Noa

נאום להפגנה בכיכר ספרא בירושלים של ישראל חופשית נגד הדרת נשים 7-12-11

2011-12-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

ערב טוב שמי אחינועם ניני. מגיל 5 עד גיל 15 למדתי בישיבה אורטודוקסית בניו יורק, הצטיינתי בלימודי משנה וגמרא, הגעתי למקום 3 בחידון התנ"ך. את זה בטח לא ידעתם. אז אף אחד שלא ימכור לי סיפורים.

כל ביטוי של הדרת נשים, מעבר להיותו פרשנות גברית קיצונית, מקוממת ואפילו חסרת אינטלגנציה לדברים האמורים בכתבי הקודש, פוגע בכולנו כמגדר, ובכל אחת מאיתנו כפרט. אך הדרת נשים איננה רק מטרה הרסנית כשלעצמה! היא חלק ממרוץ נגד הזמן ליציקת תוכן רדיקלי במושג "יהודית" מתוך הצמד "יהודית ודמוקרטית" מושג שבמשך השנים נעשה מקובל על דעת מרבית הציבור היהודי, ללא עירעור או מחשבה שנייה. מושג שלפתע הפך לאחד ממעוזי סרבנות השלום מבית מדרשו של נתניהו.

האופוריה המשיחית שהתעוררה בעקבות מלחמת ששת הימים עמדה במבחן יום הכיפורים והתערערה לראשונה רק בתקופת הסכמי אוסלו. אז, באותה תקופה הרת גורל הוסר ה"איום" כביכול על ידי שלושה כדורי אקדח נוראיים.

בעת פינוי עזה וגם לאחר נאום בר אילן נתערערה האופוריה בשנית אך הפעם זרק ראש הממשלה חבל הצלה: על ההנהגה הפלשתינית מוטלת החובה להכיר במדינת ישראל כמדינה יהודית! מאותו רגע התחיל המרוץ נגד השעון. למנהיגי הימין ולרבנים הקיצוניים נותר רק להפוך את המדינה ליהודית כזו, שלעולם לא תתאפשר נורמליזציה עם אזרחי ישראל הערבים וכמובן עם שכנינו. כך יונצח הכיבוש, והגאולה תחיש פעמיה - אחרי מלחמת גוג ומגוג כמובן...

בהקשר זה נתפסת הדרת נשים כמוצב קל לכיבוש הניצב בדרכה של ההסתערות על אופייה של המדינה.
את יוזמות החקיקה המחרידות ואת ההשתלחות במערכת המשפט אנחנו רואות יום יום ולכאורה, יאמרו אחדים מאיתנו, אין קשר בין הדברים אבל אני אומרת יש ויש! ואני קוראת לכולנו לשיר ולא לחדול עד שנשיר את המסך המעוור את עיני הציבור ונחשוף את התוכנית ההזויה והמסוכנת הנרקמת מול עינינו...
היכן הבושה? להשתמש ביהדות, לטנפה כך, להניף אותה כקרדום פוליטי בשביל לחפור בו בדרך להשפלת ציבור שלם ויצירת טליבן מקומי?

אנחנו נלחמים על הערכים הבסיסיים החשובים ביותר של מדינתנו שהולכת לאיבוד מול עיננו. אני תוהה היכן יושבי האוהלים ומפגיני הקוטג'? או שמא אין הם סבורים שנשמתה ואפייה של המדינה שווים יציאה מהבית? מבחינתי שתיקה איננה אופציה. אני אינני חרדית אך חרדה בהחלט, לגורלה של מדינתי הכל כך אהובה, ולמורשת היהדות שכל חלקה טובה בה נרמסת ומתכערת בידי קיצוניים.

2011-11-13T03:19:00.000-08:00

The India Chronicles, part II, Delhi, and home.

Before I begin I wish to remind my readers that everything written here reflects the miniscule part of Delhi/India that I could take in and an acutely subjective point of view presented as a series of images in a stream of consciousness.

I read a quote that says “every statement you make about India, the exact opposite is also true”. With that in mind, I will begin.

The hotel:
Another five star contradiction in terms, The Lalit had a towering marble lobby and a whole battalion of faithful employees complete with Namaste and designer uniforms, a fancy roof pool, a bright red Ferrari and a shining silver Mazeratti parked out front and metal detectors everywhere. It could have been a complete twilight zone if only they’d manage to do something about the, well, ahem…surroundings. Everything can be scrubbed and swabbed, swept under the carpet and glazed with a smile, but the view from the window remains the same: a filthy shambles, covered in dust and grime, clogged with human traffic fused with any type of machine that will transport you from point A to point B and mired with some sort of foggy film that paints the sky grey well into late morning.

And as we’ve mentioned late morning, we can discuss….

The hours:

Nothing is opened until nearly 11 am. Why, I ask? No answer, as always. A country with a warm climate almost year round, where the sun sets early half the year and where no major signs of night life are visible (to me at least…but I am surely missing something) would, logic have it, function in the early hours, possibly break midday and resume in the afternoon when the blessed evening breeze comes in. But no, it doesn’t work that way…

The view from the car window:

“Delhi”, says the very erudite journalist from Times of India, one of the county’s major papers who had come to interview Mira and myself, “is probably India’s least chaotic city”.

From the car window I found it hard to come to terms with that statement. I saw nothing but chaos for five days.

The traffic? Indescribable. Constant horn honking, pushing and shoving of all and any type of vehicle, swarms of green and white three-wheeled buggies shooting in an out of the jam like drunken wasps, motorcycles coming within a hair of buses, coming within a split hair of taxis, stuck to private vehicles, all bullying each other endlessly albeit non violently (this is, after all, is the land that reared Gandhi), and all vying for space and motion, all striving for “progress”. All except the cows, whom, thank Krishna, had been herded out miraculously a few years back, I’d been told, by some “pied piper” method formerly unknown to man. Had they been part of the show I cannot think how the plot would unfold…!

It all would have been quasi-bearable had it not been for the beggars, especially the filthy, barefoot children or stick-figure mothers bearing infants in all states of heart wrenching disrepair and despair. These will come straight up to your window and push their noses against the glass, banging their small fists and demanding their share of your magnificent wealth. “You billionaire”, they say. Children as young as two or three years will weave their way into a four-lane major thoroughfare jammed with vehicles in a red light, in hope of gaining a few rupees. As the traffic begins to growl forward, you are left praying they make it alive to the side of the road, clutching the money they have hopefully succeeded in taking from you, that is, of course, if your conscience and heart have not yet developed that hardened crust that inevitably numbs your soul and enables you to turn them down. Gil and I gave most every time, despite the stories of the “beggar industry” ,horror tales of intentional maiming and other things I cannot even whisper to myself let alone say out loud. We gave despite the theories of caste and creed, of this being a ‘job’ for them, of how they were ‘born into it’ and so on and so forth. If we have aided any sinister powers I beg forgiveness from the god of compassion for our weakness and stupidity.

The side of the road, mostly, looks like a huge construction site or worse (a virtual post war situation. When the whole world does finally go to pieces, India will probably be thinking: what’s all the fuss? All in a days work).

There are piles of debris and waste everywhere, except near the embassies and government buildings, which have been spread out in Washington DC/Paris Champs Elysee style. Truth is, it looked pathetic to me. What in God’s name has that got to do with anything here (along with polo and cricket, in incongruent enigmas abound)? The lawns, far from well kept, were always strewn with bottles and plastic bags, or groups of people camped out, as they are everywhere, waiting for, who knows what?. The buildings all looked in need of drastic renovation, as did almost every single edifice I saw. Even at the height of an attempt at western glory, the shabbiness prevails. It makes you wonder. (That’s actually all I found myself doing here. Wondering)

The only buildings I saw which did NOT need repair were the extremely shiny, glittery squeaky clean fresh-out-of-the-box shopping malls on the outskirts of town. On our way to a meeting with a very prominent business man whose offices, adjoining such a mall, could very easily have graced Manhattan’s 5th Avenue, we encountered a steel and glass retail behemoth flaunting the whole western glamour-gale of consumer mania, from Mango to Zara to H&M and The Coffee Bean, and on it goes. How familiar that looked, how strangely out of place, how vulgar and comforting at the same time. I felt a little smile creeping up on me, imagining sari and kurta clad Indians drinking a ‘tall latte’ and trying on Penelope Cruz’s latest mini skirt.

And why not really? Better to leave them in the inhuman state of poverty that is so prevalent here for the sake of national geographic documentaries and gaping tourists? Shouldn’t we be happy that an emerging middle class is coming of its own?

