Israel to World: "Suck It."

"The net result is raising awareness and exposing Israel for what it is: a colonial and apartheid state," Barghouti said in an e-mail interview from Jerusalem. "The 'brand' Israel has suffered as a consequence of ongoing campaigns of this sort, leading many artists to turn down lucrative offers to play Israel."

It turns out that Barghouti is the secret author of Hipster Runoff.

will be posting Cockburn's Nation column on Chomsky later to balance out Mordy's lovable "Ta da"

Also, lol to the millionth power to any artist who refuses to play Tel Aviv, but still plays Beirut.

This is another thing I understand, and yet here is an important difference: so far as I know, there is no group of people under the control of the Lebanese state who are categorically prevented from coming to see your show. I am not going to judge any artist for caring about this fact. (Or for caring about their presence being used as a symbol that they support this fact.) I think it might be different if any of these artists could say "I'm playing Tel Aviv today, and I'll be playing in Hebron tomorrow." (And it'd be easier to say "well, my Israeli fans have all kinds of different views on the occupation" if there weren't people among them who'd actually prefer you not to come.)

No, they just encouraged a population of 20,000 Jews to move to Israel and then fired rockets at them over the border. I definitely don't think we should be rewarding states for doing well at expelling their populations. That said, I actually don't agree with your distinction that "there is no group of people under the control of the Lebanese state who are categorically prevented from coming to see your show." Gaza is not anymore under the control of the Israeli state as it is under control of the Egyptian state. Its legal status is definitely in flux, but as far as I understand it they are an independent territory that Israel considers itself in a state of war against (the blockade, contrary to a lot of writing on the Internet, is justified as a measure imposed on a hostile government). There is definitely room for argument here, but I would have to agree that Gaza is occupied by Israel before I agreed that them not being allowed to attend an Elvis Costello concert has anything to do with what you wrote. Israeli citizens are categorically not allowed to attend a concert in Beirut (it's one of about ten countries where that's so), but you wouldn't consider that apartheid.

Just to clarify so it's not misread, I don't mean *I justify* the blockade under that argument. I think it's more-or-less a bad idea. But that is how it is justified in international law.

Also, I'm definitely interested in hearing a strong argument for why Gaza is occupied by Israel. I'm willing to be swayed, but it seems to me that these facts preclude it from being described that way: There are no Jews still living in Gaza. There was a Democratically elected government that controls domestic affairs. That outside Operation Cast-Lead, and limited excursions into the territory done under the rubric of protecting Southern Israel, there isn't a persistent Israeli military presence in the territory (I could wrong about this).

In 2005, Israel officially withdrew from the Gaza Strip. But the withdrawal did not end Israel's effective control of the Palestinian territory in all vital regards, thus inflaming Palestinian resentment rather than diffusing it.

What Israel Did Not Give Up in Gaza

In August 2005, the last Israeli settlers left Gaza, followed by the last Israeli soldiers in September, as Israel pulled out of the Palestinian territory it had occupied since 1967. The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza gave the general impression, at least in the Western press, that Israel was effectively turning over Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. That was not, and still is not, the case. As B’Tselem, the Israeli information and human rights organization, documents:

* Israel continues to maintain complete control over the air and sea space of the Gaza Strip. No Palestinian may operate a seaport or an airport without Israeli approval, which limits Palestinians’ freedom of trade and travel.

* Israel continues to control the joint Gaza Strip-West Bank population registry, which means Israel gets to decide who is a “Palestinian resident” and who is a “foreigner.” Palestinians must seek Israeli approval for every individual who wants to move to the West Bank.

* The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was supposedly turned over to the Palestinian Authority. In fact, Israel continues to control the crossing to the extent that it may bar entry to “foreigners”—that is, Palestinians who are not residents of the Occupied Territories—or anyone it deems a security risk.

* Israel continues to maintain complete control of the movement of people and goods between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which Israel considers a “closed military area” off limits to anyone without a permit. West Bank residents are also forbidden from traveling aborad, including to the Gaza Striop, without a difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit.

* As far as trade is concerned, Israel controls the three crossing points in and out of Gaza (Karni, Sufa, and Kerem Shalom). Israel routinely closes the crossings to any exchange of goods, causing severe food and other shortages in Gaza.

* Israel still controls taxation and other levies in Gaza.

http://middleeast.about.com/od/israelandpalestine/a/me080618b.htm

I don't know anything about the population registry, but is there a real source for the Rafah border crossing? As far as I know that is entirely Egypt's domain, and that's how they were able to open it up after the flotilla incident. I've never heard that Israel still controls it. I'm not sure why Israel is allowed to control Kerem Shalom (it seems to me like Egypt should control it), but that falls under the laws of the blockade, not occupation. Also don't know about taxation, but this article --http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=278209 -- suggests it's bullshit. I'd have to see a source for that too.

