Letter to the Editor
For dialogue. For peace. For two states living together side by
side
1967-2007: 40 years, 480 months, 14,610 days have passed since the
occupation began.
We - musicians and musicologists, composers, performers and music
teachers - protest the ongoing occupation which corrupts the image
of our state.
The ongoing control of the occupied territories and their
Palestinian residents is morally unjust.
The continuation of the occupation does not grant us security and
keeps us from freeing ourselves to deal with our country's burning
internal problems. We would rather live safely in the State of
Israel, diminished in territory, but in peace with its
neighbors.
We call on the government of Israel to adopt the saying "Peace is
done with one's enemies" not only as a cover-up for political
procrastinations but as a foundation for a realistic action plan.
Striving towards responsible negotiations with Hizbullah, the PLO,
Hamas, Lebanon and Syria is the only positive option.
We therefore call on the prime minister and his partners to
initiate immediate negotiations with the Palestinian leadership, as
well as with the leadership of the neighboring countries, and to
persist in negotiations with the same determination, courage and
creativity that characterized the IDF soldiers in Israel's wars. We
demand that you cease sending us, our children and our
grandchildren to wars of choice, and open a real offensive of
peace.
This letter, sent to the PIJ, was signed by 85 leading composers,
musicians and musicologists. Among them are:
Dr. Daniel Openheimer, composer and researcher
Prof. Avner Itai, conductor
Dr. Avner Bahat, musicologist
Prof. Shay Bourstein, musicologist
Yuval Ben-Ozer, conductor
Prof. Harry Golumb, musicologist
Prof. David Halperin, musicologist
Prof. Mira Zacai, musicologist
Dr. Hagar Kadima, composer
Maya Shavit, conductor
Prof. Arik Shapira, composer