At the very fringe of the mall complex I beheld the ugliest slum my eyes had seen so far. Mud and dirt, laundry hanging from barbed wire, piles of garbage, holes in the ground where people dwell as rats do. What cynical juxtaposition.

I love India’s unique nature, color, culture, it is fascinating and wonderful, I pray its beauty remain intact… but not at the expense of human dignity. A balance must, and I believe, will be found. In light of all this it is impossible not to ask big, unanswerable questions. How? Why? Until when? Where is it all going? How many years will it take if ever? What will the implications be on the rest of the world? Is there enough to go around? Basic terms like, fair, good, evil, wrong, right, human… constantly come to the front of your eyes, heart, mind and conscience, begging for some sort of unraveling. But like the edges of a fine pashmina scarf, the unraveling never comes. You are simply left wondering.

The Israeli embassy in Delhi and other Israelis we met:
The Israeli Embassy people, and their satellites, are some of some of the nicest, warmest people I have ever encountered. Chana, Achiya, Maayan, Yahel, the Ambassador and his wife, everybody’s children…all of us are deeply grateful to you for your open hearted hospitality and gentle generosity.

On the third night of our stay in Delhi we were asked by the ambassador to sing a song at the Rabin Memorial he had arranged in his home. We accepted, of course. Gil and I had been there at that fateful peace rally 16 years ago, singing, minutes before prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was murdered by a fellow Jew. And now, Thousands of miles away from home, in the most troubling times our country has known, with the paralyzing prospect of war in the air, a stalled peace process threatening to give way to more and more violence, dangerous ideas being spread by the highest government officials, and the mind boggling conclusion that the main, government-sponsored memorial event in Rabin Square that had taken place every year since his murder has become “irrelevant”…in the midst of all this, we find ourselves in a modest back yard in Delhi with a small group of Israelis, none willing to let go of this great man and his legacy. I sang with tears in my eyes.

Comic Relief:

Since the theaters had no dressing rooms to speak of, I was forced to come from the hotel all decked out, make up, hair, the whole shebang. I never ever do that, but here, what choice did I have? (India in that sense makes Italy AND Israel look like Switzerland :-).

SO, there I was in my high heels, waiting for the elevator holding my concert dress in its long black case, when a bell boy runs over to take it from me lest the madam hurt her pinky.

On our way down, with a shy smile he asks: “is maam going to a fashion show maam?”

“no” I reply with a smile, “I have a concert tonight”..

“oh, but maam must surely be a super model!”

Hah! I think, Come every day.

“no”, I say “maam is just a plain old singer”.

“oh, no, maam is a super model singer for sure maam. Good luck maam, you’ll surely be great maam!”

And so the Queen of Sheba walks out the elevator door followed by her number one fan in India, straight into the waiting taxi that smells of sweat and curry. Maam the singing super model waves goodbye, and carries a little smile in her heart the whole evening.

The Markets:

The markets are thoroughly delicious. I just couldn’t get enough of them. So many thrilling objects! Oh, the colors, the textures, the diversity, the bargaining, the treasures and disappointments, the beauty of it all! A riksha ride through the bazaar adjacent to the Shah Jeha Mosque ranks as one of the most incredible half hours of my life. I could hardly take it all in: the little stalls laden with all type of wares, to wear (if you dare) or eat (and beware), or use in this way or that, or not, who cares? You are a bug on the tree of life, aren’t you? The electric cables above the tiny, crowded alleys laid out like a drunkard’s attempt at knitting, all tangled, knotted and hanging perilously, skimpily shaded the passers-by. People, motorbikes and rikshas all passed eachother where hardly one could get through. Every few meters a tiny courtyard opens up to a place of worship (Hindu? Muslim? Seik? Christian? One of them..), tiny oases of peace, or suddenly a well lit portal to a savvy seamstress’ shop, or a cubby hole with a doctor snoring behind his old desk heaped with jars containing all sorts of potions and concoctions, or a steep stairway to some dark place, or a gorgeous black eyed three year old selling fried puffs on a huge black pan twice his size. The array of human and material variations had me in a semi hallucinatory state. “Buy me!” it all cried out, or at least try me!, or give me!, or if none of these… at least, remember me…

The concerts

The concerts were thrilling. The Indian audience is very close to being a dream come true for people like us. They are English speakers, many of them educated but not (yet) cynical, curious about cultural diversity, accustomed to rhythms and vocal inflections but fascinated with variations of such. Their hearts, eyes and mind are wide opened, effortlessly resonating with “roots and wings”. All the shows were great but for me, the solo concert at the Indian Habitat Center topped them all. It was so exciting, so moving! The place was packed; we got a standing ovation that was started by a turban-wearing Seik (!), and countless compliments from people who had been moved to tears. Yahel from the embassy brought his young boys to every single concert we had in Delhi. One of them came to me after that show and said, ‘you were so lovely this evening’. Coming from an 8 year old looking me straight in the eye, it made my knees weak. And after him, a student, a father, a musician, a photographer, more and more Indian people of all sorts, with stars in their eyes.

In Siri Fort, a major Delhi venue, Mira and I had a great show and a surprise at the end. The Indian Minister of Railways, a very important and clever man, had seen us in Goa. When he read in the paper we were to sing in Delhi, he delayed an official trip to Calcutta and came with his bodyguards and all to see us again. After the show he stayed to compliment us and chat, informally and warmly, and left us his number “in case we needed anything” . I find it hard to imagine such a scene in any other country.

Which brings me to….

People

Here is the best part of it all. India is just full of amazing, interesting people. We met so many, but I will tell you about one.

Sminu Jhindal is a 38 year old woman who has been in a wheel chair since she was 11. She is the mother of two young boys. She is also the CEO of a multi million dollar steel company and was voted India’s 33 most powerful woman by Fortune magazine. She married for love, breaking the mold of pre-arranged marriages common in families such as hers (5th wealthiest in India). At age 6 she declared to her father that she would go into business, starting her career from the very same chair he was sitting in, and she did just that. In her spare time, she promotes the cause of accessibility for handicapped people throughout India, giving them hope for a life of dignity. With all that, she is kind, modest and sweet. She came to our concert, invited by lovely Maayan (Israeli singer and photographer whose children go to school with Sminu’s), undeterred by the non-wheelchair friendly situation, and enjoyed every moment. Sminu, it was an honor meeting such an extraordinary woman.

In conclusion

I know I have only seen a fraction of India, that every state/city/village is different, I know I am far from being able to fathom the history and politics, the width and breadth and depth of it all, but the spirit of India has seeped into my heart and overwhelmed me. I have a lot to think about now.

I am writing sitting on the plane transporting me back to my children. What joy. Finally I can shed the skin of the Noa-avatar I’ve become the past twelve days (how else to deal with this longing for my family?), step out of the matrix back into my life. I can go back to my to-do list, to the sweet smelling rooms and the scent of the sea, the warm skin at the nape of my baby’s neck, to 5 hours sleep, the studio, songs, concerts, meetings, gory politics and my mother’s cooking. Home.

India’s havoc will slowly fade…but I will have gained, once again, perspective.

Will I return? What will I find if I do? Will any answers to those big questions ever present themselves, through the fog, like tiny crystals in the mud?

“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know…”

With this I leave you.

Thanks for reading.

Noa in the sky,

Nov 12th, 2011.

India Chronicles - Part 1

2011-11-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

When I stepped out of the terminal building of Goa airport I was literally swept off my feet…by a scent. Yes, there were the masses..taxi drivers, porters, passengers, weeping family members, vendors, policemen, women-men-children, dismayed tourists following savvy tour guides in the stifling heat and humidity, all moving, pushing, talking at the same time with their whole bodies, their babble drowned out by the constant honking of horns and general hubbub. All of these could have easily taken me, but it was the scent that effectively reached its hands out and swept me away…

Scent is a pretty word. Smell is it’s pejorative cousin. I say scent because what I experienced was strangely un-repulsive to my senses. Even on the contrary. It was bitter and spicy, sour and salty, sweet and moldy and totally overwhelming. It reminded me of the old corridor of the moldy NY building of my childhood, where immigrants of all sorts lived and we amongst them...everyone’s cooking smells wafted from under their doors and fused into the old carpets and peeling wallpaper That smell was always there to meet me when I came home from school. It told stories…and this one did too.

When my manager Ofer told me just a few months ago that Mira Awad and I had been invited to perform in India, I thought he was joking. India? We’ve hardly recovered from China! India all of a sudden? Just like that?

After years of reading Indian literature (ardent Rushdie fan), admiring the rich culture, wondering about the enigmatic subcontinent and being mistaken for an Indian on endless occasions…the word “India” suddenly became a date on my calender. Two cities only, Goa (not a city I later learned but a region) and Delhi, for 5 days each.

