich’s Olympic Hall and later posted to social media. The musician explained that the mayor was championing a petition that alleged Waters is anti-Semitic because he endorses the Palestinian movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.

Munich passed a law last year that prohibits the use of public facilities to persons who support the BDS movement.

Here’s the video of Waters in Munich:

Dieter Reiter, the Mayor of Munich, has issued a press release denouncing me as anti-Semitic.

The Mayor claims I make increasingly hateful anti-Semitic remarks.

I stand for human rights...

1 Comment

MUSIC FOR MEMORIAL DAY …… 2 VERSIONS

May 27, 2018 at 16:35 (Celebration of Life, DesertPeace Exclusive, Entertainment)

First with Peter, Paul and Mary …..

And now, with Pete Seeger, the lyrics follow

*

Where Have All the Flowers Gone
By Pete Seeger
*
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where…

1 Comment

EUROVISION 2018 ~~ THE UNTOLD STORY

May 16, 2018 at 11:39 (Boycott Israel, Entertainment)

Netta Barzilai is an incredible talent and deserved to win Europe’s most important song competition. But her victory, even if inadvertently, is a victory for the occupation.

Israel’s Eurovision win will bring a showdown with BDS

By Haggai Matar

I’m a huge fan of Netta Barzilai. I think she’s a rare musical genius. I was rooting for her as she was competing to represent Israel in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Late at night on Saturday, as votes from across Europe were coming in, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, yelling at each country that didn’t vote for her, eventually bursting out in joyous laughter as she won the popular vote and the entire contest.

Politically speaking, however, Barzilai’s win is bad news. Our Eurovision victory proves that the Israeli right is correct. We can bomb Iranians in Syria as much as we want, push for the cancellation of an international nuclear agreement we are not even party to (and that most countries view as essential for world peace), open fire at journalists and nonviolent demonstrators, hold millions of people under a racist military regime for over half a century – and nothing bad will happen.

On the contrary. Embassies are moving to Jerusalem, exports (especially of Israeli weapons) are up, and next year’s Eurovision competition will be held in the unified (read: occupied) Jerusalem. Once in a while we might hear the distant, choking sound of Palestinians, living under the boot of Israeli occupation, but it’s a noise one gets accustomed to.

One can argue, of course, that the massive popular vote for Barzilai throughout Europe was neither a political statement in support of the occupation nor a message regarding the growing popularity of the authoritarian right across the continent. Rather, it was a genuine enthusiasm from her performance – and one that I share. While the Eurovision’s referee votes are highly politicized, ordinary fans of the competition likely voted for someone they recognized as a great singer – someone who sings about woman empowerment, and who pushes a progressive and liberal platform.

But in the real world of politics, intentions are not enough. Israel’s hasbara (state-sponsored propaganda) has made an art of turning liberals into a living proof of our being “the only democracy in the Middle East.” Both the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs regularly boast of Tel Aviv’s progressive politics and its and vibrant nightlife – with a stated goal of re-branding Israel and hiding away Jerusalem, with its religious zealousness and occupation.

This is also the case now. As 972’s Orly Noy recently mentioned, Netta Barzilai represents the State of Israel. Both the government and opposition members in the Knesset have been celebrating her victory, saying that next year’s Eurovision will come to the “unified Jerusalem.” They know well that this is a national victory, not a private one. It is especially a victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the “foreign relations wizard,” who is already using the latest news to promote both hasbara and his own political career.

The coming year will most likely turn into a PR war between Israel and BDS activists throughout Europe. As the 2019 contest inches closer, the latter will most likely start campaigning in all 40-plus countries that send representatives to the competition, bringing up information about the occupation in general and Jerusalem in particular – and thus sparking political controversy. This will not likely stop the show, but the international debate will be of value in and of itself.

Until then, it is up to Israelis like myself to keep fighting the occupation at home, to support Palestinian popular resistance, and in between – go party with the one and only, Netta Barzilai.

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PALESTINE’S SWEETEST VOICE HAS BEEN SILENCED

March 25, 2018 at 14:19 (Celebration of Life, Entertainment, In Memoriam, Palestine)

Rim Banna sang for Palestine, for resistance, for freedom, for resilience, for unity, for prisoners, for martyrs, for hope. Her body left us, but her soul, smile, words, songs will always live in our hearts..