Umm, that article doesn't really address the taxation issue. Anyway, Mordy, I know the West Bank is doing better lately but let's not just forget about it here. My main point isn't to argue with you about what's justified, it's to say that these are peculiar policies that have a really direct bearing on the show you're coming to play -- who can enjoy it, who can't, how the safety of it has been achieved -- and artists are inevitably going to have to make some personal and moral decisions about that fact. And yes, the same is true of playing lots of places.

I am, I have to admit, just totally lost and shrugging on the claim that these are just like ordinary national borders. I dunno. I guess we can revive this discussion when Elvis Costello can just as easily book a show in East Jerusalem or Gaza.

Not to sound glib, but presumably if he can account for his own safety he could book a show in Gaza and go through the Egyptian border which is currently open. I actually think that would be great and probably much better for promoting peace than canceling his trip to Tel Aviv.

I can't find any information that says that Israel collects taxes from Gaza + West Bank, and only one NY Times article from 94 (!) that says they handed over taxation to the Palestinian Authority. They could have taken it back since, I guess, or I might not understand what it means to "control taxation." I assumed it meant collecting it.

I was ten when apartheid officially ended so I didn't really have much of an opinion at the time. At the moment, I have no idea who did or didn't boycott playing the country (except for the obvious couple like Dylan + Van Zandt). I guess since I'm happy that apartheid ended, I'm happy at whatever contributed to it ending, tho off-the-cuff, without doing serious research, I'd imagine artists boycotting the country had very little to do with it ending. I'm guessing that internal resistance, plus external pushing, plus general cultural/social movements (and leadership) had to do with it ending. I'm sure every little bit helped, but I'm similarly skeptical when Republicans tell me that Reagan got rid of the Berlin Wall by telling them to tear it down. I sympathize with nabisco's position that as an artist you don't want to be used as a political tool, but I'm very cynical that these symbolic moments of artists resisting have any association with real political change. If you believe you're political enough to make a statement by not playing, why aren't you political enough to make a statement by playing? Is it that they somehow believe that their mundane business decisions, like what venues to play and not play, have more meaning and power in the world than the kinds of songs they play and the ways they play them? Cause that's a super depressing thought.

― Mordy, Friday, June 11, 2010 3:54 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Man, what a convoluted way of not answering my question.

Are you unable to parse sentences for explanations, or is this some kind of bullshit thing where all questions have a yes/no answer?

I don't have a negative biological reaction when I hear about an artist doing it. I can see reasons why it might not have mattered so I'd have no real reason to care, and reasons why it might make a difference so it might be appropriate to care. I don't have a serious phenomenological feeling about it tho. Is that what you were asking?

if you don't have a feeling about it, just say so, don't give me 300 words of tangents.

But I think the fact that you don't have an opinion about artists raking in money from Sun City gigs says plenty.

Like, I don't know how analogous this is, but I'm not 100% sure it was wrong not to boycott the 1936 Summer Olympics. Clearly the world should've gotten involved in Germany before 1939, but it's hard for me to say that a boycott would've made any difference, and it some ways I feel like positive things came out of it.

as far as I understand it they are an independent territory that Israel considers itself in a state of war against

Then, as signatories to Geneva, Israel should be treating Hamas prisoners as POWs. Which they are not.

Having traouble accessing AC's Nation column (even tho I'm a subscriber -- for about 3 more weeks), so this'll have to do:

Israel is plunging into deeper darkness. As the Israeli journalist Gideon Levy recently told one interviewer: "In the last year there have been real cracks in the democratic system of Israel. ... It's systematic -- it's not here and there. Things are becoming much harder." And Levy also wrote in Haaretz, "When Israel closes its gates to anyone who doesn't fall in line with our official positions, we are quickly becoming similar to North Korea. When right-wing parties increase their number of anti-democratic bills, and from all sides there are calls to make certain groups illegal, we must worry, of course. But when all this is engulfed in silence, and when even academia is increasingly falling in line with dangerous and dark views ... the situation is apparently far beyond desperate."

http://www.creators.com/liberal/alexander-cockburn/pariah-nation.html

quickly becoming similar to North Korea

dismissive blowjob gesture

cockpunch publishes some really disgusting individuals, has zero credibility

also: massive eyerolling over nabisco holding up fuckin' lebanon as the home of free speech and human rights. are you gd kidding man?

Israel run by some really disgusting individuals, has zero credibility

they're unpleasant, but they're not gilad atzmon-unpleasant

body count stats, plz

the people with the lowest count must always be in the right i guess

maybe this is why cockburn feels the need to publish the views of a holocaust denier?

i ask, i do not know

nabisco holding up fuckin' lebanon as the home of free speech and human rights.