I have now been in Goa for 4 days. I discovered a sub tropic climate, jungle vegetation and endless beaches, colors exploding in your face at every turn, from the plants, the painted houses, the people, the signs, the Hindi temples…color is everywhere. Color, and scent…

We landed in Goa just after sunset. Driving from the airport to the capital of Panjim, we saw houses and shacks, cars and rickshaws and old noisy scooters, groups of people walking along the main road in a way that made me gasp (with nothing resembling a sidewalk in view..that phenomenon would repeat itself over and over), then, in almost total darkness as there are no streetlamps to speak of, whole families in bright clothes crossing the highway with their small children in tote as if they had some kind of a death wish! The drivers just honk away at anything at all (except cows)…people, other cars, the moonlight..whatever.. and they pass each other on the highway in trio or quartet formation any air force could envy..two from each side…as if it were meant to be so, naturally.

Naturally, I would discover, is a key word here. people connect to nature in ways beyond my comprehension. I do not mean only to the trees and plants, as of course they do, but to “the nature of things” as they see them. They accept their fate with a sort of uncanny compliance, surrendering to destiny as part of the greater scheme…the master plan of nature. This is something unique to India I have never seen or felt before. Not that people here don’t strive to better their lives, of course they do...but not with visible anger, not with violent rampant ambition, rather, with a smile..with a flow that seems almost, well…natural.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to understand India. I have no such pretensions whatsoever. I am just sharing impressions…

The poverty here is mindboggling (as is the wealth I am told), yet people do not go around looking miserable. Is it the Hindu faith? Or something else they know that we don’t? the chaos is magnificent, the scent I described earlier is often transformed into an unbearable stench by garbage everywhere and a very free interpretation of the public toilet concept. The streets are filthy, a large part of the population lives with hardly any creature comforts whatsoever, yet there is something alive here in the most tragically symbiotic way.

They say China and India are on their way to becoming the new superpowers of the world. Visiting China, I could see how that was going to happen. Big brother had it all worked out. but here in India… the feeling is so far from that. No ‘super’ and no ‘power’. I do not feel mobilization from above, rather from within. There is a heightened state of awareness, and a great state of confusion, which smells like fertile ground after a monsoon. Like in China, this country makes you feel very small, an insignificant bug on the tree of life. But there is a feeling that wisdom, culture and the quest for deeper meaning transcend all else, replacing the common rat race with a quest for sustenance and subjective happiness. India feels to me like a billion individual streams trickling down the mountain side, where china felt like one huge ominous tidal wave. I may be wrong (I probably am), it may all change tomorrow, but…that’s the scent of it…

We arrived at the hotel quite late. We were met at the great iron gates by about six security inspectors who checked our vehicles top to bottom as if we were late for a meeting with President Obama. Entering the “white house”, our luggage and bodies were checked with metal detectors, our documents inspected, and finally we were allowed into the luxurious 5 star lobby, where we were met with cold drinks, sea-shell necklaces and a thousand polite and smiling ‘yesmams’ from some pretty gorgeous young men and woman, a small part of the enormous staff at the Vivanta Taj, ready to serve 24/7.

What are we doing here, I asked myself? How did we step out of one dimension and into another?

I woke in the morning not knowing where I was (any touring musician recognizes that sensation). No children were tugging at me (ah, but I wish they were ), nobody to be dressed, hair combed, breakfast made, kissed hugged and sent to school.. no errands to run meetings calls endless to do list so who and where am i??? ah yes, India!! Open your eyes girl..

I gently pulled the drapes slightly opened and was stunned by the nuclear intensity of the sunlight that burst into my room and blinded my eyes. After a few seconds of adjustment I started comprehending what was beyond the glass.

A jungle hillside across from my window was inhabited densely. Shambles. Old ruined buildings, filthy walls. Rags hung out to dry, garbage everywhere, children running up and down crumbling soot covered stairs, and the sound of traffic and omnipresent horn honking that even high quality triple plated glass could not keep out. I could not help thinking what the people on the other side of the hill thought every day when they gazed at the behemoth edifice with its gates and guards right in front of their face. I felt the urge for going.

We discovered, through Aimee, an American Israel journalist living in Goa, that an Israeli musician we’d met years ago name Ori Balak has been living here for almost 10 years…so he and Aimee, who made the connection, have been our guides. They are both very special people and we are deeply grateful to them.

Ori and Aimee took us to Anjuna, where we met Moshe, an Israeli who runs a very cool joint in the village. Bar, restaurant, coffee shop, library, yoga place, arts and crafts boutique, workshop, playground, furniture store all in one, under the trees and sky, very laid back like everything is here. We were supposed to stop for a few minutes which became two hours of smokes talk drinks and passing time (Moshe made us some mean burekas ). yes, yes.. India is a good exercise in patience and letting go. Whoever knows my Yemenite temperament and control freak nature will be smiling imagining this lady biting her lip not to ask “nooo?(Hebrew for: “well??), and gasping for breath in a sea of relaxaaaaation. 

From Moshe’s hang we drove to the beach. On the way we had to stop several times for the cows. Yes, you’ve all heard about it, I had too, but seeing it first hand is just incredible. Cows meander along the roads, free to do as their hearts desire, taking strolls and naps, holding meetings, chatting away with each other, and what better place than right in the middle of the road? And the Indians wait patiently, until the cows see fit to move on. The whole town can be jammed and nobody will touch the cow.  I wanted to jump out and say: “excuse me, your royal cowliness, do you think you could possibly just budge a few centimeters so a few hundred vehicles could pass through? Oh thank you so much your bovine holiness!”

Driving here is just so hair raising I can’t get used to it. Not only do they drive on the left, pass insanely, stop for cows, speed, and honk, the roads are narrow when they exist at all and there are no sidewalks or streetlamps, as I mentioned earlier, so you can’t see anything!! Ohmygod. BUT, as opposed to Israel, here, they don’t get upset. No yelling cursing or fist waving They simply flow. They do it…naturally.

After the beach we went to Ori’s place for shower before dinner. His house is old and beautiful, high ceilings, large rooms, jungle all around, three dogs, musical instruments and a lovely Russian girlfriends, Anoushka. I asked to use the toilet, and quickly discovered there was no toilet paper. I stepped out and asked Anoushka for some. She said they did not use any. Not that it had run out: it had never existed. Instead there was a bucket of water and a plastic cup. Ohmygod. I went back in and tried to use all my mental powers to figure out the engineering, execution and ventilation dilemma I had before me. Finally I gave up, apologized to the God of cultural idiosyncrasy, and asked for some table napkins. Sorry, India. I am still an ignoramus.

Dinner was surprising, a totally new-age yuppie restaurant outdoors with sparkling lights under big trees, chill out music, chef Chris Saleem wearing a desigual shirt and cooking fine ultra fusion fare, very far from Indian food but very nice. Unexpected.

Ah..there’s another keyword. Unexpected. Expect the unexpected. Everything is so strange here, the contrasts so huge.

For example:
The next morning, Gil and I decided to take a walk and see the local market. We were told Panjim was relatively prosperous. As soon as we walked out of the hotel, I was shocked (Gil wasn’t, as he’d been to India before and he keeps telling me this is really nice by Indian standards. Nice? ohmygod). In the 40 minutes that we survived outdoors, we almost died of heat and humidity (35 that feels that 45 degrees!), we almost suffocated in the market as it stank so badly and had no air circulation (though it was beautifully colorful), we saw a dead rat, a dead cat and a dead bird all swarming with flies right at the door of the academy of pharmacy(!!), we almost got run over six times (you guessed it, no sidewalks), and we were followed by a beggar girl that would not leave me alone (I had given money to another beggar woman earlier who was carrying a child that reminded me of my daughter…it choked me up… I gave the young woman 100 rupees, which is the smallest bill I had...but considered a fortune for those circumstances. From that moment I was bait. It was depressing). And all this, in what my Goan friends had described as an Indian Beverly Hills! Oh my God. I had never been so happy to see a hotel lobby in my entire life!

More contrasts:

The women.

The women here dress in the most beautiful clothes I have ever seen in my entire life, they are so stunning in their colorful Saris, they look like rare flowers drifting through the filthy streets. Even the poorest of the poor will have a flowing scarf around her, jangling bracelets, sweeping material in the brightest colors…how amazing!! In all the piles of garbage and stench, they shine like jewels these women. How I envy them! How drab and boring, even ugly, jeans and a t-shirt appear next to these exotic queens and their royal apparel. I see the ‘modern’ Indian girls trying to imitate the west and I just want to cry. But alas… Saris would look ridiculous in tel aviv, and even if they didn’t, who in god’s name understands how to tie the darn thing? 6 meters of fabric!! oy vey. I guess it’s back to jeans and t-shirts for me. 