Image by Carlos Latuff

 

She sang for freedom, revolutions, political prisoners and much more. She specialized in children’s songs, something that distinguished her remarkably. With three children’s albums, she has revived traditional children’s lullabies and, through them, became present in every Palestinian house and every child’s memories.  

She let everyone enter her life through her thoughts and photos on her active social media accounts. She shared her fears, her feelings, her wisdom and her optimism.

Rest in Peace dear Comrade

راحة في سلام عزيزي الرفيق






rahatan fi salam eazizii alrafiq



				


				

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STRANGEST THING EVER …..


				

					March 12, 2018 at 15:30					(Believe it or not, DesertPeace Editorial, Entertainment)
										

									


				

					








































I always found this strange ….

Any movie you watch that might have an animal in it has a disclaimer that ‘no animal was harmed during the production of this film’.

Meanwhile, humans were shot to death, mangled or tortured in the same film ….. where is the disclaimer for them?
















Image may contain: text













				


				

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A SONG OFFERING HOPE IN AN AREA WHERE IT’S NEEDED


				

					February 28, 2018 at 15:16					(DesertPeace Exclusive, Entertainment, Israel, Palestine, Peace Process)
										

									


				

					
Amazing!! We need this so much this present day.. Music connecting people in a magical way!




Koolulam is a social-musical initiative aimed at bringing together people from all corners of the diverse, multi-cultural Israeli society. Our idea is to stop everything for a few hours and just sing – together.


*


The project enables its participants to enjoy the feeling of togetherness through a deep communal experience – our sounds and voices coming together to create a social choir, full of hope and optimism.

				


				

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ROGER WATERS IS PUTTING HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH IS … WILL SERENADE IN PALESTINE FOR CHRISTMAS


				

					November 29, 2017 at 09:41					(Activism, Boycott Israel, Entertainment)
										

									


				

					
Now THIS is a man of conviction!




The results are starting to pour in starting with THIS …








Roger Waters broadcasts cancelled in Germany over support for Israel boycott
















Decision not to air Ex-Pink Floyd member’s concerts due to his support for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement branded ‘ridiculous’


German public broadcasters have dropped plans to air concerts next year by ex-Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters, citing what they call “accusations of antisemitism against him”.


Waters, part of one of the world’s most critically acclaimed and commercially successful rock bands from 1965 to 1985 before going solo, is a member of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) that targets Israel over its occupation of territories where Palestinians seek statehood.


Five state television and radio affiliates of the national ARD network have pulled out of broadcasting concerts by the 74-year-old Waters in Berlin and Cologne scheduled next summer “in reaction to anti-Semitism accusations against him”, Berlin and Brandenburg public radio (RBB) said.


RBB, part of the ARD network, said it wanted to send a message to other artists who, heeding the BDS, refused to perform in Israel. Waters joined the movement in 2011.


“Taking a clear position here is an important signal for RBB to the Jewish communities in Berlin and Brandenburg,” RBB director Patricia Schlesinger said in a statement.


“The quick and decisive reaction by the broadcasters … is an important signal that rampant antisemitism against Israel has no place in Germany,” said Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.



Marek Lieberberg, Waters’s tour director, said German Jews were right to be concerned about “clearly visible and growing antisemitism” in Germany – alluding to the far right’s surge in recent German elections – but the broadcasters’ decision was “absolutely ridiculous”.


Lieberberg, the son of Holocaust survivors, told the Mannheimer Morgen daily that while he rejected the BDS, he separated personal opinions from work. “I cannot and do not want to deny [Waters] his right to freedom of opinion,” he said.


Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rightwing government has long campaigned against the BDS, describing it as antisemitic and an attempt to erase Israel’s legitimacy.


The movement – launched in 2005 as a non-violent campaign to press Israel to heed international law and end its occupation of territory held since a 1967 war – has gathered momentum in recent years even if its economic impact remains negligible.


Germany has long sought to distance itself from the Nazi Holocaust and become one of Israel’s closest allies.


