NEW YORK, October 28, 2013 (WAFA) – Human rights advocates protested Sunday outside a New York theater where Israeli musician Idan Raichel was performing to denounce Israeli government policies towards the Palestinian people, a press release by the US-based Adalah-New York said.
Attendants of the concert who support the Israeli singer shouted
obscenities and made vulgar gestures at the protesters, mainly at the female
protesters, said Adalah.
Riham Barghouti from Adalah-NY said “Raichel, who identifies
himself as cultural ambassador for the state of Israel and a proud supporter of
the Israeli army, actively collaborates with the Israeli government’s “Brand
Israel” initiative which attempts to convey a positive image of Israel through
arts and culture, diverting attention from Israel’s brutal human rights abuses
and systematic denial of rights to the Palestinian people.”
Maureen Silverman, also from Adalah-NY, said “Idan Raichel
should use his position to truly speak out for human rights for all people by
supporting justice for Palestinians, and he should oppose the actions of
Israel’s government and army, rather than fronting for them. This boycott isn’t
about being Jewish or Israeli; it targets supporters of Israel’s unjust
policies.”
The protesters were part of the growing international movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, to pressure Israel to end its human rights abuses. The Palestinian-led BDS movement is a nonviolent campaign for Palestinian rights inspired by the international boycott campaign that helped to abolish apartheid in South Africa.
M.S.
