Deeply distressed this morning by the news from the Middle East. I recently turned down the opportunity to go to Jerusalem to do an article about the Israel Philharmonic and its conductors. Had I gone, I'd have been there at the moment. I'm afraid I said 'no' mainly because I'd have had to miss the Wimbledon final, but there were other factors too and the incident has sparked some knife-edge discussions at home. As an objective journalist, I wasn't totally against the idea (though I don't deny being a scardycat).
I can't pretend to have any answers, but I'd like to ask some questions.
Music can rise above politics. Should it do so on every occasion?
Should a flagship artistic organisation necessarily be tarred with the brush of its government in the eyes of the world?
If someone is upset by Israel's actions and decides to boycott its national orchestra, but that person is equally upset by the actions of America in Iraq, should they not also boycott orchestras from, eg, Washington DC? And if they don't approve of Tony Blair's support for George W, shouldn't they extend their stance to avoiding Britain's state-funded orchestras too? Once you start down that path, where do you stop?
Would it have been wrong to present the perspective of ordinary musicians, trying to get on with life and work, caught up amid surrounding issues so complicated and combustible? Shouldn't they be allowed to tell us what life is really like for them at the moment? And whatever stance they take, shouldn't they have the chance to say why they take it?
I didn't go and I'm not going. Personal safety and tennis aside, was that the right decision?
6 comments:
The Israel Phil is the flagship orchestra of the State of Israel. Just as South African Organisations were boycotted so should Israeli ones. Of course it would be also nice to punish USA for Iraq through sanctions, but we need them too much from an economic point of view, the world doesn't need racist Israel!
The regional politics of the Middle East make it impossible for Isreal to behave in anything but an Israli-centric manner, which the previous commenter calls racism. Let's not be naive- there are still governments throughout the region that refuse to acknowledge Isreal's right to exist. The Philharmonic is a messenger of peace and understanding- curtailing their ability to spread that message only further delays reconcilliation.
Are there truly national orchestras in Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran that we might boycott? I'm on the lookout!
Why should certain neighbours of Israel acknowledge their existance when the Palestinians are not recognised,and when they at long last elect a democratic Government they then are arrested. USA must stop defending Israel, if they had to stand on their own feet like the old South Africa had to they would then have to change their ways like closing the settlements,and ending collective punishment i.e. house demolition, as practiced by the Nazis,but in the mean time let us listen to Danny Barenboim, he talks a lot of sense!
Jessica, I'm not much of a literary consumer,but hearty congratson your success, and may it continue. I'll miss your composer bios.
One last word:
"USA must stop defending Israel..."
Never Biyatch, Never!
Back to music, please!
Thanks, John! Now's your chance to turn over a new leaf and become a literary consumer! ;-)
By the way, the original post really was about music - and its relation, or otherwise, to politics. Wish we could sort the world's problems out right here on JDCMB, but it ain't going to happen...
Post a Comment