Source









				


				

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ROGER WATERS RESPONDS TO NICK CAVE ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS


				

					November 21, 2017 at 16:46					(Boycott Israel, Entertainment, Human Rights)
										

									


				

					
 Roger Waters responded to criticism from Australian singer Nick Cave over the former Pink Floyd frontman’s prominent advocacy of an artists’ boycott of Israel, telling him it “isn’t about music – it’s about human rights.”


Image by Carlos Latuff


If you respect our peaceful BDS picket line, you will be in the excellent company of fellow celebrated musicians like Elvis Costello, Lauryn Hill, the late Gil Scott-Heron and Tunde Adebimpe


Roger Waters responds to Aussie singer: Boycott of Israel ‘isn’t about music – it’s about human rights’


Roger Waters responded to criticism from Australian singer Nick Cave over the former Pink Floyd frontman’s prominent advocacy of an artists’ boycott of Israel, telling him it “isn’t about music – it’s about human rights.”


Cave and his band, The Bad Seeds, played to sold-out crowds on Sunday and Monday in Tel Aviv.


Prior to his concerts, Cave told a news conference that he was performing in Israel to take a stand against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, or BDS.


He took a dig at Waters, saying, “If you play Israel, you have to go through a sort of public humiliation from Roger Waters and Co., and no one wants to be publicly shamed. It’s the thing we fear the most, in a way, to be publicly humiliated.”


Waters has been active in urging fellow artists to boycott performing in the country.


“Nick thinks this is about censorship of his music? What?” Waters wrote in a statement following Cave’s concerts in Israel. “Nick, with all due respect, your music is irrelevant to this issue. So is mine, so is Brian Eno’s, so is Beethoven’s. This isn’t about music – it’s about human rights.


“We hurl our glasses into the fire of your arrogant unconcern, and smash our bracelets on the rock of your implacable indifference,” Waters also wrote, adding that “if at some point in the future you want to climb out of the dark, all you have to do is open your eyes, we, in BDS will be here to welcome you into the light.”


Eno, a British musician, also commented in a statement posted with Waters’ on the website of the Artists for Palestine organization.


“I admire Nick Cave as an artist and I know he has been generous in his support for Palestinian humanitarian causes. I think he has every right to come to his own conclusions about whether or not he supports BDS,” Eno wrote. “However, I think I also have the right to present him with another side to this argument.”


 


SOURCE

				


				

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THANK YOU KEN LOACH


				

					October 10, 2017 at 11:19					(Boycott Israel, Entertainment, International Solidarity)
										

									


				

					
Proceeds from screenings of Ken Loach’s latest film ‘I, Daniel Blake’ are donated by the pro-boycott director to BDS’s UK branch, turning Israelis into unwitting supporters of a boycott against their own country.


Ken Loach (L) and Roger Waters
Photo: EPA


Ken Loach donates Israel screening profits to BDS


By Yaniv Halily


British director Ken Loach donated the proceeds from the screenings of his latest film in Israel to the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.


The film, “I, Daniel Blake,” was widely acclaimed and screened in front of audiences at packed theaters in Israel last spring. At the end of the week, the British branch of the boycott group published a statement revealing it had been the recipient of all proceeds from the film’s screening in Israel donated by Loach.


“Ken Loach, thank you for the support and generosity, it gives us strength,” the organization’s members told the British director.


They did not specify the amount they received from him.


“I, Daniel Blake,” came out last year and won the Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best British Film award at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), as well as being nominated and named best film in many other prestigious festivals.


The film tells the story of Daniel Blake, a working-class man who was crushed under the weight of bureaucracy after suffering a heart attack and being denied benefits despite his inability to work, forming a unique friendship with a single mother in the process.


The film’s director, Ken Loach, is considered to be one of the best directors working in Britain today. Alongside Roger Waters, Loach is also the most prominent supporter of BDS in Britain.


Loach has signed numerous letters calling for a boycott of Israel and has even approached artists such as Radiohead demanding that they cancel their planned performances in Israel in the past. His efforts however, were to know avail with the show going ahead at full volume.


 


“Do not appear in a country where there is an apartheid regime,” he repeatedly told various artists.


Loach was heavily criticized last summer after reports revealed that, although he called for a boycott on Israel, he himself was profiting from screening his films there.


Loach replied, through his producer Rebecca O’Brien, that the distribution company of “I, Daniel Blake,” signed a distribution agreement with Israel “accidentally” and without his knowledge.


