Israeli rights group to The Pixies: Don't perform in Israel
Academic, artists urge boycott of Israeli institutions to protest government's West Bank policies.
By Noya Kohavi and Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel news West BankAn Israeli human rights group is urging the American alternative rock band the Pixies to cancel their June 9 concert in Israel.
"As much as some of us are huge fans and would love to hear your show, we won't cross the international picket line that is growing in numbers steadily nowadays to come and see you," the group Boycott! wrote Monday.
The organization urges academics and artists to shun Israeli institutions in protest of the government's policies in the West Bank. "The picket line might not always be visible; yet it is there."
Last month, a group of British academics unsuccessfully called on singer Elton John to cancel his scheduled performance in Israel this June.
"Political or not political, when you stand up on that stage in Tel Aviv, you line yourself up with a racist state," the British Committee for Universities of Palestine wrote in an open letter to John on Monday. "Do you want to give them the satisfaction? Please don't go."
In the letter, the group urged John to read the Goldstone Commission's report on Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza last year in order to understand why his performance carried an inherently political undertone.
Israel boycotters succeeded just weeks ago in convincing Santana to cancel his own performance. Similar attempts to get Leonard Cohen and Paul McCartney to stay away, however, failed.
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What can israeli normal people could have done? it's didn't like we know about what the army ment to fo. even the army didn't ment to kill people! the fact that they atarted to hit the israeli soldiers it's there fault! what could they have done? sit and wait until the arabs will kill them? wow, that sound like a vbery good plant. I'm 14 years old israeli girl and I just love pixies! I saves many so much time for watch them showing, and know I can't do it. they canceld the show! I don't hate Arabs, and I don't have something aginst them. so thank you for destroy it. thank on nothing.
first of all you (western nations) got double standart 'coz you all afraid of the Muslims and how they will react every now and then. I wanna c your behavior when resturants&buseswill explode in your citys,its very easy to judge us when you live in paradise and we stuck here with them. but you know what ,lets leave politics. I dont understand how can u mix politics and art ,spacialy music. Its a shame .
Israel takes far more care for human rights than most of the countries in the region, and yet the BDS movement only attacks Israel, not (for example) Saudi Arabia, where sexual apartheid REALLY exists; Yemen, where people are slaughtering religious minorities; Iran, which is rapidly turning into a police state; or Syria, which already IS a police state. BDS = Blatant Double Standard.
Thanks to people like yourself Peace will never happen. I was in the past very active in the Israeli Womens Peace movement and visited your country many times. Was...not anymore... How can you expect me to be in favor of you and yours while you call for the destruction of me and mine? You are out of your mind with that apartheid movement.
Israeli Rights group? What are these people still doing here? Educating us common people and teaching us a little lesson: we are not supposed to have fun, even not for a minute? These are probably the same people that write in Facebook that they are from Palestine while living within the Green Line and studying in Israels universities while making use of all the accomplishments and facilities that were built here through the years. There are no limits it seems to being a radical left winger. I am not happy with this government, I am not happy there is no Peace but to call for cultural and economic boycott of your own country is totally crazy.
Dubai?s police chief, Lt.-Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, said on Monday that authorities in the Gulf emirate would be on the lookout for ?Jews.? Where are all the self-serving Boycotters now? Or do they support anti-semitism?
Btw ,the group uring Elton John to "read Goldbrick" ,have they read anything on situation of gays in the pal society ?
You mean like Santana?
The Pixies are awesome. I'm sure, if they come here, they will do right by all concerned. Boycotting art just doesn't make sense. Besides, you average conservative Israeli is not going to like this band. PPfffft.
....some very clear public statements, and not the usual kind of Tony Blair "2 people for 2 states" bla bla bla alibi talk. If those statements don't come, I won't even consider anymore to go to a Pixies concert or to buy any of their future releases, be it from The Pixies (??) or Frank Black solo.... And I'm a huge fan of them.
I find it interesting that a group without a name, a website, nor stated members is able to attract the attention of this newspaper and garner a platform for their warped message? Seems that any group intent on staining Israel's name finds its rightful place in this newspaper. Agenda?
If you disagree with Israel's actions in the West Bank, fine; speak out against the government, don't punish Israelis who want to see a great band play.
Are some being funded by NIF ?
The millions of us outside of Israel who see the success of the BDS movement are delighted when our brothers and sisters in Israel join our efforts. Together we will end Israeli apartheid.
When that happens, I'll begin to consider taking them seriously.
Jerks, let them stay home.
idiots
be allowed back.
Wiki article on hrg "Boycott!": Human rights group boycotts expression of free speech. That's rich!