IDF bans Barenboim concert in Ramallah
By Reuters
Daniel Barenboim intended for the performance to foster dialogue over ways
to end the bloodshed.
The IDF barred world-renowned musician Daniel Barenboim from performing in
the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday, saying it could not guarantee
his safety because he is Israeli.
The pianist and conductor, who is an Argentine-born Israeli citizen, had
announced he intended for Wednesday's performance to foster dialogue over
ways to end more than 17 months of bloodshed.
Israel has barred its citizens from entering territory under
Palestinian-controlled Area A, and the army said Barenboim was no exception.
"As prominent as Mr. Barenboim is, he is an Israeli citizen and we cannot
guarantee the security of Israeli citizens in Area A," a military
spokeswoman said.
The Palestinian sponsors of Barenboim's visit said efforts would continue
to organize a performance some other time.
"We have agreed with Mr. Barenboim that this will not prevent us from
continuing visits to have him visit us in the future," one of the
organizers, Palestinian activist Mustafa Barghouthi, said in a statement.
"Nothing will break our joint determination to bridge our efforts at working
towards a just peace," he said.
The musician's intention to teach a piano master class and perform in
Ramallah had struck a note of discord in Israel, where critics called it
insensitive at a time when civilians were being killed in suicide bombings
and of shootings by Palestinian militants.
Barenboim, who does not live in Israel, arrived in the region at the start
of the week, saying that he would hold two piano recitals, one at the
Binyanei Ha'ouma in Jerusalem and the second in Ramallah.
Last year, Barenboim angered survivors of the Nazi Holocaust by conducting
a concert in Israel featuring the work of Richard Wagner, an anti-Semitic
19th century Austrian composer favored by Adolf Hitler.
Barenboim was to have performed at the Ramallah Friends' Boys School, which
is next to the remains of a Palestinian police station flattened during
several Israeli air strikes.
He told reporters in Jerusalem on Monday that he saw no military solution
to the conflict. "For those of us who have the possibility of opening up
dialogue, I think it's our duty," he said.
© Copyright 2002 Ha`aretz. All rights reserved
Paul Moor (Berlin)
<Texas-Paule@Sigmund-Freud.Org>
Telefon: (030) 8639-5784
Telefax: (030) 8639-5785
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Mar 06 2002 - 13:43:43 PST