“We asked not to sell the film to Israel, but during the Cannes Festival, junior representatives from the production company quickly sold the film to Israel, forgetting that Ken had asked not to sell the film for screenings there,” O’Brien told The Guardian.


As a result of the claimed error, the film was screened in Israel despite the fact that many viewers who watched it did not know that their money would now help BDS and its efforts to continue to defame Israel’s name abroad.


Shani Films, which distributed the film in Israel, has yet to respond to the reports.

				


				

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BILLY JOEL BRINGS THE HOLOCAUST BACK TO LIFE


				

					August 23, 2017 at 16:18					(Entertainment, Irony)
										

									


				

					
Legendary singer Billy Joel appeared onstage for an encore during his monthly concert at Madison Square Garden wearing a yellow Star of David on his jacket.


Will he tattoo a number on his arm for his next concert?


Billy Joel wears a jacket with the Star of David during the encore of his 43rd sold out show at Madison Square Garden on August 21, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Myrna M. Suarez/Getty Images via JTA)


 




Billy Joel wears yellow Star of David during New York concert


As singer plays encore of ‘Goodbye to You,’ screen behind him flashes pictures of fired White House staffers Bannon, Spicer and Scaramucci




BY JTA (Videos at source)


*


Photos of Joel wearing the yellow star began appearing on Facebook shortly after Monday night’s concert. At least one tweet bore the hashtag #Charlottesville. Other tweets called Joel “a true hero,” and his decision to wear the star “Epic and brave.” A tweet read: “So dope seeing Billy Joel live and seeing him take a stand to the hate in our country. Wearing the star of David is a huge statement.”


 *


Another tweet took issue with Joel’s statement. “What is Billy Joel protesting? A president with part Jewish kids? The fact that Muslim immigrants in the US tend to be anti-semitic? WHAT!?” The tweet was in response to another which said “Ok, so Billy Joel has lost his mind.”






Joel’s parents are Jewish but he was not brought up religious. He has been described as a secular Jew and an atheist.


During the concert on Monday he invited singer Patty Smyth on stage to sing with him a hit song she had when she performed with the American band Scandal, “Goodbye to You,” while a screen behind them flashed pictures of fired White House staffers including former strategic adviser Steve Bannon, former press secretary Sean Spicer, and former communications adviser Anthony Scaramucci.




 

				


				

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RICHARD GERE BREAKS HIS SILENCE ON THE OCCUPATION


				

					March 8, 2017 at 15:56					(Entertainment, Israel, Occupation, Palestine)
										

									


				

					


Richard Gere calls for an end to ‘the occupation’






Arriving in Israel to promote his new movie Norman, directed by Joseph Cedar and starring Israeli actor Lior Ashkenazi, Gere is uncertain as to how he will be received by the public given his recent comments on the political situation.






Richard Gere (center) visits Temple Mount




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Hollywood star Richard Gere is in Israel promoting his new movie Norman, by Israeli director Joseph Cedar. However, the question of how he will be received by the Israeli public is a matter of uncertainty.”In my past visits to Israel, I always heard all the viewpoints. Now it has become almost impossible. I know many people will not like what I have to say, but these are things that need to be said,” said Gere.


“The occupation must end. The occupation is ruining everyone on both sides. A bi-national state won’t solve anything, and it will only turn Israel into an apartheid state. There needs to be two states for two peoples, with Jerusalem as the capital of both nations.


In his comments, Gere also referred to the issue of settlements, saying, “Why do you need all these provocations? How is it that the settlers are running the government? And how could it be that Israel, of all nations, controls another nation? Many Israelis that I know say the state has lost its way and I think that every Israeli knows that.”


During his visit to Israel, Gere is also planning on meeting members of Breaking the Silence. He knows that this will be poorly received, but he remains undeterred. “I recently spoke to someone from the organization who served in the army, a wonderful young woman with a big heart, and they’re labeling her an enemy of the state. It breaks your heart.”


