Saturday, August 22, 2009

DON'T EXPRESS YOURSELF! MADONNA URGED TO STAY AWAY

Tom Gross in Europe pointing out the rampant anti-Semitism…65 years later, Europe is returning to its old anti-Semitism folly.

More than 100 Jews and Arabs are calling on pop star Madonna to call off her Tel Aviv concerts, scheduled for September 1 and 2. They have formed an organization called Israeli Support for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel, and on Sunday sent a letter to Madonna asking her not to perform at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds.Tel Aviv University Prof. Rachel Giora, a spokesperson for the group, wrote in the letter to Madonna: "A performance here would imply support for the illegal and inhumane policies [of Israel], described by many as war crimes and crimes against humanity." (www.tau.ac.il/~giorar/)

The organization also sent a similar letter to Leonard Cohen, asking him to boycott Israel. However, Cohen has confirmed his appearance at Ramat Gan Stadium (near Tel Aviv) on September 24. (Leonard Cohen's planned concert in Ramallah in the West Bank has been cancelled by Fatah because he refused to cancel his Israeli appearance.)

Madonna has ignored the letter. Although Madonna is not Jewish, she is known for her strong sympathy with Israel, and her appreciation of Kabbala. This month, Madonna is taking her children to Poland, where they will visit Auschwitz. She said she wanted her children to understand the horrors of the Holocaust.

The organization also sent a similar letter to Leonard Cohen, asking him to boycott Israel. However, Cohen has confirmed his appearance at Ramat Gan Stadium (near Tel Aviv) on September 24.

When asked by The Jerusalem Post why she didn't leave Israel and participate in a personal boycott, Giora said, "I strongly object to Israeli policies, but Israel is my home, so why should I leave."

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Madonna's concert in Poland on August 15 went ahead despite threats to cancel it. Authorities in the staunchly Catholic country say they feared that her singing the hit "Like a Virgin" on the feast day of the Virgin Mary, which is a national holiday and a major event in Poland, could cause problems.

Poland's ombudsman, Janusz Kochanowski, asked Warsaw city officials to explain why the singer was being allowed to perform on a date bound to provoke and offend. Even former President Lech Walesa, a Catholic and father of eight, said he would have liked the concert to have been rescheduled.

Thanks Nurit

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