Israeli minister calls Barenboim an 'anti-Semite' after army snub

[bemildred]

Israel's education minister described the conductor Daniel Barenboim as a "real anti-Semite" yesterday after the musician refused to grant an interview to an Israel Army Radio reporter because she wore a military uniform to the launch of a book he co-wrote with a Palestinian.

Mr Barenboim, who is Jewish, was approached by the reporter, Dafna Arad, on Thursday during the launch of a book he wrote with the late Edward Said, a leading Palestinian intellectual.

Ms Arad wore her military uniform, as is the custom for Army Radio reporters still serving their mandatory military service. She said in a report on Army Radio: "I wanted to ask Mr Barenboim about the concert he conducted in Ramallah last week, about his musical vision and more. But he wouldn't agree to talk to me and started signing the book. I insisted. Then he said he refused to be interviewed by a soldier in a uniform and that he will agree to talk to me only if I come to him in civilian clothes."

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"Anti-Semitic? What is anti-Semitic about it? When I say a uniform should be worn to the right places and not to the wrong ones, there is nothing anti-Semitic about it, there is no logic to this," Mr Barenboim said. "I just thought that in this place, discussing a book written together with a Palestinian, it shows lack of sensitivity."

Independent

[MisterP]

1. Uncle Leo?

[HawkerHurricane]

2. It has reached the point...

where the Semites are called anti Semitic for failing to toe the party line.

[bemildred]

3. Yeah, should have been "self-hating Jew".

But perhaps he was a bit over-excited.