Full report HERE



				


				

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ELTON JOHN SUPPORTS BDS BY PLAYING PALESTINE


				

					March 7, 2017 at 10:18					(Boycott Israel, DesertPeace Exclusive, Entertainment, International Solidarity, Palestine)
										

									


				

					
The honorary guest at the opening ceremony of British graffiti artist Banksy’s new hotel in Bethlehem was none other than Elton John. The famous singer recorded a special message that was played for the guests who attended the opening ceremony. “I would’ve loved to have been with you all tonight but you know, there wasn’t any room at the inn,” John said. The popular British singer also made a political statement: “It’s my great pleasure to be playing in Palestine this evening. Please know that you are not alone. You are not forgotten.”




See THIS related post

				


				

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THESE HOLLYWOOD STARS DESERVE A SPECIAL OSCAR


				

					February 23, 2017 at 08:00					(Entertainment, Israel)
										

									


				

					
Let’s call it the ‘I DON’T ENDORSE ISRAELI APARTHEID AWARD’


Israel invited 26 Hollywood stars on all-expense paid trips to the Holy Land around the 2016 Academy Awards, but a year later none of them have visited, Agence France-Presse reported.


Leonardo DiCaprio (R) and Matt Damon were amongst Oscar celebrities who were offered luxury trips to Israel. (Photo: via Youtube)
Leonardo DiCaprio (R) and Matt Damon were amongst Oscar celebrities who were offered luxury trips to Israel. (Photo: via Youtube)


These 26 Hollywood Stars All Shunned $55K Israel Junket In Oscars Swag Bag


 Naomi Zeveloff


Israel invited 26 Hollywood stars on all-expense paid trips to the Holy Land around the 2016 Academy Awards, but a year later none of them have visited, Agence France-Presse reported.


Activists with the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel are calling it a victory that Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and two dozen other stars have failed to make a Holy Land appearance.


“I think it is clear the objective of using the actors to whitewash Israel has failed,” said Yousef Munayyer of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.


The trips, estimated to be worth $55,000 each, were given as part of a gift package to the stars, which also included luxury toilet paper.


The only star to take advantage of the trip was Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, who reportedly gave it to her parents.


This month, eight out of 13 members of delegation of American pro football players dropped out of an Israel visit over concerns that Israel was using them to score public relations points.


Let's see if the award mentioned above really happens ;)
Let’s see if the award mentioned above really happens 😉

				


				

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CELTIC FANS URGE ROD STEWART NOT TO PLAY FOR APARTHEID


				

					January 31, 2017 at 14:29					(Apartheid, Associate Post, Boycott Israel, Cartoons, Entertainment)
										

									


				

					
SCOTTISH SOCCER FANS URGE ROD STEWART TO CANCEL TEL AVIV GIG




The legendary British musician is slated to rock Tel Aviv’s Park Hayarkon on June 14


*


Image by Carlos Latuff




 Celtic fans calling on Rod Stewart to support BDS and cancel his concert in Israel.
Celtic fans calling on Rod Stewart to support BDS and cancel his concert in Israel.




Fans of a UK soccer team have urged legendary rock musician and singer Rod Stewart to cancel his anticipated concert in Israel scheduled for June of this year.



“Dear Rod! We are shocked at your recent decision to breach the international cultural boycott of Israel and appeal to you to reconsider your decision,” begins a petition posted by admirers of Scottish soccer club Celtic F.C. to the website change.org.


*




“As a life-long Celtic fan you must be well aware of the special affinity our fans have with the Palestinian people and their struggle for freedom. Israel openly uses culture as a form of propaganda to justify its illegal occupation of Palestine,” adds the stated appeal.


Stewart announced his intention to play in Israel in a recorded statement filmed late last year, saying “I’m looking forward to performing in Tel Aviv,” adding “I’ll be playing your favorite hits, with a few surprises too.”


The 72-year-old musician last performed in Israel in 2010 at the Ramat Gan stadium.


The petition also includes a message of support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] movement, which aims to socially and economically undermine the Jewish state as a way to affect political change.


“Just as South African anti-apartheid activists called for an international boycott which led to the downfall of the apartheid regime, Palestinians are asking for a boycott of Israel as part of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions campaign,” the petition reads.


“As Celtic fans we support the Palestinian-led BDS movement for freedom, justice and equality. Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity!,” the plea adds.


Stewart has yet to respond for comment to the petition.


The legendary British musician is still expected to rock Tel Aviv’s Park Hayarkon on June 14, 2017.