And more about women here: they have balls. I won’t generalize, but I have met quite a few women here who are sharp, outspoken, super clever and efficient. Just after my own heart. You go girls.

More contrasts:

Paolo our sound engineer had been waiting for weeks to get technical information about the show. None ever came. We were worried as hell..you know, third world, what do we know?? Then, as we were all on a day off, he waited for the sound engineer to meet him at the hotel for a meeting. He waited ALL DAY, as the guy was a “tiny bit late”, “just arriving!”, “almost there!”…from 10 am to 8pm!!! (sweet Goan revenge for the Portuguese occupation ) But then, the next day, when the staff went to check out the stage…it was all perfect. Best equipment, all set exactly as we asked for, sounded great… perfect.

And the convention itself, the one we were invited to attend, The THINK festival (a title I communicate well with ). I cannot describe to you how impressed I am with the organization, the program, everything! Incredible guests from all over the world, intelligent publications and brochures, tip top program and production, sophisticated, controversial, deep… beautiful.

And the hotel where the convention is taking place…ohmygod. The Grand Hyatt Goa. A brand new resort, pools and lawns and sea and very high-end architecture, Super splendor and luxury, as high-techy as they come without losing the authentic flavor of the area and its history (as much as a humongous five star hotel in the middle of a jungle with slums right outside it gates can do).

The stage was set in front of the sea, overlooking the lawn with huge Indian Fichus trees that were lit beautifully. Our concert was very well received, though it was the opening night of the convention which is in its first year and there were a lot of glitches to be worked out.

The Indians, all English speakers, blessedly connect to the English lyrics…halleluya!! After years of performing mostly in Europe and Israel, where people rarely have a clue what my English songs are about (those being the bulk of my original repertoire), it is so relieving and satisfying to perform for an audience that actually listens to what you’re saying, and reacts accordingly. Both Mira and I, who put great emphasis on the lyrical content of our compositions, were overjoyed. For an artists there is no greater joy than feeling understood…and appreciated.

Today we had another short performance in the main plenary hall of the convention where all the talks were taking place, and we were once again very well received. tomorrow we are moving to that hotel and hopefully listen to some interesting people speak, amongst them Frank Ghery the famous architect. There is a British theater production taking place too, believe it or not, a comic satire about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict! I’m curious about that one.. 

The only real difficulty I am experiencing so far is my irrepressible longing for the warmth of my children’s bodies, and my husband’s embrace. It’s alike a fist in my stomach that cannot come unclenched. We Skype every day (though the hotel charges criminally high rates for internet access..they are ruthless in that sense). But whoever has loved anyone across the sea in the 21st century knows Skype is a pathetic substitute for a hug and a soft, loving whisper.

With this I leave you, for now.

Namaste.

Noa, Goa, Nov 4 (almost 5) 2011

Words I must say before Sept 20

2011-09-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

It is the middle of the night. My breath comes quickly. I grab a suitcase, throw in whatever my hands can reach, run to the children’s room and wake them, tell them to dress quickly for we must leave immediately. I take the baby in her sleep, I almost fall down the stairs, we run into the night, it’s cold, I hold the children close to me. My breath comes more and more quickly. My baby is crying, the older ones try to be brave, we run, in the distance I can hear helicopters, sirens, others like me running.. the sky explodes in a blinding, brilliant red…

And I wake, sweating...

For weeks now, this scene has repeated itself almost every night.

This is what we have come to.

The situation in the Middle East is today is frightening to say the least. Nobody could have predicted what happened in the last months, and nobody knows exactly where it is all going, but I can say one thing for sure: there were options… there were different roads that could have been taken. There were signs that went unheeded.

A wise man once said to me, when you point a finger to blame someone, remember, three of your own fingers are pointing back at you.

When the Arab spring started, there was hope and apprehension. Hope that these social-network incited demonstrations lead by young people who seek entry passes into the global community would lead to the toppling of dictatorships, the establishment of democracies and the improvement of living conditions for all; Apprehension that in the wake of the commotion , in lack of an alternate leadership, religious extremists (who always seem to be organized and ready for action) would hijack the revolution and pounce on to center stage, trampling hope and igniting the region to more violence.

Almost inevitably, both hope and apprehension have played out their predicted scenarios.

The Islamic brotherhood , Hamas ,Hezbollah, Assad, Ahmedinejad, Gaddafi and the likes, and their atrocities against their own people along with their denial of Israel’s right to exist are enough to instill fear and suspicion in the hearts of most Israelis and enhance the “never again” bunker attitude.

But, I will under no circumstances use their extroverted evil as an escape route into self-righteousness, letting my own leaders off the hook. This unfortunately seems to be common practice in Israel, starting with our government and seeping down into almost every corner of society.

I am tired of being politically correct. Now is not the time. Now I must fight for my home, for my children’s future, for their security!

Now is the time to say things straight.

No matter what side of the political fence you are on, there is no denying one simple fact: The present Israeli Government, led by Netanyahu, Barak and Leiberman, has led Israel to the cold isolation we are experiencing today, and to the brink of a political catastrophe that will very likely bring us to war.

From my point of view, the blame for this terrifying state we are in lies squarely on this government’s shoulders.

I have a whole arsenal of adjectives for the Netanyahu-Barak-Leiberman coalition, most of which I will leave to your imagination, but I will say this: they are extremely dangerous.

This government has consciously chosen the safe path to oblivion rather than the dangerous path to hope!

I am so deeply disappointed by the majority of my compatriots for allowing themselves to sink into a comfortably numb, comatose state of being, as everything we hold dear is systematically destroyed. How can it be that we will march the streets in the hundreds of thousands demonstrating against the high cost of living, but not to oust the government which is endangering our very lives??? What disease has thus blinded an entire society??

In just a few days, the Palestinians will go the UN to ask for recognition of statehood. Just as we did all those years ago.

I say: good luck Palestine! Good luck President Mahmoud Abbas!

(by the way, here is a quote from President Abbas that I find to be admirable: “Our first, second and third priority is negotiations. There is no other way to solve this. No matter what happens at the United Nations, we have to return to negotiations. We don’t want to isolate Israel but to live with it in peace and security. We don’t want to delegitimize Israel. We want to legitimize ourselves”...)

I say to the Palestinians: if you are recognized, as well you should be, I congratulate you! I wish you all the best for your new state. I wish for fruitful collaboration between us on every level, for peaceful borders and constructive relations. Let us quickly sit and resolve all our issues: we are already so close, the solutions are well know, let’s sign a treaty and get on with our lives alongside each other.

What a shame that this moment comes without negotiations, without an agreement, without a blessing from Israel?? How have both sides managed to avoid the inevitable for so long? How has Israel’s government missed every opportunity presented to it, ignored the numerous invitations, implorations, desperate cries of its allies and neighbors, to take the road of dialogue and compromise? How can this be accepted??

So since this is a democracy (at least for now), I, Noa, am raising my lone voice to say: this government does NOT represent me!! I find their behavior to be shameful and ineffective, and the consequences, detrimental , even catastrophic, for the state of Israel and for the security and future of every citizen here, including my own children!

I say, “Love your brother as you love yourself”. I believe there is no substitute for dialogue and compromise. I believe that if we courageously and responsibly begin a dynamic of peace, it will grow exponentially and seep into the hearts and minds of every individual in the Middle East. I believe it is in our power to change our reality. I refuse to succumb to the politics of fear and loathing, the poisoning of minds happening everywhere in our region and in my country as well. And if peace fails...well, we can always go back to war, can’t we? We seem to be good at that in the Middle East.

War is the cowardly choice of men who lack the courage, the integrity, the elegance and wisdom to make peace.

I am a woman and I have plenty of the above. So here I am, raising my voice for whoever will listen.

If there is a God, or any other power of love and kindness in the universe, I call upon her now. She is desperately needed.

Noa

צדק חברתי

2011-09-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

חברים יקרים, את הקטה הבא לא אני כתבתי ולא יודעת מי כתב אך חשוב מאד לקרוא ולהעביר הלאה!!
מקוה שאתם מתכננים להגיע המוצ"ש להפגנה!

צדק חברת

מה זה לעזאזל צדק חברתי ?? !! קיבינמאט !
לא טמטמנו אתכם מספיק עם איראן והחיזבאללה ? עם הכלכלות המתרסקות באירופה ובארה"ב, שתגידו תודה ותשתקו ? מה זה ? ?

