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Israeli musician Daniel Barenboim. (Reuters)
Last update - 21:37 13/01/2008
Israeli pianist Daniel Barenboim takes Palestinian citizenship
By News Agencies
Tags: Palestinians, peace process 

Daniel Barenboim, the world renowned Israeli pianist and conductor, has taken Palestinian citizenship and said he believed his rare new status could serve a model for peace between the two peoples.

"It is a great honor to be offered a passport," he said late on Saturday after a Beethoven piano recital in Ramallah, the West Bank city where he has been active for some years in promoting contact between young Arab and Israeli musicians.

"I have also accepted it because I believe that the destinies of ... the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are inextricably linked," Barenboim said. "We are blessed - or cursed - to live with each other. And I prefer the first."
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"The fact that an Israeli citizen can be awarded a Palestinian passport, can be a sign that it is actually possible," he continued.

Former Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouthi, who helped organize Saturday's concert, said the passport had been approved by the previous government of which he was a member and which was replaced in June. The passport had actually been issued about six weeks ago, he added.

Argentine-born Barenboim, 65, is a controversial figure in his adoptive homeland, both for his promotion of 19th-century composer Richard Wagner - whose music and anti-Semitic writings influenced Adolf Hitler - and vocal opposition to Israeli policies in the Palestinian territories.

Asked about U.S. President George W. Bush's remarks last week on a visit to the region that a peace could be signed this year, Barenboim warned of the danger of raising hopes too high.

"It would be absolutely horrible if now, with good intentions, expectations are raised which will not be able to be fulfilled," Barenboim said. "Then we will sink into an even greater depression."

Though he dismissed any wish to play a political role, the former music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra took a dig at Bush's strikingly forceful call in Jerusalem last week for Israel to end, in the president's own words, "the occupation."

"Now even not very intelligent people are saying that the occupation has to be stopped," Barenboim said.

Along with the late Palestinian academic Edward Said, he co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, made up of young musicians from Israel, the Palestinian territories and neighboring Arab countries.


