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Gil Scott Heron: Don't play in Tel Aviv

Sarah Cobham | 17.04.2010 09:49 | Culture | Palestine | Social Struggles

Gil Scott Heron was part of the United Artists Against Apartheid in the early 80's.He sang against Apartheid and against artists playing at Sun City (see  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joYTCwNMdq8). Shockingly he has a concert date booked in Tel Aviv on 25th May 2010.
We must get the concert cancelled!

By performing in Israel Gil Scott Heron would violate the almost unanimously endorsed Palestinian civil society Call for Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel - a call is directed particularly towards international activists, artists, and academics of conscience.

He has a few gigs booked here. Watch the events list for details of protests outside. They are all sold out, but several people who have tickets have posted comments on his Facebook saying that they will be going in with banners and Palestinian Flags.

Royal Festival Hall London - 20th and 24th April
HMV picture house Edinburgh - 21st April
Warehoure Aberdeen - 22nd April
Manchester Opera House - 25th April

You can email him via his publishers at  joanna.dingley@canongate.co.uk, send him messages via his Facebook wall, or his MySpace page, and on the webpage for his new video Me and the Devil at:
 http://gilscottheron.net/video/14/me-and-the-devil.

You can write what you like, but if you want ideas this is what I wrote:

"I am shocked! You have spent your life talking and singing against racism and apartheid. You have inspired millions - me included. And now, you have turned your back on those struggling for justice, and chosen to support the racist apartheid state of Israel.

"You sang about ID cards in South Africa, but don't you know about ID cards in the West Bank and Gaza? You sang about the boycott of Apartheid South Africa, but don't you know about the boycott of Apartheid Israel?

"Just in case you don't know, please contact the Palestinian movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, and ask them if they think you should play in Tel Aviv. Their website is www.bdsmovement.net.

"As the article on your website says: 'No matter how far wrong you have gone, you can always turn around". On behalf of all my friends in Palestine, and all those in exile around the world I appeal to you: Turn around now, cancel Tel Aviv, tell the world you are still against apartheid.'

"I look forward to a positive response, Sarah Cobham"

Sarah Cobham
- e-mail: scobham@gmail.com

Comments

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One million arabs are full Israeli citizens!

17.04.2010 10:36

So much for Israel being an aparthied state around one million arabs are full Israeli citizens. Furthermore Israel offered the arab population of East Jerusalem full Israeli citizenship a few years ago but they all refused.

Israeli arab

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Disingenuous deceit & downright dishonesty

17.04.2010 12:49

A million Arab residents of israel were not offered anything other than an opportunity to dis-inherit themselves, as probably you know already (ie: you stop demanding your inalienable rights vis a vis your birthright and we promise not to throw you out of your homes and kill you quite as much - a promise by a zionist doesn't amount to very much, even if they strangely end up keeping it).

As for your assertion that their is no discrimination - South African style - in israel ... not funny.

If you want to convince us of the rectitude of your shitty little state you will need to spread your poisonous lies a little further than a few hastily scripted headlines - or get a lesson or two from your local hasbara chapter (they are everywhere).

In the meanwhile, go boil your head you squalid little zionist.

Ngo Ngo Ngo

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He didn't say THAT

17.04.2010 13:36

"As for your assertion that their is no discrimination"

Made no such claim. In SPITE of the fact that Israeli Arabs are full citizens they are subject to some discrimination but that's not an unusual situation in the world. Here Blacks, Native Americans, etc. are full citizens but not free of discrimination nor are those who are LGBT, etc. You have similar problems with segments of your population being discriminated against.

You should NOT be making the assumption that this person signing themselves as an Israeli ARAB isn't one. It is far from unusual for people, when forced to choose between limited options, pick what to themselves and their own interests is a "lesser evil".

MDN

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Zionism = Racism

17.04.2010 15:25

MDN, it is very clear from the first poster's comments that he is NOT an Israeli Arab and where his/her sentiments lie.

The poster writes, "Israel offerred them [E.Jerusalem Arabs] full citzenship but they refused"... hmmm, obviously there must be something not-so-great about being an Arab-Israeli citizen, OR the poster is implying that Arabs in E. Jerusalem are all stupid.

So your assertions are wrong on both counts.

Any informed person within and outside of Israel knows very well about the brutal discrimination and rascist agenda of Israel against non-Jewish people (not just Arabs) within and without its expansionistic borders. This has grown increasingly aggressive, e.g. in regards to non-Jews marrying within Israel as well as the recent declaration by Isreal whereby ISRAEL retains juristriction over who is legally allowed to reside in the West Bank, and who gets deported... a ruling contrary to International Law.

So Mr. Gil-Scott, BOYCOTT ISRAEL, like any sincere, progressive person would do!
Free Palestine!
Free Marwan Barghouti!

ninetto

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hopeless case

17.04.2010 21:33

These calls for boycott don't actually work, do they. They're doomed to fail, but they let you seek publicity off someone else's fame.

The last one I remember was Leonard Cohen. Did it stop him? No.

that trick never works

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welcome to the soviet indymedia site

18.04.2010 10:53

I know that this will be hidden in the traditional hysterical indymedia style, but I just wanted to assure the pathetic timid soviet era info-police that this will end badly for them.

Sick of the pathetic claims to be independently minded, sick of the fraud that you 'represent' some 'alternative' to the mainstream media and sick of the reactionary attitude you demonstrate time and time again towards people who attempt to 'be the media' and contribute here.

You 'moderate' this increasing useless site and divert peoples genuine desire to get involved and debate into something more akin to bashing ones head against a brick wall.

I know that I am not the only one to think this, I know that I am not the only one that wants to change this and I know that I am not the only one that increasingly thinks in terms of 'revenge' against the stooges here that play at being open.

Congrats again for taking an interesting, important and 'hot' subject and butchering our desires to be involved.

Hysterical gatekeepers.

Political animal

do what you can - thankyou

19.04.2010 11:16

Thankyou Sarah for bringing this to the attention of the readers of indymedia. With enough courage and support we will be able to make some serious change for the people of Palestine. There is becoming less and less support for the goverment regime of israel amongst the under 40s. There are many ways to help, boycott being one of them.

misha

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