Pictured: nabisco (artist's conception)

http://i.zdnet.com/blogs/strawman.jpg

um no

so far as I know, there is no group of people under the control of the Lebanese state who are categorically prevented from coming to see your show.

probably worth checking. immigrant workers and the palestinian population are very much second-class not-exactly-citizens.

interesting qn if gaza would host an elvis costello concert. (obligatory haven't they suffered enough remark)

nrq, your "A published B but now is quoting C so C must be full of shit" brand of 21st-century forensics that J0hn and I have noticed before is really fucking stoopid

no it isn't. atzmon is notorious, and if you publish him you endorse him. i think counterpunch is garbage in general through.

peep this, for examp:

http://www.counterpunch.org/weir08282009.html

"if you publish him you endorse him"

ok no need to bother w/ you

ehh, cockburn's own stuff is pretty stupid, as in the credulous quotes you gave above

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/11/schumer-strangle-gaza-economically/

our next majority leader!

I may run against him next time

http://www.jewcy.com/post/did_devendra_banhart_bail_israel_spite_natalie_portman

Mr. Banhart, who has seen his popularity dip in the last two years, is just the latest in a long line of artists who have decided that depriving Israel of art is the answer to ending the occupation.

lol

Wow, that's the kind of serious and incisive commentary this situation calls for.

it's the serious and incisive commentary celebrity bandwagoners deserve merit, usually

Ah, love the sarky tone, so redolent of freshman girl.

Ha, Mordy, Devendra is who I was referring to above when I said "it really is being contextualized as support, on a political level, even with acts not nearly significant enough that you'd think it'd matter." (And like don't ask, but my understanding is that Banhart, not exactly a household name, was taken aback to be held up like a political football.) Describing his cancellation as a "bandwagon" thing is ... well, you can attribute motives that way, or do the inane dismissive routine Jewcy opts for, but it's possible even Banhart can make an actual decision about something now and then, right?

(Jewcy's humor also involves acting like anyone who's fond of an Israeli couldn't possibly cancel a show, as if there aren't plenty of actual Israelis who might support or encourage boycott actions.)

btw I really liked the part of this thread where history mayne argued in favor of child molestation

oh wait, history mayne never said that? geez, how unfair of me, putting words in people's mouths

from what ive heard - they were threatening his life if he wont cancel.
(same rumours about The Pixies)
xpost

Not to jump on that, but heard where, and from who? Did any of these artists announce their cancellations by saying they had safety concerns that couldn't be adequately addressed? Who precisely was threatening their safety?

I mean, those sound like the kinds of rumors that naturally crop up as rationalizations, basically: "oh, it's not that the artists actually came to this decision independently ... it must be that someone (Palestinian) is using violence to prevent us from having nice things." Much better to just say that you think the artist made a poor moral and political decision! (Because maybe it is!)

easy on the italics there sport!

meanwhile, srs qn, could you point me in the direction, internet-wise, of the plenty of israelis who are down with a boycott?

"Banhart's agents said that the musician was pressured into canceling the performance for political reasons.

"We love the land and people of Israel, and have been looking forward to our third show there with unimaginable anticipation," Banhart's official website said.

"Unfortunately, we tried to make it clear that we were coming to share a human and not a political message but it seems that we are being used to support views that are not our own. We will be overjoyed to return to Israel on the day that our presence is perceived and reported on as a cultural event and not a political one. We truly hope that day comes soon."

xpost
the rumours about the life thretening came from the producers.

History, I'm honestly not trying to be super-argumentative here, just saying something very simple: yes, there are Israeli "leftists" who would support certain types of boycotts or sanctions. I'm not saying that's anything like a mainstream opinion, but it is an opinion that is held by some number of Israeli citizens. We don't need to argue over the meaning of the word "plenty" to agree that this group exists, right?

And again, I don't say this argumentatively, but the wording of Banhart's statement is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about above. That statement says:

Unfortunately, we tried to make it clear that we were coming to share a human and not a political message but it seems that we are being used to support views that are not our own.

Like I said:

Devendra is who I was referring to above when I said "it really is being contextualized as support, on a political level, even with acts not nearly significant enough that you'd think it'd matter."

I am not trying to argue about whether his decision was right or wrong. But I would suggest that when shows like this are embraced as political statements -- "these other artists canceled, but Devendra loves and supports Israel" -- it may actually scare certain artists off. Because it strips them of the ability to say "I'm just a musician, I only have a human message, this is not political." Using their appearance in a political way forces them to make a "political" decision about it that they might not have made otherwise.

every1 can agree with the last paragraph

We don't need to argue over the meaning of the word "plenty" to agree that this group exists, right?

welcome to ilx!

There are even Jews in Israel who agree with Helen Thomas' sentiments, like Shlomo Sand.

well we kicked out one of our israeli embassy staff for forging the passports used in the assassination of a hamas leader last year.

that'll teach em.

Israel to World: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/06/20/israel.gaza/?hpt=T1
Cynical View: "We need public approval, so here are some concessions."
Optimistic View: "Point taken."

I'm optimistic.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g-1KFy3GhfXq8rFDmSsW58wx0CPw

Turkey bombs kurds, kills 4 including 15-year-old girl.