Guest Post from Waleed.
Madonna just confirmed her last 2009 tour date at Tel Aviv’s Yehoshua Gardens (HaYarkon Park) on September 1st. This is bound to be big news come tomorrow morning as this is going to put an end to all the rumors and speculations of her coming to the region.
A Palestinian village once stood where she would be performing in (the village of Jarisha). As reported in the past, many international artists have canceled their slated tours in Israel including the Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode, Kelly Clarkson, Bjork, Snoop Dogg and India.Arie to name a few. Obviously, I think she should join the ranks of all the rest.
Here is the open letter I wrote to Madonna:
Dear Madonna,
As a super fanatic Palestinian-American fan, it’s very sad to learn that you confirmed your last date of your Sticky & Sweet Tour in Israel. At a time when the international community is sickened by the unconscionable, merciless attacks and wanton destruction rained down upon the Palestinians of Gaza, your final tour date suggests that you don’t acknowledge Israel’s continued international law violations and pending war crimes against its indigenous population, nor do you realize that you will only be performing to one people in a land shared by two.
It’s hard to fathom that you didn’t see the absolutely gruesome and harrowing scenes in Gaza during its massacre. This year alone, Israel killed over 1,400 Palestinians in the blockaded strip with 5,300 more casualties either injured, blinded, amputated or brain dead after the assault as its citizens celebrated the destruction of the encaged people. During its bombing campaign, Israel experimented its new weapons on a population under siege and long suffering from fear, hunger and hopelessness with no where else to go.
For someone that has been so concerned with human rights as you have, please understand that while half the population lives in a vibrant first world, the other half is confined to a life of ghettoized misery by the Israeli military occupation. Palestinians not only suffer from a siege in Gaza, but the remainder are either discriminated in Israel proper or have to deal with systematic killings, dehumanizing checkpoints or have their land and water confiscated and houses demolished in the West Bank. The state of Israel usurps, suppresses, denies and continues to destroy its native inhabitants on a daily basis. The occupation it maintains does not discriminate between men and women, old and young, or gay and straight Palestinians; Israel’s treatment of its native inhabitants violates many international laws and contravenes basic fundamental human rights.
Madonna, I urge you to recognize Israel’s barbarity towards the Palestinians. Your arrival to Israel would serve a slap in the face to the Palestinian struggle for freedom and sovereignty; not only to those living under the brutal occupation, but to the continued efforts of the international community and the many peace activists who are encouraging a boycott of this aggressive state.
You’ve stood up for everything from rights of minorities in this country to being the very first to speak out against the Iraq war at a time when it wasn’t the most popular thing to do. And you have no idea how elated I was when you ended your Re-Invention tour with the message of peace with both Palestinian and Israeli flags side by side; but now it hurts to know you want to perform in Israel – preferring this state whose newly elected government does not even recognize the Palestinian’s right to exist. Please stand up and join the many others who are criticizing the excesses and inhuman policies of the Israeli government.
Cancel your Tel Aviv date and don’t support a country whose policies of ethnic cleansing and oppression have endured for over 60 years.
Related posts:
- An Open Letter to Our American Colleagues in the Midst of the Massacre in Gaza
- An Open Letter to Abbas
- Letter to Snoop: Drop Israel Show!
- Israel Boycott Movement Comes to U.S.
- HRW’s Amazing Letter & The Open Conspiracy in Palestine
Of course she would end her concert in Israel. . .she goes by the name of Esther due to her new religion which is Kabbalah.
Posted by Anon | June 3, 2009, 4:50 amHopefully she'll think straight, but with all those Kabalists around her, i doubt it.
Posted by Meranda_J | June 3, 2009, 5:17 amI should have corrected myself earlier. I meant that Kabbalah is her "new" religion because prior to her discovery of Kabbalah; she was raised a Catholic. It's interesting to note that she appears very ignorant about the plights of the Christians in Israel as they are treated very badly as well.
Posted by Anon | June 3, 2009, 5:54 pmall of u are soo idiot..go to do something else..madonna is coming to israel..and israel is THE BEST COUNTRY EVER¡..
Posted by lisa | June 3, 2009, 6:59 pmFUCK ISRAEL AND ISRAELIANS. THE PIGS ISRAELIANS ARE PIGS. U R LIVING ON ILLEGAL LANDS, ON THE LANDS OF ARABS. U JUST WAIT TILL ANOTHER "HOLOCAUST" HIT U. THIS TIME THERE WILL BE HITLER THIS TIME USAMA AND AL-QAIDA WILL HIT U AND HIT U IN SUCH A WAY THAT U WILL NOT EVEN SPEAK UP. BASTARD SAYING "THE BEST COUNTRY EVER". IT IS THE WORST AND DIRTY LAND EVER. U DIRTY PIGS ARE MAKING BEAUTIFUL LAND DIRTY BY YOUR SHIT.
