#BDS: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Proms, London

"The Proms is an annual musical event at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I didn't know but apparently it is organised by the BBC but now I do know I am not surprised that this year they have invited the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to perform.  Here's a letter in yesterday's Independent protesting at the BBC siding with the racist war criminals of the State of Israel yet again:


Proms exploited for arts propaganda campaign


As musicians we are dismayed that the BBC has invited the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to play at the Proms on 1 September. The IPO has a deep involvement with the Israeli state – not least its self-proclaimed "partnership" with the Israeli Defence Forces. This is the same state and army that impedes in every way it can the development of Palestinian culture, including the prevention of Palestinian musicians from travelling abroad to perform."


Read more

#BDS: Petition & Open Letter to Mona Eltahawy

"In February 2011, Mona Eltahawy accepted an invitation to a J-Streetconference in which she alleged that the Egyptian uprising of 25th January - 11th February 2011 was solely about internal issues and that it had nothing to do with Israel 

or the United States and its imperial control over Egypt and the wider 
Middle East. Indeed, she explicitly said "not one country's flag was 
burned... not one anti-Israeli or anti-American sentiment was 
expressed", and that Egyptians and other Arabs will embrace the Zionists
of J-Street, and Israeli Jews more generally, should they "march for 
Palestinian freedom and dignity".

We,
the undersigned, declare with emphasis the falsehood of both 
statements. While the first statement is easily falsified through a 
cursory review of photographic and journalistic evidence from the 18-day
uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak, the second statement is falsified 
in principle owing to the fact that Mona Eltahawy is NOT an elected 
spokesperson, negotiator or representative of ANY Egyptian or other Arab
movement, nor is she connected in any substantive way to any of the 
active Egyptian groups that are associated with the 25th January 
revolution, whether through the official, state-recognized 25th January 
Youth Coalition or through other political and social movements on the 
ground. In short, Mona Eltahawy speaks only for herself and is not an 
elected or legitimate spokesperson for public opinion in Egypt, 
Palestine or elsewhere in the Arab or Muslim world."

Read the rest of the petition and sign it here