צדק חברתי אומר :
ברגע שאנחנו חיים במדינה עליה חלמנו אלפיים שנות גלות, ולא בחרנו לגור בג'ונגל לדוגמא, יש ביננו לבין המדינה חוזה, כמו בכל מדינה מתוקנת.
החוזה מאוד פשוט, אבל החוזה מאוד חשוב.
אם הוא מופר בראש חוצות לאורך תקופה ארוכה, מי שהוא צריך לשלם על זה מחיר, או לחזור לכללים הבסיסיים של החוזה.
אחרת אנחנו מרגישים שהחוזה הופר בריש גלי .ואנחנו לא מוכנים לשתוק על כך יותר.
החוזה אומר כך :
המדינה לוקחת מהאזרח כסף, באמצעות מיסים ישירים כמו מס הכנסה, ביטוח לאומי, ומיסים עקיפים כמו מס ערך מוסף .
המדינה מצפה מהאזרח להיות שומר חוק, לשלם מיסים בזמן, להתגייס לצבא ובתמורה היא תספק לאזרח חינוך ראוי, מערכת בריאות תומכת, הגנה מפני פשיעה, שהיא תחלק את משאבי הארץ ואת תקציביה לכולם באופן שווה ותשמור על האזרח שיוכל לחיות את חייו בכבוד.
צדק חברתי אומר , שאמהות וסבתות ,שמתאשפזות, לא מונחות במסדרון כאבן שאין לה הופכין, אלא המדינה דואגת להן וגם לנו למערכת בריאות ראויה.
צדק חברתי אומר שאנחנו לא אמורים לשלם עוד מיסים מעבר לאלה שאנו כבר משלמים, לחינוך שהמדינה הבטיחה לנו שהוא יהיה חינם. יש לגבי זה אפילו חוק.
צדק חברתי אומר שמי שמרוויח יותר ישלם יותר מס מאלה שמרוויחים פחות .קוראים לזה מדרגות מס.
צדק חברתי אומר שאסור להקים ממשלה של 39 שרים בכנסת של מאה ועשרים חברי כנסת . ולא רק זה, מכל 39 עזי המצח, אין שר רווחה אחד במשרה מלאה.
צדק חברתי אומר שלא יכול להיות ש-39 שרים ואין אף שר בריאות אחד. כי זה פשע אזרחי מהמעלה הראשונה.
צדק חברתי אומר שאת משאבי המדינה מחלקים שווה בשווה בין כולם ולא מעדיפים חלקי ארץ שנויים במחלוקת ובטח לא נותנים ל300 אלף תושבים הרבה יותר מאשר לכל ה6.3 מליון האחרים.
צדק חברתי אומר שלא יכול להיות שנשים וגברים יעבדו כמו חמורים יום וליל עד גיל 67 ובה בעת מגזר שלם ייצא לפנסיה, שכל השאר יכולים רק לחלום עליה, מכספי המס של אלה שעובדים עוד 27 שנים אחריהם.
צדק חברתי אומר שמהכסף שאנו משלמים למיסוי למדינה , הרבה כסף שאנו משלמים לה, היא תדאג גם לדפוקים בחברה,
לנשים המוכות, לניצולי השואה, לנוער בסיכון, לשכבות הדפוקות כל כך שאין להם שום ייצוג בשום מקום.
המדינה תדאג להם!!! לא עמותות שאנו תורמים להם שוב כסף.
המדינה. זה התפקיד שלה .
כי כל החלקים האלה הם חלק מאיתנו, הם בשר מבשרנו והם הופכים אותנו לאומה חלשה יותר כשאף אחד לא מטפל בהם,
הם הזקנים שלנו, שרעבים ללחם וזקוקים לתרופות, זה הנוער שלנו, שמתדרדר לסמים וממלא את בתי הכלא שאנו מממנים,
זה הנוער שלנו שאונס ורוצח כאילו אין פה חוק ואין סדר.
צדק חברתי אומר, יותר שיטור , יותר שיויון בפני החוק.
צדק חברתי אומר ששר ואו ראש ממשלה לא יעבור לגור פתאום במגדלים מפוארים, או בקיסריה ויקנו דירות במיליוני דולרים, כי הם לא אנשי עסקים, הם נבחרי ציבור. צדק חברתי אומר ששר שנחקר כבר למעלה מעשור על זה שהוא קיבל מליוני שקלים מחברות קש, לא ישתלח באלה המבקשים את הצדק ויגיד שהמסעדות מלאות ולא בטייקונים.
צדק חברתי אומר שלא יכול להיות שנתב בנמל ירוויח פי עשר ממורה. כי בידי המורים אנו שמים את היקרים לנו מכל- את הילדים שלנו, כי המחנכים מטפלים באחד מהיסודות הכי חשובים לעתיד שלנו כעם ומדינה .והנתב סך הכל מקבל סחורה ומי כמו היהודים כדי לדעת כמה השכלה, היא היא הנותנת.
צדק חברתי אומר שאין מקום לכך שחלק קטן מהעם יקבע לחלק גדול מהעם מי צריך לזכור את הנופלים, אלוהים או העם שלשם תקומתו בארץ מולדתו הם נפלו.
צדק חברתי אומר שהמדינה צריכה לשמור על האזרח מפני קרטלים, מפני הבנקים שמרוויחים מליארדי דולרים כל שנה , מוותרים לבעלי חוב גדולים ואת האזרח הפשוט הם רודפים עד חרמה .שהמדינה צריכה למסות את רווחי הענק של החברות האלה כי הם מגיעים ישירות מהכיס של כל אחד ואחת מהאזרחים. הפשוטים.
צדק חברתי אומר שאתם לא תהפכו אותנו למדינה של אומרי הן ותשלטו לנו על המחשבות, את מי להחרים ואת מי לא. אנחנו דמוקרטיה. זו הזכות שלנו וזו חובתנו האזרחית להתריע.

תעבירו את זה הלאה בבקשה. המסר לא הובן.
מאה אלף או מאתיים אלף או שלוש מאות אלף. הם לא הבינו את זה עדיין.
תעבירו את זה הלאה,עם קרדיט בלי קרדיט, זה באמת לא משנה.
רק תעבירו. כי אנחנו לא נוותר הפעם הזו.

________________________________________

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דברים שאמרתי בהפגנה בבאר שבע 13-8-2011

2011-08-14T02:44:00.000-07:00

אזרחי ישראל הם אנשים מופלאים. הם מוכנים לפתוח את ביתם לאזרחים המפונים מאזורים מוכי טילים, להתנדב ולתרום לנצרכים בארץ ובאזורי אסון בעולם. וכל זאת ללא קשר למשכורתם. כולנו אזרחים המוכנים לשאת בעול אם זהו צו השעה. ומי שמספרת לנו מהו צוו השעה ומהן הגזרות הנגזרות ממנו היא ההנהגה הנבחרת, ואנחנו מאמינים ! או שלא ?!! המחאה הזאת חברים היא הבעת אי אמון. אי אמון בסיפור שמספרים לנו. סיפור שבו עגלי זהב יונקים מפרות קדושות ומותירים אותנו עם שוקת שבורה. העם הרב שנאסף כאן רוצה לוחות ברית חדשים. ברית אזרחית על לוח חלק. אנחנו צמאים לשמוע ספור חדש מהנהגה חדשה. הנהגה שאיננה נושאת עיניים לשררה ולמנעמי השלטון! הנהגה המוכנה לעמול קשה כדי לשכנע אותנו בדרכה ולתת לנו תקווה חדשה, תקווה שתהיה בה גם צמיחה וגם ערבות הדדית. למען תקווה כזאת תהיה בנו גם נכונות להקרבה! ומי שיצליח לשכנע אותנו בחזון וביכולתו להגשים אותו הוא שיבחר להנהיג אותנו. ולכן אזרחים יקרים אל לנו להתבייש לקרוא לילד בשמו: זוהי מחאה פוליטית ואל לנו להרגיש כאילו הלגיטימיות של המחאה שלנו תלויה ביכולתנו לנסח דרישות. אין אנו סקטור שאפשר להשתיק במשא ומתן מתיש ,בגרירת רגליים ובהענות חלקית , ״ריאליסטית״ ככל שתהיה, וגם לא בלחישה ובקריצה למנהיגי שטח. זוהי מחאה פוליטית הקוראת לכם אזרחים הגונים לחשוב להתארגן להשקיע זמן ומשאבים, ולהירתם ככל יכולתכם למען חזון חדש. למען תקווה בת שנות אלפיים: להיות עם חופשי. חופשי משעבוד כלכלי, חברתי, דתי מחשבתי ומדיני. להיות עם של אזרחים שווים בפני החוק, אזרחים שווי הזדמנויות החיים בשלום עם שכניהם ובינם לבין עצמם. זוהי איננה מחאה, זוהי התעוררות של אומה מאשליית הסיוט, למציאות של תקווה.

