Throughout history, the fine arts have played pivotal roles in cultural politics. An ability to communicate that crosses borders and languages plays an essential role in creating understanding among diverse – and often warring – peoples. The arts transcend negative and restrictive political divisions, and have, at crucial and historical times, become agents in and of themselves for social change.
On March 25, a Palestinian youth orchestra, The Strings of Freedom, comprised of 12 to 17 year olds from the Jenin refugee camp, played for elderly Holocaust survivors in a particularly poignant concert.
Today, the New York Times reported that the leader of the Jenin’s Popular Committee condemned the concert, said the young musicians had been exploited...for the purpose of "normalizing" ties with Israel, and banned the orchestra’s director from returning to the camp.
Published on March 25, the article, Palestinians Serenade Survivors in Israel, described a heartwarming scene.
The well-publicized concert was sponsored as a part of Israel’s annual Good Deeds Day, an annual event sponsored by Ruach Tova, a non-profit organization founded by Shari Arison, an Israeli-American businesswoman and Israel’s wealthiest citizen. Ruach Tova brings together nonprofit groups with volunteers. Wafaa Younis, a retired music teacher and director of the Israeli-Arab orchestra, approached them about having Strings of Freedom play in Israel as part of the day’s programs. The youth orchestra was matched with Amcha, "an Israeli association that provides Holocaust survivors with emotional and social support."
On March 25, Strings of Freedom played for an hour in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, and their audience "clapped along, trying to keep up with the changing rhythms of the darbouka drums." In as unlikely a vision as possible, Palestinian children and elderly Israelis interacted and enjoyed each other’s company, and, despite a brick wall of language barriers, communicated the joy of making and listening to music.
Said Younis, who traveled to Jenin every week for several years to teach music in the camp, "We are here to play...I do not believe in politicians, only musicians and these children."
The first item in the short concert was a specially composed Arabic song, "We Pray for Peace." The youths performed it standing, with the seriousness of a funeral dirge. Things livened up a little once the darboukas came out. Ms. Arison, who attended the well-publicized event, was invited to dance.
By the end, it was hard to tell who had done the good deed for whom.
The NYT article points out that both groups had little knowledge of the other’s backgrounds and history:
One of the young musicians, Qusai Samur, 17, looked blank when asked about the Holocaust. He said he knew only what somebody here had told him — that these people lived alone as children because their parents had been killed.
One of the audience members, a 73 year old woman from Poland who came to Israel from a German displacement camp, "said she was ‘surprised’ and ‘very excited,’ seeing things were possible "not by war." This was the fourth time Strings of Freedom had played in Israel; "on a rare trip out of the West Bank, [they] were all smiles."
Said Ms. Younis, "Israel should give them violins," she said. "We take the pain out of people’s hearts."
What a beautiful story.
But in today’s NYT article, Concert for Holocaust Survivors Is Condemned, the leader of Jenin’s political activists, said the children had been "exploited...for the purpose of ‘normalizing’ ties with Israel. Adan al-Hindi is the leader of the camp’s Popular Committee, "a grassroots group representing the Palestine Liberation Organization."
Mr. Hindi said by telephone that the children had been "deceived" and dragged unwittingly into a political situation that "served enemy interests" and aimed to "destroy the Palestinian national spirit in the camp." ..."It was a shock and a surprise to the children and their relatives," he said, adding that Ms. Younis had told the young musicians’ families only that the trip to Holon was an opportunity for artistic self-expression.
Ms. Younis is banned from the camp, and the studio she had been renting was sealed.
They want to destroy this group," she said. "It’s a shame, it’s a tragedy. What did these poor, elderly people do wrong? What did these children do wrong?
UPDATE
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As with media coverage of any I/P event, other articles have surfaced that question whether the authorities and parents involved had prior knowledge that the orchestra was to perform in Israel. In the interest of providing additional information, here are the links provided by commentators:
From unspeakable, Ma'an
From palestinian professor, AP