"Call to Kill the Parents and Volunteer to Sing for the Children"

UPDATE: Good news! Mer-Khamis has passed on word that according to Noa's publicist, she will not be performing at the charity event for Gaza tonight.

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I've never heard of Achinoam Nini (aka Noa), but folks in Europe tell me she's a popular Israeli singer. During Israel's indiscriminate slaughter in Gaza, she published an open letter which blames Hamas for Israel's actions and states,

I can only wish for you that Israel will do the job we all know needs to be done, and finally RID YOU of this cancer, this virus, this monster called fanaticism, today, called Hamas. And that these killers will find what little compassion may still exist in their hearts and STOP using you and your children as human shields for their cowardice and crimes.

Note the letter was published on January 8, long after anyone could legitimately claim Israel's attacks were aimed at Hamas. (Not that such a claim had legitimacy at any point.) Tonight, she is scheduled to perform at a Gaza charity event in Tel Aviv. That's some pretty galling hypocrisy. They've even entitled the event, "Muses won't remain silent." Apparently not - at least in Noa's case, she will prominently regurgitate Israel's propaganda in support of its carnage and then throw some money at those who survived. Little solace to the families and friends of the more than 1,300 dead and 5,000 wounded Palestinians.

Juliano Mer-Khamis, director of Arna's Children, has started an effort to ban Noa from the show, stating simply:

We, the undersigned, demand that Achinoam Nini be barred from participating in the Gaza charity event scheduled for Friday, January 23, 2009  at "Levontin 7" in Tel Aviv.

To sign on, you can email him at [email protected].

Noa will also be the performer for Israel at this year's Eurovision contest. Why Israel is even a part of Eurovision is another matter, but performing alongside her, as of now, will be Mira Awad, a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Obviously, this is a golden PR opportunity. Israel not only gets to situate itself as a European country (with all the spurious and racialized connotations that come with it), but it will have a "peace-loving" Israeli Jew singing happily with a "good Israeli-Arab".
 
Needless to say, such a portrayal is a far-fetched cry from reality. (Demonstrated recently by Israel's attempt to ban Palestinian parties from the upcoming elections.) As a result, Mer-Khamis and several other prominent Palestinian citizens of Israel have signed a petition urging Awad not to perform at Eurovision.

The Israeli government is sending the two of you to Moscow as part of its propaganda machine that is trying to create the appearance of Jewish-Arab 'coexistence' under which it carries out the daily massacre of Palestinian civilians.

Israel would not be able to proceed with its war crimes without the support of the international community and the United States and European Union in particular.

Israel's image as a 'democratic', 'enlightened' and 'peace loving' state is what allows the international community to support it. Your participation in the Eurovision is participation in the Israeli propaganda machine.

Such a stance is consistent with the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions. An effort whose urgency and importance has been greatly illustrated during these past few weeks.

Comments

[Jaleh]

Sigh. Angry White Kid is articulate as ever.