Home > WOMEN IN BLACK-LOS ANGELES: Dear members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

WOMEN IN BLACK-LOS ANGELES: Dear members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

by Open-Publishing - Monday 20 November 2006
6 comments

Edito Demos-Actions Wars and conflicts International USA

WomeninBlackLA@gmail.com

Dear members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra,

It is with great respect for classical music in general, and for the music of the Israel Philharmonic in particular that we, members of Women in Black, Los Angeles are writing you this letter. Some of us are Israelis now living in the US. We grew up attending concerts of the orchestra, and remember the experience with so much joy. We have the deepest appreciation for artists, musicians in this instance, and see you as being on the leading edge of Israeli society and as powerful opinion leaders in your communities.

Learning that the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing next February at the prestigious Disney Hall in Los Angeles, following other concerts in New York and San Francisco, we are inspired to ask you this:

Are you willing to take a public stand to denounce the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza?

Will you call for an end to Occupation as a first step toward a viable peace, and for honest negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders?

We are not just speaking from far away. Some of us have been in Israel /Palestine over the past few years. We have witnessed the Apartheid Wall, the checkpoints, and the daily humiliation and violence an entire population of Palestinians has endured for nearly forty years. Like many in Israel and the global community, we feel that this Occupation must end. And like many other groups in the United States and in Los Angeles, we hope that, as representatives of the State of Israel, you will take a public stand on this issue.

The Occupation is damaging both Palestinians and Israelis, with so much suffering on both sides. Former US President, Jimmy Carter, has recently written a book "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid" due for release November 14. In his summary Carter writes:

"Israel’s current policy in the territories is a system of Apartheid, with two peoples occupying the same land but completely separated from each other, with Israelis totally dominant and suppressing violence by depriving Palestinians of their basic human rights. Israel’s continued control and colonization of Palestinian land have been the primary obstacles to a comprehensive peace agreement in the Holy Land."

Imagine that the Israel Philharmonic’s denouncement of the Occupation and call for peace and justice will have a huge positive ripple effect on Israeli society. Imagine a future where Israelis and Palestinians share the resources of their land with respect and appreciation for each others’ humanity, cultures and needs. Maybe it’s the artists and musicians who will finally bring peace and justice to Israel, Palestine and the region.

We look forward to hearing from you by November 22, 2006 regarding your stand against the Occupation.
Thank you,
Peace and blessings,

Women in Black, Los Angeles
Women in Black, Vienna, Austria
Deena Metzger, Author/Philosopher, Topanga ,CA
Wally Marks, Los Angeles, CA
Therese Tappouni, ISIS, Oceanside, CA
Jerrold Cohen, PhD, Editor, the Occupation Report, CA
Elana Wesley, Musician & Peace and Human Rights Activist, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Belinda Bauer, Santa Monica, CA
Jalaledin Ebrahim, Oxnard, CA
Wendy Sharpe, St Ives, NSW, Australia
Hanna Elias, filmmaker, Los Angeles, CA
Nan Budinger,, Writer, San Francisco, CA
Frances Fujii, M.A., Los Angeles, CA
William Richert, Writer/Director, Santa Monica, CA
Daphne Banai, Tel Aviv, Israel
Gloria E. Garvin, PhD, Producer, Press for Democracy, Joseph, OR
Barbara Gluck, The Global Light Network
Hedy Epstein, Women in Black, St Louis, MO
Taghrid Shbita, Human Rights Lawyer, Tira, Israel
Ramon S. Bagatsing III, Manila, Philippines
Ivan Strasburg, Cinematographer, Los Angeles, CA
Juan A. Alvarez, Consultant and Music Lover, Madrid, Spain
James Lafferty, attorney and host of the Lawyers Guild Show, LA
Ramona Sliva, Los Angeles, CA
Alison Pickford, Melvern UK
Waltraud Shauer, Vienna, Austria
Robert H. Stiver, Pearl City, Hawaii, USA
Kevin Damato, iWitness Palestine, Los Angeles, CA
Nadia S. Betterford, educator, CA, USA
Rev Barbara Grace Ripple, United Methodist Church, Honolulu, Hawaii
Pat Blair, Hawaii, USA
Paul Larudee, ISM, Northern CA, USA
Ellen Rohlfs, Gush Shalom, Leer, Germany
Judith Keshet, Writer, Jerusalem/Lancaster, UK
Jasmine Gado, Santa Monica, CA
Mahmood Ibrahim, PhD, History professor, Los Angeles, CA
Nancy Halpern, Los Angeles, CA
Jenny Heintz, CodePink NY, Granny Peace Brigade, NYC, NY
Gabriel Piterberg, History professor, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Phyllis Solomon, Seal Beach, CA USA
Nina von Teussing, filmmaker, Los Angeles
CONGRESSMAN Paul FIndley (Illinois)
Anthony Joseph Yuja, Florence, Italy
Genevieve Cora Fraser, Orange MA, USA
David Wittry, Artist, Los Angeles
Dorothy Naor, Hertzelia, Israel
Erica Ben, Seattle Washington, USA
Smadar Carmon, Jewish Women against the Occupation, Toronto, CANADA
Michael S. Smith, Litigator, NYC, NY
Marianne Huston, Worthington, Ohio
Yadi Hashemi, Engineer, Hawthorn, CA
Dave Reed, Greensboro, NC, USA
Enrique Ferro, Brussels, Belgium
Doreen Shapiro, Women of a Certain Age, New York
Larry Zweig. Solidarity International, Fuerth, Germany
Don Bustany, Los Angeles, CA
Karen Platt, Jewish Voice for Peace, Albany, NY
Donald J. Moore, S.J., West Side Jesuit Community, NY
Tsilli Goldenberg, Jerusalem Israel

Forum posts

  • From a VERY AWARE Goyim’....Thank you, thank you,thank you.Without the help of NON zionist,NON TALMUDIC, Jews we goyim’ little chance of bringing the truth to the World

  • Very impressive movement. We have to pound all war mongers and confront them with their actions.

    • Very impressive indeed...self haters one and all. Why not ask the Palestinians to stop their endless terror on Israel? For example, stop the Quassam rockets that are fired from Gaza every day. This is the response Israel gets from withdrawing. That would be the same response following a West Bank withdrawal. Why not ask Hamas and companay to recognize that Israel has a right to exist? Perhaps that might be a good starting point.

  • First of well done, to take the stand against the terrorist regime in Israel who is sytematically commitiing genocide in Palestine. To answer the person who has called you "self haters", I have this to say, Israeli’s have been stabbing Palestinians in the back, the Palestinians in their defence have only the capability to stand on israeli toes, and then israel in retaliation for such defiance not only kills the palestinains, but also their families, and then destroys their houses and property. A perfect example of this was Lebanon, where two Israeli soldiers were captured in the lebanese side of the border, and that was enough for Israel to rain down missiles, bombs, cluster bombs, kill a thousand plus civilians, and send the country twenty years back. Isareli’s are war criminals!!!

  • Just a moment here.........This is, after all, LA we’re talkin’ about............maybe they’re just cross dressers lookin’ for some cheap media face time..........................