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ISRAELI MEDIA LIED ABOUT COLDPLAY’S CONCERTS


				

					January 11, 2017 at 10:33					(Apartheid, Entertainment, Israel, Media Lies, Palestine)
										

									


				

					
Yesterday I joyfully posted that Coldplay was planning two concerts in Israel and Palestine, billed as two Peace Concerts …..


It was not true according to the group.


On Monday, Israel’s Channel 2 News reported that the band would play two concerts in Israel, on November 3 and 4, 2017 that would be marketed as “human rights concerts” which will be dedicated to messages of peace and unity.


On Tuesday, however, a representative for the band said the report was not true.


Coldplay singer Chris Martin
Coldplay singer Chris Martin


Coldplay denies it plans to perform in Israel




Popular British rock band denies reports it is planning two “peace concerts” in Israel.




Popular British rock band Coldplay on Tuesday denied reports that it was planning two “peace concerts” for Israelis and Palestinian Arabs this coming November, JTA reported.


On Monday, Israel’s Channel 2 News reported that the band would play two concerts in Israel, on November 3 and 4, 2017 that would be marketed as “human rights concerts” which will be dedicated to messages of peace and unity.


In addition, Channel 2 said, the audience at the two concerts will be comprised of both Israelis and Palestinian Arabs, with tickets for the shows to be sold in the Palestinian Authority as well as in Israel.


On Tuesday, however, a representative for the band said the report was not true.


Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, recently visited Israel and reportedly discussed the possibility of the band coming for a performance in Israel for the first time ever.


Coldplay’s refusal to come to Israel has over the years produced rumors that its members do not want to come to Israel for political reasons, but Israeli producers stressed during Martin’s visit that the band vehemently denied the rumors in private conversations.


In fact, in 2016 Coldplay collaborated with Israeli directors Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia who directed the award-winning video clip for the song Up&Up.


 


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COLDPLAY TO PLAY BOTH SIDES OF THE WALL


				

					January 10, 2017 at 11:19					(Apartheid, Boycott Israel, Entertainment, International Solidarity, Israel, Palestine)
										

									


				

					
The British rock band Coldplay will play two “peace concerts” for Israelis and Palestinians.


Coldplay singer Chris Martin
Coldplay singer Chris Martin


Coldplay to Play 2 Israeli-Palestinian Peace Concerts in West Bank


Gabe Friedman


The British rock band Coldplay will play two “peace concerts” for Israelis and Palestinians.


The concerts, set for Nov. 3 and 4, will be performed at an outdoor location north of the Dead Sea, Israel’s Channel 2 reported Monday.


The shows will aim to promote human rights and bring people together, The Times of Israel reported. The tickets — 50,000 for each concert — will be sold in Israel and the Palestinian territories.


Coldplay, which has sold over 80 millions records worldwide, will arrive in Israel two weeks before the shows and record a song with Israeli and Palestinian artists.


Few artists have attempted similar Middle East peace-themed concerts on this scale. Roger Waters, the former Pink Floyd frontman, played a concert in the Israeli Jewish-Muslim coexistence village Neve Shalom in 2006. He has since become a leading proponent of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.


Leonard Cohen made a failed attempt to play a concert in the Palestinian territories in 2009 while touring in Israel.


Coldplay singer Chris Martin is currently the artistic director for the Global Citizen Festival, which is run by the Global Poverty Project, an organization devoted to ending extreme poverty by 2030.


Two of Coldplay’s recent musicvideos were directed by Israelis.


From Coldplay’s FaceBook Page


The band fronted by Chris Martin has come under fire after posting a link to a “Freedom for Palestine” video by the band OneWorld on their Facebook page.


The song, which contains the controversial lyrics: “No matter your faith or your community/ this is a crime against humanity” and “Enough illegal occupation/ violence and racial segregation,” calls for people to rally in support of Palestine. As the chorus goes, “We are the people/ this is our time/ stand up, sing out/ for Palestine.”



