Friday, April 9, 2010
I wanted to post this in order to point out an aspect of the conflict often overlooked. We hear time and again about the ways in which the Arab Israeli sector is alienated or lags behind the Jewish sector in one statistic or another. Somehow, these facts are often twisted to show that Israel is somehow a purveyor of particular evil, even an "apartheid" state, in spite of the fact that there is affirmative action in the public sector and anti-discrimination law in force there.
No government can force people to participate if they choose not to, however. We've discussed previously the ways in which Arab culture itself causes some of this lagging (consanguinity's affect on health statistics, for instance), and now here's another. Even when Arab Israelis choose to participate fully, and take advantage of what the greater society offers, their own fellow Arabs are there to drag them down: Arab Israeli singer receives threats
Arab Israeli singer and television personality Mira Awad has withdrawn from the Zionist Federation's Israel Independence Concert in London following death threats against her and her family, it was reported on Friday.
Awad, along with fellow singer Achinoam Nini, represented Israel at the 2009 Eurovision concert have performed at venues around the world to packed audiences. Awad has worked to promote coexistence between Arabs and Jews in Israel through her work with Nini, but also through various other platforms.
"Mira and [Nini's] message is about finding a peaceful way forward. It is tragic that when both sides try to come together by any means possible to build a better future for Israel and its citizens, there are those prepared to use violence and intimidation to destroy it," Awad's manager, Ofer Pesenzon, said in response to the threats.
Awad will stay in Israel while Nini performs in London on Independence Day...
...Awad grew up in Rameh, an Arab village near Karmiel, and lives today in Tel Aviv. Her family, which still lives in the Galilee, employs strict measures to ensure their security.
Also, at The JC: Death threats silence Independence Day singer
Ironically, the bullies and haters achieve a double purpose. They can prevent participation, make circumstances worse, contribute to negative statistics and increased societal problems, and then turn right around and blame Israeli Jews for the very societal disparities they themselves contribute to. This goes the same for the boycott activists constantly carping on and campaigning against "normalization" -- they hurt the very people they purport to help.
And they get away with it because the media and NGO's allow them to, rather than condemning them. Assigning any degree of personal responsibility for one's problems are so unfashionable.
Update: JPost has changed the story. It gets more complex: OK, So Maybe That Israeli-Arab Singer Wasn't Threatened After All
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Israeli Arab Singer Receives Threats, Cancels London Show.
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Well, here's an important update to the story below concerning supposed threats received by Israeli-Arab singer Mira Awad, Israeli Arab Singer Receives Threats, Cancels London Show. Unfortunately, the Jerusalem Post has completely changed the linked st... Read More