Posted by Anis | September 25, 2009, 6:10 amfuck urselves everyone but lisa….lisa i agree with u..ISRAEL IS THE BEEEEEEEST….
Posted by SHMULI | June 3, 2009, 7:08 pmLisa and Shmuli~
I agree with you both ISRAEL IS THE BEEEEEEEEST AT BEING FUCKED UP. . . .
Got it?
Posted by Anon | June 4, 2009, 10:28 pmHonestly, I would start getting her stuff bootlegged–if in fact you still wanted to listen to her music at all. She has disappointed me when it comes to how ignorant she continues to be around the Palestinian issue.
Can't we just supplant her with Julia Boutrus? At least she can sing!
Posted by arab.american | June 4, 2009, 11:42 pmSYUsFT comment4 ,
Posted by Mknnowuj | June 25, 2009, 8:12 am7f7hdE comment4 ,
Posted by Egrfspyj | June 28, 2009, 8:34 amhay! were do you bring this facts from? there was no palestinian village were park hayarkon is! depeche mode did perform in israel, yes they did cancel a show once but not because of this reasons!!!
stop spreading bullshit! i don't know shit about what going on in israel! come to israel and see yourself what kind of animals most of the palsetiniane are! bye beliving the the wrong things you see in the TV only makes you fucked up with yourself!!
Maddona wil give the best show ever in israel and only because of good resons!!!
Posted by Krup | August 10, 2009, 9:55 pmI've been to Israel quite a few times.
And you treat Palestinians like dog shit. Actually, far worse than dog shit really.
Also, there were Palestinian villages all over the current state of Israel. The first thing you can do is apologize to those people whose villages were destroying by Israeli militias and for ethnically cleansing the people living there. The second thing you can do is end the brutal occupation hanging over the heads of the Palestinian people.
Then and only then will you be able to live in peace with your neighbors.
Posted by Arayus | August 10, 2009, 10:32 pmHate this filthy idiot facsist whore!
She is the Hitler with the cunt
she is dirt for Israel
Posted by Naomii | August 11, 2009, 5:27 pmISRAEL is the BEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
NO PLACE FOR SHITTING WHORES THAT WANT OUR MONEY!!!!!!!
Posted by Naomi | August 11, 2009, 5:28 pmIsrael is a fresh flower among all the ugly arab countries…….
Posted by david | August 31, 2009, 5:44 pmTHE DEAT OF ISRAELIANS IS VERY NEAR. JUDEGEMENT DAY WILL ARRIVE SOON. JOJ-MAJOJ AND DAJJAL WILL BE SOON HERE. AL-QAIDA WILL KILL U IN YOUR DIRTY ISRAEL. JUST WAIT A LITTLE MORE.
Posted by aNIS | September 25, 2009, 6:13 amI came from London to the concert last night in Tel Aviv, she glows and shines in the holy land of Israel.
she knows the truth about the Israeli-palestinian conflict and who's the one who makes it impossible….
Posted by shiva111 | September 2, 2009, 5:46 amWalleed, Guess what Madonna rocked gr8 show ! , now few facts your letter is biased (and this is an underdog) you are basing you facts on lies , such as: Palas Village where Park Hayarkon Stands today? Last Israel Military Campaign new weapons – yet another dirty lie there… , In addition the last thing you should mention is human rights where the fanactic part of your ppl is bombing it self with-in Civilian Population on Israel Major Cities , as for the right to exist this is funny as the current PM of IL specifically said Palestine state along with Israel , its you ppl who are not willing to recognize israel as a state who has the right to live in security and prosperity.
Bottom Line – The thing that you do not understand is that as long as you cont. the Terror and Missiles to Israeli Major Cities you will leave under siege and will not be able to prosper , I cannot understand how your ppl will differ land over Decent life and economic prosper….
Posted by KBB | September 2, 2009, 10:46 pmI'm a longtime Madonna fan, but she needs to be a bit more consistent in her opposition to racism. I cheered her when she condemned the racism against the ROMA, but to perform in a colonial apartheid state like Israel is just too much. And now she's hanging out with war criminal Netanyahu? Madge, you lost a fan today. Israel is waging a genocidal, one-sided war against Palestinian civilians and apparently Madonna thinks that's okay. Shame on Madonna!
Long live Palestine!
Posted by Lonnie | September 5, 2009, 7:55 pmMay God forgive you … Only God can do it.
Palestine will raise !!
Posted by Ursula | September 6, 2009, 1:00 amhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middl…
Posted by eagle007blogger | September 6, 2009, 3:55 pmI definitely understand everything you have explained. In reality, I browsed through your several other posts and I’m sure you are absolutely right. Congrats with this website.
Posted by Raul Chaples | August 8, 2011, 5:53 pm