Thoughts on Palestinian Unity

2011-05-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Here’s my take on the Hamas-Fatach unity deal.

My opinion of Hamas is well known: putting it lightly, I’m not a fan.

On the other hand, they were elected democratically (for all I know) by the majority of Gazans. Sadly, in my opinion, but that’s the way it is.

My major problem (amongst many) with Hamas is that they deny Israel’s right to exist. In fact their formal decree is that every Jew should be hunted out and killed wherever they may hide. Nice guys.

Israel has often stated that it cannot deal with Abu Mazen because he is “too weak” and “does not really represent the majority of the Palestinian people”.

Well, now he has entered into a coalition with Hamas. And he is the one doing the talking. No matter how you look at it, these are not the doings of a weak man. I personally admire Abu Mazen and wish Netanyahu would exhibit half the wisdom and leadership.

We all know that as September approaches, Israel will have to deal with The Palestinian move towards recognition of their Independence by the UN. I have stated in the past that I see it as totally pathetic that Israel, rather than initiating talks and signing an agreement, is forcing the Palestinians to do it on their own and “drag” us onto reluctantly agreeing: How ignoble that is, how embarrassing, how indicative of our present governments total impotence and lack of navigational skills.

I believe the fledgling Palestinian state will not receive the recognition it desires so long as members of its government (Hamas) continue to deny Israel’s right to exist. So if they are adamant about proceeding, they will have to amend that, which is a good thing. If they refuse to, it is difficult to believe they will be embraced by the international community as they strive to be.

Further, whatever agreement is reached does not depend on radical voices within each government, as long as the agreement is signed. Israel’s government also includes parties who deny the existence of a Palestinian people or the need for/legitimacy of an independent Palestinian state. That will not stop any given government from making an agreement, IF it can. We believe the Israeli people, government and future governments will respect that agreement…and we would like to believe the same goes for the Palestinians, however mixed their opinions could be.

If Hamas, as part of the Palestinian government, continue to be set on destroying Israel, and carrying out their sinister plans after the peace agreement is signed (the greatest fear of many Israelis), then we will go to war with them. But this time, the rules of the game will be different: it will not be Israel attacking so-called “innocent civilians” who are under her “cruel occupation”, but fighting against equals: a country with an army (Palestine) that has chosen to obliterate another country with an army (Israel).

Needless to say that is a horrible scenario. But how much more horrible than what is already happening, or what could potentially happen if we do not proceed?

So: I say lets wait and see, throw our omnipresent Paranoia down the drain and go bravely into what has the potential of being a new and better future for our region.

The China Chronicles, 3rd and final chapter

2011-05-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

Dongguan and Shenzen were both good concerts. Dongguan especially..i think it was probably the show I enjoyed most of all. The sound situation was wonderful…there were loudspeakers installed in the walls of the theater on both sides of the stage that were turned slightly inwards, so I got the full “house” sound, and needed only the very slightest bit of clarity and definition from the monitors on stage (sorry for the tech talk but you cannot imagine how the sound situation effects the performance! It is often critical and can make or break the show…and the singer’s spirit! Sound engineers be advised…:-)). It felt like singing in an ethereal cathedral with my head in a cloud and the feeling of warm earth beneath my feet, quite thrilling. And the audience! They were just amazing. There were tons of young people (later we discovered there was a whole class of students studying journalism who came to see us! They were so sweet and all wanted photos and autographs…. And there were young athletes too, and of course everybody’s parents:-)) and people of all shapes colors sizes, all Chinese but as diverse as one people can ever be, unified by their sincere appreciation for the music and sheer enthusiasm and excitement.

After Shenzen we had a long and frustrating travel day (our plane was delayed for two hours on the runway, and then flew three hours, so all together 5 in the metal bird’s belly with limited air circulation…yuch…) that brought us back to Beijing. After two weeks we had come full circle.

How can I describe how I felt? Exhilaration, excitement,anticipation,heart being pulled in every which direction…we had been waiting for this moment, the concert in Beijing..so many important guests and critics… we had wanted to have that little bit of time to be “tourists” finally in the morning and a half of free time we were to have in that great city… but most of all the nearness of home!...what had seemed like an eternity and light years away was now within our reach, at the tips of our fingers…one last effort and..

For two weeks I had ached and pained over the separation from my children. Now, I let it go. Knowing I would see them in just two days was so comforting I allowed myself to breath, maybe for the first time on this tour, and concentrate on one of my favorite pastimes: buying them gifts! :-) two weeks in china and I had hardly spent five minutes in a shop! Scandalous! :-)

The next morning we tool a taxi to the silk market.

What can I tell you friends? How can I describe the experience? I’ll begin by saying I was (and remain) totally FLABBERGASTED by what I saw.

Rows and rows of stalls, One after the other after the other, loaded with goods. From floor to ceiling, products of all sorts were presented, folded on shelves, hung, laid out, strapped up, taped, pinned, strung, covering every tiny patch of space, cluttered and crammed in a dazzling, head spinning array of color and sound. Vendors, vying for buyer’s attention, calling out at you from every corner, “come, lady! Here best price! Come! My store best quality! Where you from? Oh, Isaleeyuh (that’s how the Chinese pronounce Israel, if they have ever heard of it, of course)! Shalom! Sabbaba!”

The name “silk Market” is misleading. Yes, there are plenty of colorful traditional Chinese silk products on display there… but these account for no more than ten percent of what can be found in the mammoth four floor shopping labyrinth that goes by that name. What stunned me was actually all the OTHER stuff. Can you imagine rows and tows of every major designer in the world? Clothing, bags, shoes, coats, accessories, outdoor gear, cosmetics, and more and more and all Chanel, Prada, Polo, Armani, Versace, Gucci, Hermes, Burberry, Nike, whatever! And electronics, every gadget on earth, and that’s before you’ve started with the jewelry, the arts and crafts, the ceramics, the brick-a-brack and houseware and what not!!! Help!!! I kept imagining my husband in there: we would have had to call an ambulance for him for sure. My mother, on the other hand, would have been on cloud nine! For there is nothing that my mother enjoys more than a bargain!

And bargain you must….haggle or bust!

After being totally ripped off the first five minutes by a seemingly nice girl who swore on her mother’s head that her price was the best in the market (there’s at least one headless mom strutting around Beijing as we speak..), I got the idea. We Yemenite girls learn fast.

It goes like this:

Me (pointing at something I don’t need but intend to buy): how much? (one must resort to very basic English or remain misunderstood for eternity)

Vendor: How many you take?

Me: depends on price. What your price?

V: how much you want pay?

M: you tell me!

V: ok (taking calculator in hand). I give you good price, no price for tourists. You smart lady (they say that to everyone). You no stupid. No waste time. This price (types a preposterous figure)

M: what?? For this?? No, no. MUCH too high. I saw in other store, your colleague. MUCH cheaper! Why you give me this price?

V: ok, what you want pay?

M, (taking calc, typing 20% of the original offer)

V (shocked): what?? No! so low! Less than what I pay! No make money! No, no!

M: ok (turning to go).

V: wait, wait, lady, wait! You my first customer today, want start business, what you pay? You add more, give more. Good for me, good for you, ok?

……and so it goes on and on, finally we settle on something that is about 30 -40- percent of the original offer, and take our leave as friends.

And the prices? By our standards, preposterously low.

Friends let me tell you this: we in the western world are being ripped off like you CANNOT IMAGINE! We work morning to night, we pay endless taxes, and then we are sold products made in china, using cheap labor, shipped to our posh shops and priced three, four, five or more HUNDRED percent above than what they can be bought for in the silk market in Beijing, not to mention wholesale and production cost which is much lower still! It is so infuriating I could just scream! I swear, after several hours in that market, I will never again be able to buy an article of clothing in Israel, Europe or the US without feeling like a complete sucker and idiot being taken advantage of by a piggish system whose greed knows no bounds.

“Imitations” you say. Imitations of what? What is the original? It all looks amazing, it is all produced here, it all says, ‘made in italy’ or ‘made in france’ so where is it made and by whom and who cares anyway? What justification could there possibly be for spending 400 dollars on a bag that can be bought in this market for 20? Especially knowing the remaining 380 could feed a family here for several months?

As always, China forces you to throw all that you hold true high up in the air and then behold, with amazement, the strange patterns that form when gravity takes its course.

