New Statesman, a piece by Bill Parry, author of Against the Wall:
now one of Britain's most successful bands, Massive Attack, is publicly backing the boycott.
“I've always felt that it's the only way forward," Robert Del Naja, the band's lead singer, tells me when we meet at the Lazarides gallery in Fitzrovia, London..."We were asked to play Israel and we refused," he says. "The question was asked: 'If you don't play there, how can you go there and change things?' I said: 'Listen, I can't play in Israel when the Palestinians have no access to the same fundamental benefits that the Israelis do.' I think the best approach is to boycott a government that seems hell-bent on very destructive policies. And it's sad, because we've met some great people in Israel, and it's a difficult decision to have to make."...
“We are not going to achieve a quick liberation," Del Naja concedes, but says the point is to apply "pressure, the continual pressure that's needed"....
“The boycott is not an action of aggression towards the Israeli people," he says. "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."
Omar Barghouti writes: "Of all the groups that have refused to perform in apartheid Israel or agreed but later cancelled, Massive Attack's message... is by far the strongest, most principled and most morally coherent."
‘Massive Attack on BDS’.
Shoulda been your headline, Phil.
:-)
Massive Attack is one of my top iPod playlists. “Blue Lines” — 19 years later — is still one of the great albums, IMHO. I spent a lot on time on the sheets with “Safe from Harm.” ;-)
Cool! Elton John should get inspired!
he’ll be eating crow soon enough…
head up where the sun does not shine on this issue
Elton John will be singing his tribute to Tony Danza.
Hold me closer, Tony Danza…..
When Omar Barghouti speaks millions listen. Great news about the Massive Attacks honorable stand
This is music to my ears. Never heard of Massive Attack before but will buy whatever they have out just to show support.
aparisian,
Just give up hope on the bozo that played for Rush Limbaugh.
really seham. even an old fart like me has heard of massiveattack. here’s one of my favorites.
link to youtube.com
and this with liz frazer for cocteau twin fans.
link to youtube.com
I don’t have speakers on my comp at work, but will check it out later tonight. I rarely listen to the radio because most pop music makes my skin crawl, so I end up not knowing much about music. I thought Lady Gaga was just a drag queen until a few months ago…
I thought Lady Gaga was just a drag queen until a few months ago…
don’t give up that thought. she may well be.
Seriously? Am I the only person on the face of the Earth who didn’t think Lady Gaga was a drag queen? And I’m gay for heaven’s sakes. :)
Thanks
This old fart had never heard of them before but I liked it when the protagonist in the video stopped running, stopped acting like the victim and looked at the people who were chasing him in the eye, showing his resolve. He was then able to chase the cowardly mob away. Good metaphor for the BDS movement.
an apt metaphor, indeed.
“The boycott is not an action of aggression towards the Israeli people,” he says. “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.”
well said statement for the most part, But it’s a‘vibrant’ democracy, as we’re so often told, and the people elect their government. The anti-Semitism charge was good to mention, but if this wasn’t a such a touchy subject, he could have said:
“The boycott is a non-aggressive action towards the the government and its policies, which are democratically elected by the vibrant and diverse Israeli people. If Israeli’s want to hear good musicians in the future, you should consider who you elect as new leaders. Ending the occupation will bring about real change and we will wait until that day comes.”
We need to keep spreading the word about Mondoweiss. On other blogs, national radio and T.V. outlets. Encourage folks to come here and expand their knowledge base their views
O.K. Kathleen….
thanks for the prodding..lol
I just mailed 5 people who I know for certain will respond to my request to come sign up here.
Not much up at Democracy Now about the new I/P talks. Great interview with Nir Rosen on Iraq being a shattered country as a direct consequence of our invasion
link to democracynow.org
link to democracynow.org
Another approach might be for musicians to perform only in the West Bank, not in Israel. For instance, the way Paul Simon took his Graceland tour to Zimbabwe in 1985, since some of his star guest artists such as the late Miriam Makeba were not allowed to enter South Afrika.
Few Israelis would venture into the West Bank, even for a popular group like Massive Attack. And then the world would see: it’s a military-occupied bantustan behind a security wall. And Israel is responsible for keeping it that way.
Israel would only shut them out of Palestinian territory, like they do with most non-Arab-speaking academics who are scheduled to speak in the West Bank but not in Israel (never mind Gaza).
Sorry to rain on your parade, but the fledgling artistic boycott of Israel has already fizzled.
Israel was flooded with top rated foreign artists throughout the summer and the autumn outlook is strong (Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Ozzy Osborne, the Scorpions, to name a few). Rather than heralding a boycott, 2010 will be a record year.
record year? please enlighten all with sources.