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  1.   Traitor 16:14  |  Avraham 13/01/08
  2.   who cares 16:22  |  yaheskel 13/01/08
  3.   zai gezunt 16:25  |  in israel 13/01/08
  4.   Avraham 16:25  |  Jim 13/01/08
  5.   Liberals don`t get 16:25  |  Eli 13/01/08
  6.   i know many think of barenboim as a candidate 16:25  |  purplehaze 13/01/08
  7.   Arrogant, self-righteous traitor 16:28  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/01/08
  8.   Hero 16:29  |  John Stein 13/01/08
  9.   Take a look in the mirror, Avraham # 1 16:31  |  Clickfool 13/01/08
  10.   No different than the Jew who became a Catholic Cardinal 16:31  |  Marty 13/01/08
  11.   Don`t tell them that you are Jewish. 16:33  |  Gilad 13/01/08
  12.   Barenboim & Wagner 16:37  |  AW - Jerusalem 13/01/08
  13.   armchair general Benmayor denying courage of Barenboim 16:41  |  Mark B. 13/01/08
  14.   Bonheur 16:42  |  alan 13/01/08
  15.   Very Selfish 16:43  |  Rolland 13/01/08
  16.   "Palestine" - where is it ??? 16:45  |  eddie - Haifa 13/01/08
  17.   What a Brave & Heroic Soul. Kudos... 16:45  |  POP 13/01/08
  18.   Peace in the Middle East 16:52  |  AsherW 13/01/08
  19.   D.B.what is a next step?Sex change? 16:56  |  Jacob 13/01/08
  20.   Good. Now we can treat him as an enemy citizen 16:57  |  Joel Stein 13/01/08
  21.   Welcome Mr Baenboim 17:05  |  Roland 13/01/08
  22.   Can I get a Palestininan passport too!! 17:08  |  gal 13/01/08
  23.   Lets see how long he would survive living in Palestinian land 17:08  |  Jon 13/01/08
  24.   Interesting times 17:10  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
  25.   #6, Eli, how is dual citizenship capitulation? 17:14  |  newageblues 13/01/08
  26.   Bravo, Daniel Barenboim! 17:16  |  Erico Stern 13/01/08
  27.   Barenboim dual citizen 17:19  |  Ussishkin 13/01/08
  28.   Transfer him now 17:22  |  Meir 13/01/08
  29.   "YES" to a multi-cultural and democratic PA with equal rights! 17:23  |  AliciaYasmeen 13/01/08
  30.   A good way to celebrate... 17:30  |  Eugene 13/01/08
  31.   Meir 17:35  |  Roland 13/01/08
  32.   Symbolic gestures 17:41  |  A mother 13/01/08
  33.   # 10 Clickfool 17:41  |  Avraham 13/01/08
  34.   #17 - Palestine where is it? 17:41  |  Lola 13/01/08
  35.   He is My Hero 17:49  |  de deak 13/01/08
  36.   Daniel Barenboim 17:51  |  Erico Stern 13/01/08
  37.   Hey Eugene ! 17:51  |  David James Vickery 13/01/08
  38.   Who is he kidding? 17:53  |  Raoul 13/01/08
  39.   to Chris # 25 and Gal #23- great remark! 17:53  |  Astonished Israeli 13/01/08
  40.   Baremboim can do it because he has a British passport 17:54  |  Iz Ray Leigh 13/01/08
  41.   israeli pianist Barenboim takes Palestinian citizenship 17:54  |  Fred Khoury 13/01/08
  42.   lets see if he goes and lives in gaza now 17:58  |  dale 13/01/08
  43.   lets see if he goes and lives in gaza now 18:00  |  dale 13/01/08
  44.   On claim that Carl Orff was an active Nazi 18:03  |  newageblues 13/01/08
  45.   Kol HaKavod, Mr. Barenboim 18:08  |  Lisa 13/01/08
  46.   Let him liv there.... 18:11  |  Yaakov 13/01/08
  47.   so why not let the settlers have Palestinian citizenship too 18:16  |  bob 13/01/08
  48.   Bring back the musical menschen! 18:16  |  Raoul 13/01/08
  49.   Ego maniac 18:24  |  NS 13/01/08
  50.   Extremist refuse peace 18:24  |  Eli 13/01/08
  51.   Bob #49 18:28  |  Roland 13/01/08
  52.   I bet he kept his Israeli passport 18:29  |  Ron 13/01/08
  53.   We heartly welcome Daniel Barenboim and all his likes. 18:31  |  Mohamed 13/01/08
  54.   lets talk positive for ones 18:33  |  Fouad Abu-ghosh 13/01/08
  55.   God bless Daniel Barenboim 18:36  |  Markos 13/01/08
  56.   I would like to have this opportunity too, also Cuban citizenshio 18:37  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/01/08
  57.   Jews of Palestine 18:37  |  bb 13/01/08
  58.   Bonheur #2: what are you talking about? cher bonheur, - 18:37  |  ivo 13/01/08
  59.   Mr...Daniel Barenboim`s new citizenship 18:41  |  Ro 13/01/08
  60.   #14 Iz Ray Leigh 18:47  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
  61.   This is beautifull. 18:51  |  Edith 13/01/08
  62.   Go to Gaza or Ramallh! 18:55  |  Vital 13/01/08
  63.   Daniel Barenboim could get the red carpet 18:59  |  Avi 13/01/08
  64.   What ever happend to.. 19:02  |  Avi 13/01/08
  65.   His Palestinian passport 19:02  |  Sidney 13/01/08
  66.   To 1 and 2. 19:09  |  Vital 13/01/08
  67.   Barenboim deserves Nobel Peace Prize 19:12  |  Chanalau, Tova 13/01/08
  68.   A very impressive gesture 19:13  |  Tosefta 13/01/08
  69.   ivo...hello 19:14  |  Lynn 13/01/08
  70.   Chris 19:18  |  Iz Ray Leigh 13/01/08
  71.   Kennedy a Hamburger - Iz Reigh Leigh whatever 19:18  |  Philip