After the shopping we went back to the hotel to get ready for the show. I was so nervous, I kept puttering, arranging and rearranging my gig-bag (suitcase with all my concert things in it), reviewing my Chinese, warming my voice and ironing the dress I planned to wear (I had three, black, turquoise, white…chose the white one…for Yom ha Atzmaut, for the purity of it and the jasmine flower look :-)..but mostly to make Zhang Ying happy..she loved that one :-)). I tried to sleep a bit but felt too restless so took a shower, dressed and sat on my bed waiting until it was time to go. I felt overwhelmed by emotions and images of the past two weeks and got into that staring-into-space, ‘there-but-not-really-there’ mode that my children know so well. It comes with the “my mom the artist” package (I once told them the glazed eyes and tilted head moments are when I usually come up with all my songs). ´Ima, are you listening?’ my son Ayehli will say. “Of course I am sweetheart, sorry, I was just..yes…tell me again mami, sorry :-(”…”mom…..” sighs my ten year old.

This time it served as a much needed tranquilizer.

After 21 years I still get butterflies in my stomach.

Zhang Ying had us in the theater about two hours earlier than what was needed. She was so hysterical that evening….it was her big night! The Forbidden City Concert Hall is where she works, the heart of the theater chain that had hosted us. There were many important guests coming, the Israeli ambassador and a large group of his staff, our sponsor, the wonderful Dr. David Ong, and his family and guests, local musicians and journalists, friends and colleagues…Ying orchestrated it all like a real pro, fluttering about, helping this, taking care of that, making sure everything was in order, and all with her little smile and jumpy gait and enormous positive energy.

One very special member of the audience was Masami Matsushima…a girl from Japan who has been our devoted fan for more than ten years. She had a bad traffic accident a few years ago that left her in a coma and was written off as a lost case. During those long months of uncertainty her mother put headphones on her and played her our music, insisting the music would keep her alive. She eventually woke against all odds, claiming the music had saved her life! This special soul, who cannot walk without a cane and suffers from a long line of physical ailments, flew in especially from Japan just for the concert! We invited her to be backstage with us before and after the show. She is incredible.

Finally it was show time. Galia our amazing tour manager, after having scurried from here to there endlessly helping everyone and making sure every little detail was ready for a smooth take off into the skies of music, convened us all together for our traditional pre-concert ritual. Gil, mira, shai (her talented guitarist),galia,ying, gadi (our wonderful sound engineer of 18 years), Florentijn (the gifted lighting engineer) and myself all gathered all, hands in the center like a human flower, hey, hey, hey HEYYY! Hands in the air, smiles, a bit of the pressure is released and we are ready to go.

The show was wonderful. We were all at our best. The audience was warm, receptive, attentive and appreciative. As every good concert, it was a small gift from the universe.

After the show, we were embraced by hundreds who crowded the lobby of the great hall, amongst them classical, folk and pop musicians who came to listen and were all deeply impressed and enthusiastic, journalists, friends and of course the Ambassador and his entourage who were high with excitement. The ambassador and cultural attaché had been instrumental in creating this tour, actually connecting us with the FCCH and convincing them to take us on, and supporting the tour financially. David Ong then agreed to sponsor us (for the FCCH pay a very modest artist fee that cannot even cover costs), and IDB Israel gave an additional sum that finally made it all feasible. Of course David and his family were there, radiant, and as always, exuding good energy and light.

Dinner was a very gay affair, with 30 people in a special room of a restaurant not far from the theater, all organized by Ying. The food was good, spirits were high, the room filled with conversation and laughter. One of the guests was a very important classical music critic who gave us extraordinary compliments...i was beside myself with joy. Another guest was a big pop star who gave me all his dvds (he had a bit of a ‘mad max’ look Chinese version :-)) , and one other guest, Natalie Portman’s father :-) ….funny life is.

Back in my room I was on cloud nine. It was difficult to come in for a landing but after puttering, packing ,showering, thinking, smsing, emailing, skyping and whatever, my usual after show routine, I managed to fall asleep at around 2:30.

The next day our flight home was at 10 pm so we had the morning and afternoon to ourselves. Despite the late night previous, we all woke very early and left at 7:30 to visit a park with a temple in it that we were told was full of activity in the morning worth the red eyes.

And worthy it was.

We saw endless groups of ‘Beijingers’, mostly senior citizens but not only, all in envigorating motion: tai-chi, tai chi tennis, couples dancing (complete with very loud Chinese pop music played on a transistor), tai chi stretching, tai-chi with swords, tai chi with pink pon pons, singing in massive choirs, playing instruments that sounded like alien screeching to us but looked nice, singing poking opera, jumping up and down stair on one foot, line dancing, playing cards, chess, poker, badminton, crocheting and writing Chinese on the sidewalk with water and a huge brush. It was, once again, mind boggling, and I must say, it made me so envious. How I wish senior citizens in my own country had a fraction of the possibilities and the resulting stamina! I could envision my grandmother and one day, my parents, thoroughly enjoying the vibe, the activity and the company, doubtlessly the keys to Chinese longevity.

We skipped the temple. The people in the park gave us all the inspiration and mental photo-albums we needed.

After a bit more shopping (of course), and the inevitable struggle to fit it all into one suitcase, we were on our way to the airport. Saying goodbye to David Ong (who came to the hotel to wave us goodbye toting gifts, as if he had not given us enough already..) and little ying (Gadi coined the name “yingaleh” :-)), was a tearful affair..as the song goes..i die a little… but on the other side of the universe families were waiting, new life, deep love. So we wiped the tears and turned our backs to go…leaving china behind us.

And here I am.

After travelling across the land and sea, through the night that turned to day in darkness, through the airport into the taxi through the light of early morning into the little street and the house at the end of the street where they were all still sleeping…then they woke, their warm little bodies running embracing giggling eyes shining little heads on my shoulder mommy what did you buy us? And the innards of the suitcase all spill on the living room floor and yum my baby reveling in the mess and looking at me with the umbilical wisdom of a 14 month old…no more milk mommy…it’s just you and me now…there are so many ways to love….

The house is empty now. Sitting at my desk in front of the window that overlooks the sea, writing it all down…sealing it….feeling it…branding it upon my heart...

China….

i am thinking of the brilliant animated film, Ratatouille, ..and the food critic that was the terror of all Paris, and the trembling waiter asking him: have you made your selection, sir? And the answer, in a radical british accent: “do you have some Perrrrspective? I’ll have some, with a good wine to go with it”.

That is how I feel…I have been given some Perrrrrspective. And my children’s love is the best wine I can imagine to go with it.

Signing off,

Noa, Shefayim, may 12, 2011.

China Chronicles-part 2

2011-05-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

The China Chronicles, part 2

We left Hefei on May 1st, big festival in still-mostly-communist China. We had some time before our train was to depart so it was decided that we all take a walk together in a pedestrian area. Hordes of people flowed in the European style shopping street, red lanterns swinging, people of all shapes and sizes in constant motion, pushing and shoving, meandering, yelling, carrying their children like precious bundles (I have seen maybe 5 baby carriages since I got here! they just pick up their kids!). Chinese pop music blasting from the endless shops, luring people in to buy that shirt or dress pair of jeans that will transport them straight to America, make them young and beautiful and rich and happy, of course. Huge billboards above the mega department stores all boasted western beauties in Lancome, Chanel, Gucci and what not, while down below slanted eyes gazed longingly. When they weren’t adoring the super models they were mesmerized (and amused) by us: a group of foreigners in an otherwise totally Chinese place…(tourists don’t set foot in Hefei).

I am famous in many places in the world and accustomed to being stared at, but nothing could prepare me for the dropped jaws and shameless ogling I experience here… dark skinned curly haired stranger walks the streets! Everybody smiles at me shyly or boldly but always curiously…I am an oddity. They giggle and tell me I’m “bootifoo” (those that can say that word…all three of them J). It could have easily been the opposite: I could have been perceived here as vulgar and ugly compared to the slim black haired porcelain dolls the women here all resemble. In any case, I am an oddity. I guess every person should experience that at least once in their life: what it means to feel, and be, so totally different. It humbles you.

To escape the crowds we ducked into an alley where a vendor was selling fresh pineapples. Two steps into the tiny side street, the ‘other’ China shows its face: shabby, poor, dilapidated, dirty…laundry and seaweed hanging to dry side by side on a greasy clothes line, and the omnipresent smell …

Behind the glittering façade, there is still much to be done.

After our walk in the human river, we took a train to Changzhou (CHUNG-JOE), checked into a pretty seedy ‘wannabe’ modern hotel that smelled funny, went out to dinner (celebrated Ofer’s birthday…) had strange food, and called it a day.