Aban, it’s not about getting 100 pct of artists to not perform in Israel. It’s about calling attention to the apartheid conditions in Palestine and the ongoing ethnic cleansing. Massive Attack made an import ran, cogent statement along with its refusal to perform in Israel. You can have Missy Elliott perform exclusively in Israel for the next 10 years, she’s all yours! ; )
Just look at that feeble list and keep telling us it has ‘fizzled out’. It’s not about numbers, it’s about artists who have principles and are respected for doing so. None of your list has that. Massive Attack are hugely influential, not just because of their extraordinary music and stage shows, but because of their politics. You might like to enlighten yourself as to the origin of their name. BDS is slowly making a difference, nobody is expecting everybody to sign up – but the fact that some do, and that every artist going there now has to think about it, is progress. It helped the South Africa situation, and it will help publicise the appalling racism of the Israeli government too.
This is not deny that the artistic boycott has some impact, but it is being swamped by countervailing, mostly non-political, forces that makes Israel more attractive to international artists. It’s hard to make a point with Israelis when they see more rather than less shows.
Keep telling yourself that, bucko.
“Sorry to rain on your parade, but the fledgling artistic boycott of Israel has already fizzled.”
Isaelis have been maing the same boasts about BDS, while simulatenously admitting it is threatning their society and even feeling he need to pass laws forbidding it.
It’s growing and you know it.
Sorry to rain on your parade, but the fledgling artistic boycott of Israel has already fizzled.
According to those in the know, it is exactly the opposite.
Speaking of Chick Corea, he’s a Scientologist. Wonder what those folks think about Israeli activities?
OT question….
I sent some people here to sign up and one of them also tried to subscribe to the news letter but here’s what happened..
“When I clicked on subscribe, a streak of
> “download…download…download” streaked (and streaked) across the top of
> the page. Machine froze up at 201 downloads. I have been working on the
> damn thing since; finally got rid of them, I think. Had to do a full system
> scan and a system restore…
>
> It could be Firefox; it could be me.”
I don’t see a contact us for the site so does anyone know what the problem she encountered could be?
Thanks for letting us know, I’ll look into it.
In the future you can always email mondoweiss@gmail.com with question like this.
American, tell your friends to do the RSS feed. If they click around they can get the ‘into your email box’ choice, and a folder shows up in your email client that they can move close to the Inbox.
Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Ozzy Osborne, the Scorpions
Born: 1941, 1944, 1948, and the last, the band created in 1965. All born before Israel was. They probably have to sing for their dinner, per their record companies, or they are too old to give a shit.
What was Bob Dylan thinking, Mister Blowin’ In The Wind, when he wrote and sang Neighborhood Bully while Israel invaded Lebanon two decades or so later? link to ellissharp.blogspot.com
Devendra Banhart cancels this past summer
I don’t know if you guys know this but in France some BDS activists are accused of racism against Israel because they make appeal for boycott. They will appear in court the 17 and 23 of September. John Berger just released a letter to support them! link to europalestine.com
Yes aparisian, I saw that the other day..I’m observing that it’s getting worse in France..The Criff is doing what’s exactly needed to curb the trend of criticism..They know how to work the system..
Before Sarkozy took power Le Monde had an article about him being a former Mossad agent… most European diplomats despise him.. he is “a Pam Geller without the Superman suit” figure in France. His number is up, even his wife Carla is tired of him, its reported she’s having an affair with an award-winning singer, Benjamin Biolay
reference
link to telegraph.co.uk
For anyone who watches “House” they do the theme song for that also.
Great message by the band and Barghouti. BDS is officially in motion. Other bands made allusions to the fundamental injustice and crimes being comitted by Israel against the Palestinians in their decision to not participate in Israeli racism, but none so clearly motivated as Massive Attack.
This is a good time for Israelis to re-assess their national and historical policies of occupation, land grabs and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Israel and the OT. The right-wing settlers promise more Zionist construction in WB, the liberal Zionists are predictably silent on Israel’s growing descent into outright fascism rather than routine oppression and thuggery displayed by the IDF and settlers.
To use one of Witty’s slogans, it is time that Zionists make the better argument, rather than keep denying the apartheid and racist nature of Israel which it has has comfortably established for itself. Dismissal and demonization won’t work on non-violent initiatives. The curtain is being slowly lifted from the eyes of the Western nations, the Zionists can’t bank on historical suffering and promoted ignorance forever.
On request,
Please don’t demean Judaism’s most critical prayer/invocation, to be cute.
Still believing in fairytales? There’s no god, so what’s the point?