Arab Israeli singer receives threats

[Jim Sagle]

By JPOST.com STAFF
09/04/2010 20:28

Mira Awad forced to withdraw from Zionist Federation Independence Day concert.

Arab Israeli singer and television personality Mira Awad has withdrawn from the Zionist Federation’s Israel Independence Concert in London following death threats against her and her family, it was reported on Friday.

Awad, along with fellow singer Achinoam Nini, represented Israel at the 2009 Eurovision concert have performed at venues around the world to packed audiences. Awad has worked to promote coexistence between Arabs and Jews in Israel through her work with Nini, but also through various other platforms.

<snip>

“Our concert is a celebration of independence but it’s also about building understanding. Mira wanted to be the Arab Israeli voice promoting a peaceful way forward,” said ZF executive-director Alan Aziz following Awad’s withdrawal from the concert line-up.

“The threats to her life expose the real truth behind the conflict - that everyone is hostage to extremism, and it is a dangerous and growing phenomenon that denies Israel’s right to exist, and the world’s right to democracy,” Aziz continued.

Shameful that someone who wants to bridge the gap between the two factions is subject to this.

[demosincebirth]

1. Any comments from the port side?

[azurnoir]

2. who is making these threats

the article does not say so I guess we're supposed to assume right

and of course only Palestinians would do such thing none of the good Israeli citizens either living in Israel proper or or of its West Bank townships would ever do such a thing:sarcasm:

[Tripmann]

3. Thats horrible. Whos making the threat?

[azurnoir]

4. you are correct n/t

[Chulanowa]

5. Not too long ago...

We had a long post where Americans booed and held up signs to protest an Israeli musical act. it was roundly condemned, attacked, and spoken against by... well, by several people who I see are conspicuously absent here. Maybe I'm just early, and they're rushing to express their disgust for the people making threats against this singer as well.

[madrchsod]

6. you tube......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmBKkPnf6V4&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn12wcZaZF8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwiDYB0eyRo&feature=related


very dangerous ladies......

[LeftishBrit]

7. Disgusting

[oberliner]

8. An Open Letter to Mira Awad: Do not help Israel whitewash its atrocities in the Gaza Strip!

An Open Letter to Mira Awad: Do not help Israel whitewash its atrocities in the Gaza Strip!

PACBI -- Ramallah, Occupied Palestine, March 8, 2009

Palestinian artists and intellectuals in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip are disappointed by the news of your intention to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) is writing to urge you not to participate on behalf of Israel in this contest.

To represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest will serve to polish the international image of an aggressive occupying state that has long been engaged in ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. It will communicate to the rest of the world that Israel’s war crimes and violations of international law are acceptable to us as Palestinians! May we remind you of some of the actions of the state you will be representing: the ethnic cleansing of more than 750,000 Palestinians in 1948; the subjugation of 3.6 million Palestinians to a system of occupation and apartheid in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1967; the long history of extra-judicial killing of Palestinian leaders and activists; the imprisonment of tens of thousands of Palestinians since 1948; the building of the apartheid wall; the recent vicious attack on occupied Gaza and the murder of more than 1,440 people (of whom at least 400 were children).

Your performance in this contest will be telling Palestinians that their suffering - the product of colonialism and racism - doesn‘t matter. You will be giving a slap in the face to each and every Palestinian singer, musician, artist, filmmaker, writer, poet, as well as regular Palestinians, who have to struggle to overcome Israel’s deliberate efforts to silence their voice.

You may feel that it is important for you to represent Israel to demonstrate the full spectrum of Israeli society, which includes Palestinians living in Israel. This is utterly misguided. Until Palestinians living within Israel have full rights and do not suffer systemic discrimination and violation of their human and political rights, Israel has no right to portray itself as a healthy, multicultural society. And until it ends its occupation of Palestinian lands and complies with international law, it should be boycotted by all artists. You must realise that if you participate in such a high-profile event you will be seen not only as an individual singer, but as the representative of other Palestinian artists as well as Palestinians at large. Can you not see that by representing both occupier and occupied you will shatter the Palestinian message to the rest of the world?

http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=966