				


				

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BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES


				

					September 5, 2016 at 08:16					(DesertPeace Exclusive, Education, Entertainment, In Memoriam)
										

									


				

					

And this in memory of Pete Seeger and Fred Hellerman



				


				

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WIESENTHAL CENTER FAILS IN ATTEMPT TO SABOTAGE ROGER WATERS CONCERT


				

					October 31, 2015 at 16:00					(ADL Hatemongering, Boycott Israel, Entertainment, zionist harassment, zionist Slander)
										

									


				

					
Wiesenthal Center wants New Yorkers to give anti-Israel activist ‘the reception he deserves: an empty hall’, but nobody has asked for money back


"WE DON'T NEED NO THOUGHT CONTROL"
“WE DON’T NEED NO THOUGHT CONTROL”


No takers as NY theater offers refunds for Waters


A theater in Sag Harbor, New York has offered to refund tickets to a sold-out performance by Roger Waters over his support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel.


Waters, the former frontman of rock band Pink Floyd, has been vocal in his criticism of artists who perform in Israel. He is scheduled to perform Friday at the Bay Street Theater. Page Six reported Wednesday that the performance may face picketers in a protest organized by pro-Israel groups.


The Simon Wiesenthal Center in a statement issued on Tuesday called on New Yorkers “to give Roger Waters the reception he deserves: an empty hall. We urge people who may have been unaware of his hate-filled boycott campaign and bought tickets for his performance, to vote with their feet and instead stand in solidarity — outside of the theater — with the innocent victims of terrorism in The Holy Land.”


The theater’s executive director, Tracy Mitchell, on Wednesday told local news website 27East.com that no one has requested a refund, and that the theater has people “begging for tickets.”


Earlier this month, in a much-publicized rant, radio personality Howard Stern ripped Waters for his support of the movement to boycott Israel.


Waters in an open letter to rocker Jon Bon Jovi ahead of his concert earlier this month in Israel, accused the artist of “standing shoulder to shoulder” with right-wing Israeli extremists.


In response, Bon Jovi said at his concert: “I’ll come here any time you want.”


Waters has published open letters calling on fellow musicians to join a boycott of Israel. He has also come under fire for using at in his concerts a huge inflated balloon in the shape of a wild boar with a prominently visible Star of David among other symbols, including a dollar sign and a hammer and sickle. He had used the gimmick for several years.


Having previously defended Roger Waters from accusations of anti-Semitism, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 2013 reluctantly acknowledged that “anti-Semitic conspiracy theories” have “seeped into the totality” of the former Pink Floyd frontman’s views.


“Judging by his remarks, Roger Waters has absorbed classic anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, and these have now seeped into the totality of his views,” Abraham H. Foxman, then the National Director of the ADL, told The Times of Israel. “His comments about Jews and Israel have gotten progressively worse over time. It started with anti-Israel invective, and has now morphed into conspiratorial anti-Semitism.”


 


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NO PALESTINE? ~~ NO SHOW!


				

					August 16, 2015 at 13:14					(Boycott Israel, Entertainment, International Solidarity)
										

									


				

					
The rapper Matisyahu was taken off the schedule of a Spanish Reggae festival due to his refusal to publicly support creation of a Palestinian state, Spanish media reports.


Image by Latuff
Image by Latuff


BDS pressure cancels Matisyahu concert


Valencia’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement requested that Rototom, the 22nd European Reggae Festival scheduled for 15-22 August in Benicàssim, cancel Matisyahu’s planned performance, stating that the Jewish-American rapper has “participated in pro-Zionist festivals and has said that Palestine does not exist”.


Matisyahu is known for blending Orthodox Jewish themes with reggae, rock and hip hop beatboxing sounds.


Rototom asked Mattisyahu to publicly state whether there is a right to a Palestinian state and whether he rejects Israeli military violence, particularly that during Israel’s summer 2014 attack on the Gaza Strip.


“After having repeatedly sought dialogue (with Mattisyahu), the artist was unavailable to speak out clearly against the war and the Palestinians’ right to a state of their own. Accordingly, the Mattisyahu concert scheduled fot 22 August was cancelled.


In a statement, Rototom noted that it has “proven countless times (its) sensitivity to Palestine, its people and the occupation, particularly by holding multiple debates in the World Social Forum.” It further deplores the attacks against it following this announcement, noting that it has a 22 year history of “active promotion of peace, social justice and human rights.”


BDS Valencia stated that the success of this campaign is a “cry of popular solidarity.”


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