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Last update - 09:54 11/05/2009
Anti-Israel activists urge Leonard Cohen to nix T.A. show
By Cnaan Liphshiz, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel news, leonard cohen 

Anti-Israel activists are stepping up efforts to dissuade Leonard Cohen from performing in Israel in September.

The activists urge supporters to "apply pressure during his tour by local groups along his path," in their most recent appeal, which was circulated on Monday in various pro-Palestinian mailing lists.

They added that letters "and various actions" might prove "instrumental in helping him take the decision to cancel his last concert." This, they explain, is because "it is obvious the situation in Palestine and Israel is quite clear to Leonard Cohen, to judge by his song entitled Questions for Shomrim.
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The poem begins with the words "And will my people build a new Dachau
and call it love, security, Jewish culture." It also reads: "You were our singing heroes in '48, do you dare ask yourselves what you are now" and: "now my son must die for he's an Arab."

The anti-Israel activists called on supporters to write to Cohen's manager and leave messages on his official online forum. They published a list of destinations on Cohen's tour, ending with Israel "if we are not successful."

In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Leonard Cohen flew to Israel to perform before reserves and regular soldiers fighting in the Sinai desert.

Two main letters of protest against the concert have been circulated so far. The most recent one was co-signed by a hundred Israelis and Palestinians, who wrote that Israel's "ruthless, criminal bashing of the Palestinians has met with little international criticism."

Addressing Cohen and urging him to cancel, the Israelis said: "We cannot envision you cooperating with continued Israeli defiance of justice and morality; we cannot envision you playing a part in the Israeli charade of self-righteousness." They included the poem Questions for Shomrim in their appeal.

The first letter of protest was published last month by Pro-Palestinian professors from the U.K. from the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine, who warned Cohen that he would be performing "for a public that by a very large majority had no qualms about its military forces' onslaught" in Gaza.

The scholars - Haim Bresheeth, Mike Cushman, Hilary Rose and Jonathan Rosenhead, added: "You will perform in a state whose propaganda services will extract every ounce of mileage from your presence. They will use it to whitewash their war crimes."

The authors of the letter explained that Cohen needs to cancel the show in Ramat Gan lest it be attended by Arab-killing Israeli soldiers who are "drinking beer" and "playing backgammon with their mates and going to discotheques."

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      1.   leonard performs in the usa and the difference is ?? 10:21  |  vhardman 11/05/09
      2.   Go Cohen Go 10:31  |  You sing in TA 11/05/09
      3.   Hypocrits 10:52  |  A mother 11/05/09
      4.   Engaging is the only proper Jewish response 11:08  |  Justyn 11/05/09
      5.   A Buddhist is unlikely to listen representatives of racist Pals 11:34  |  PETER SM 11/05/09
      6.   Responsibility and Israel 11:35  |  Natallie Durson 11/05/09
      7.   They more they pressure him... 11:55  |  MarkC 11/05/09
      8.   "Anti-Israel Activists"? Satmar, Neturei Karta, Arab terrorists? 12:04  |  Gray 11/05/09
      9.   Leonard Cohen is a great songwriter, but if he also.... 12:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/05/09
      10.   Peter, if I recall, it was Islamic Afghanistan that . . . 13:39  |  Zev Davis 11/05/09
      11.   Little inside how the world`s `condemnation` of Israel works 14:11  |  Good to know 11/05/09
      12.   Zev any civilidsed person would be outraged by the destruction 14:57  |  PETER SM 11/05/09
      13.   Stick to it, Leonard! 15:24  |  Michael 11/05/09
      14.   Durson: READ the comments of YOUR president 18:15  |  Arie 11/05/09
      15.   Until peace comes 18:56  |  SUzy 11/05/09
      16.   #9 dopey dino returns to cloud cuckoo land and 19:01  |  v hardman 11/05/09
      17.   3rd rate Professors,milking their alleged righteousness 19:29  |  Absolute Sweden 11/05/09
      18.   Leonard Cohen 19:42  |  |Renny 11/05/09
      19.   Natalie 19:50  |  Marc 11/05/09
      20.   Just bullying 20:02  |  RfaelMoshe 11/05/09
      21.   One question for Leonard Cohen though 20:15  |  JW 11/05/09
      22.   These anti-activists are actually racists.The IDF are Israeli `s 20:29  |  ks 11/05/09
      23.   Dear Leonard 20:30  |  fan 11/05/09
      24.   Natallie Durson.....about the Arab Muslims 20:40  |  Maria 11/05/09
      25.   Oy Noo 20:42  |  Lenny Fan 11/05/09
      26.   Hope he performs and shoves it to the war camp on both sides 20:50  |  newageblues 11/05/09
      27.   not `anti-Israel activists` but 20:55  |  fan 11/05/09
      28.   renny, if Israel wants to weaken Hamas, they should make clear 20:57  |  newageblues 11/05/09
      29.   Israel can do no right in the eyes of haters . 21:02  |  TOMY 11/05/09
      30.   hamas on mars,cohen in ramat gan 21:27  |  patrick hammel 11/05/09
      31.   Ha ! Good ol Leonard has to deal with the monster he created 22:15  |  Jew 11/05/09
      32.   Re Zev and Peter nos. 9 & 11 22:44  |  Colin Wright 11/05/09
      33.   Cohen did you also write about buses blown up by arabs? 23:37  |  JfromC 11/05/09
      34.   WRIGHT Cohen can read the racist nature of the Pal govt 00:05  |  PETER SM 12/05/09
      35.   To "Jew" 00:08  |  Mark 12/05/09
      36.   WRIGHT why dont you read my initial comment instead 00:19  |  PETER SM 12/05/09
      37.   Swiss he can see how the Swiss behave 00:21  |  PETER SM 12/05/09
      38.   just a thought 00:53  |  nl 12/05/09
      39.   apparently he did not write questions for shomrim 07:10  |  hm 17/05/09
      40.   A Jewish Response? 22:42  |  Petra 17/05/09
      41.   Obama will eventually be pro Israel 16:00  |  petra 26/05/09
      42.   ``Cohen`s `` poem 16:43  |  Daniel 25/06/09
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