"Dear Paul Simon,
We know you’re no stranger to controversy. When you recorded parts of 'Graceland’ in apartheid South Africa with black South African musicians, you were publicly criticised by the liberation movement, the ANC, and anti-apartheid organisations, for breaking the cultural boycott.
At the time, you told the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid that you yourself had 'refused to perform in South Africa’. And since anti- apartheid icons Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela played in the live 'Graceland’ tour (even though there were anti-apartheid demonstrators at some of the venues), you clearly convinced key members of the anti- apartheid movement that you were not colluding with, or intending in any way to promote, the apartheid regime.
We’re struggling to see any carry-over from this situation to your forthcoming concert in Ramat Gan, Israel, on July 21. You’ve played in Israel before, so perhaps this event doesn’t seem that important to you – just a one-night add-on to your US and European tour (and maybe that’s why the Ramat Gan date doesn’t figure in the tour list on your website)."
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We know you’re no stranger to controversy. When you recorded parts of 'Graceland’ in apartheid South Africa with black South African musicians, you were publicly criticised by the liberation movement, the ANC, and anti-apartheid organisations, for breaking the cultural boycott.
At the time, you told the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid that you yourself had 'refused to perform in South Africa’. And since anti- apartheid icons Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela played in the live 'Graceland’ tour (even though there were anti-apartheid demonstrators at some of the venues), you clearly convinced key members of the anti- apartheid movement that you were not colluding with, or intending in any way to promote, the apartheid regime.
We’re struggling to see any carry-over from this situation to your forthcoming concert in Ramat Gan, Israel, on July 21. You’ve played in Israel before, so perhaps this event doesn’t seem that important to you – just a one-night add-on to your US and European tour (and maybe that’s why the Ramat Gan date doesn’t figure in the tour list on your website)."
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