The next morning I was on a quest. A friend of mine, who lived there for a year, urged me to visit what he described as a fascinating, mystical, meditative place..a temple at the top of a sacred mountain. Gil, Florntijn and myself left at 6:45 am with a taxi for what my friend had said would be a 45 minute drive. It took an hour and a half, through a seemingly endless metropolis that finally made way for mountains. We reached a place called “Moushan” (he had said it would be called Emei Shan), there was a cable car (he said stairs)…and at the top, everything but tranquility: The place was packed with devout Taoists (I never knew such a thing existed. Truth is I am developing a stronger aversion to religion of all sorts with every passing day..btw, one of the nice things about China is that most people here are NOT religious! Thank GOD! J)

We witnessed a strange Taoist ritual whereby the believers take bundles of reeds that come in all shapes and sizes (depending on your status I suppose: the largest ones are over almost two meters tall and quite expensive), burn the tips in a medieval looking dungeon-like fire room, then walk into the main square and wave them around vehemently, chanting prayers and asking their angry looking gods for health and prosperity (I am guessing prosperity takes first place: money rules).It’s a pyromaniac’s dream come true. When they’re finished with the deadly fire ceremony, they start throwing pennies at brass towers and into dragon’s mouths…all in hope of bettering their luck somehow. And there are palm readers in every corner who will sell you any old story I suppose.

Later I discovered that there had been a…what shall I call it?....a slight misunderstanding. My friend (the relationship with whom I am seriously reconsidering) had indeed spent a year in China, but not in Changzhou but in Chungdu (CHUNG-DU). Sounds the same, eh..but, well, thousands of miles away, whole different ballgame, whole different temple. So, my quixotic quest can be chalked up to anthropological experience.

The concert in Changzhou was good. Mira and I are definitely getting the hang of it. I think we have unlocked at least some of the endless mysteries of the Chinese audience. I am saying my little Chinese speech at the beginning of my part of the show by heart now.. they love it! And when we sing in Chinese at the end, they go ga gaJ they participate so willingly when asked to clap or sing along…they are like children, full of wonder…

After the show, we met a pair of Israelis with their two children who had taken the train from Shanghai especially to see us. Talking with them was very enlightening, albeit disconcerting. We learned that the average Chinese makes about 3000 yuen a month, the equivalent of 1,500 shekels or about 350 dollars. In high tech you go as high as 700-800 dollars only! Our friends were amazed that so many people could afford to come to our shows. They also told us that in China there are no social security or unemployment benefits, and no health insurance! I was quite shocked to hear that. I was certain that in a quasi-communist state as this one, your compensation for lack of freedom on almost every front would surely be some sort of social net. But it appears that only your employer can give you health benefits. When you’re unemployed, you’re on your own. Self employed: pay your way. As a result, our friends explained, everybody works. Given no other choice you clean streets or help build the ubiquitous sky scrapers but whatever you do, don’t stay jobless. What’s more, we learned that many of those skyscrapers in the shiny new neighborhoods on the peripheries of huge metropolises are uninhabited! They are the government’s attempt to prepare ahead of time for the inevitable migration from rural communities to the big cities that they foresee happening in the next decade. Until then, they stand like the ghosts of enormous, petrified cement trees.

Sigh.

Well, to lighten things up, here is some comic relief:

Did you knowwwww…
That cucumbers are BIG in China? Yes, our very own melafefon! J

They are dished up in restaurants every which way, you can find them being munched casually by fashion-minded young Chinese cruising the boulevard, and most fantastically, our backstage snacks at many theaters include cucumber flavored potato chips!
Yes, clearly a cucumber obsession. J

And did you know…

That many Chinese do not put diapers on their babies? They believe in ‘toilet training’ (if you could call it that) from day one, so, what they do is dress these little cuties in pants or overalls that have a slit right where their bottoms are. And then, it’s Russian Roulette! Can you move the baby the few centimeters away from you that it takes to avoid being splattered, in time? Let’s see you! This phenomenon never ceases to amaze me here. The first time I saw it on a windy, rainy day in Tiananmen square I ran to the parents and tried to explain to them that their child’s pants had torn by mistake and his bottom was bare in the freezing cold! They looked at me like I was some crazy person.

Who’s crazy? I do not know. In China the word crazy takes on whole new dimensions.

What’s for sure is, the Chinese love their children. They dote on them, adore them, spoil them, invest in them, cuddle them, sacrifice everything for them. It is worthy of praise.

We were talking to a man on the airplane today. When I told him I had three children (unheard of here), he looked at me with longing in his eyes and said: you are lucky. When I tell the average European I have three children, he says: you are crazy. That sort of sums it up.

And one last anecdote:

If you are a female and have any plans of using the toilet in any place other than you very modern hotel room, you are in for a very “interesting” experience. First, prepare your gas mask. Or take a deep breath and hold it for 5 minutes, but whatever you do, don’t inhale! The scent is revolting in ways unknown to man. Second, bring toilet paper from home OR make sure you take it into the stall with you. Otherwise, its drip dry for you, girl. Third, if you were planning on wearing overalls, stockings, high heels, tight dresses, corsets, and the like…..don’t. J they don’t go well with the hole in the ground that passes for a toilet here (and that includes nice restaurants!!) Unless of course you are interested in exploring new yoga positions that will enable you to relieve yourself without getting all disgustingly splattered.

Modernity in China stops at the door of the water closet.

So, back to the tour: after Changzhou we took the train four and a half hours to Wuhan. (Chinese trains and train stations leave much to be desired).

Wuhan: yet ANOTHER big city with the combination of old slummy looking neighborhoods and new, super techy skyscrapers. The hotel smelled bad (for a change!) and the rooms were pretty scrappy. BUT, in keeping with the great Chinese tradition of just-when- you- though-you-understood-something-forget-it-‘cause-you-don’t, the concert was in a stunning hall which makes Carnegie hall in NY look like a dump, and I kid you not. All plush red seats, glimmering wooden stage, gold inlays on the walls, huge golden organ in the back, huge golden flower on the ceiling, wow! And breathtaking acoustics! natural reverberation from the source to the ear to the heart.

We had a great audience (900 people!), who were super enthusiastic (in Chinese terms of course J). After the show they were all over us and the vibe was very good. It was an uplifting experience.

At night in my room I struggled with my computer. Slow internet in most hotels makes it very difficult to use that international substitute for nearness called Skype. I saw my daughter Enea but could not hear her nor she me. Ayehli was nowhere to be found. It was frustrating to say the very least.

Truth is? I am so homesick I could just die.

China is interesting and enlightening in many ways, but I miss my kids and husband and parents and my mother’s cooking and my little baby’s smile more than I can describe. Every day I extract milk from my body (yes, I am still doing that..) in hope that she will still have something to take when I see her again…just for the warmth of it, the symbiotic joy of oneness that nothing in this life or any other can compare to. I don’t know if it will last..but I’m giving it a fight. I guess like China, I too am crazy.

Woah..its late..gotta go the to theater soon (did I mention I am now in …where am i?..yes, Chongqing.. In Szechuan province. Very modern hotel in a skyscraper forest…). Show tonight, our 6th! (3 more to go….)

No matter how confused, brokenhearted, homesick and tired I may be, the prospect of singing in a few hours, opening the doors of my heart again to let in whatever comes, and let out whatever needs to fly…. never fails to illuminate my soul. Thank you, spirit of the universe, for allowing me to do that….

To be continued…

I am back in my room after an excellent concert at the Chongqing grand theater, another monstrous edifice, 17 months old, enormous stage, ultra modern facility that makes most theaters in Europe look like outhouses. After the show, we drove by the river and had a view of Chongqing by night. We were all speechless. NY times ten. Blade-runner meets Fifth Element meets Matrix , and all smelling of fried fish.

I just saw both my girls on Skype. I couldn’t hear them, but they could hear me so I sang them “the itsy bitsy spider” and blew them kisses…

Good night all. I will send this off now. Tomorrow is a new day.

Noa, Chongqing, China, may 5 2011

The China Chronicles- April 25-30

2011-04-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

We landed in Beijing to find an airport that looks like Charles de Gaulle in Paris times 5, mixed in with Madrid , Rome and NY airports but bigger, newer, shinier and squeaky clean. Welcome to China!

The first Chinese person we met was Zhang Ying , or just Ying…the representative of the local theater and our ‘host’ for the whole tour. How can I describe Ying? A ball of Chinese Prozac with glasses, a plaid shirt, scruffy jeans and an eternally smiling face, wearing her back-pack in front to avoid pick-pockets (the New Yorker in me smiles ), Pure goodhearted “Chinglish” speaking naiveté , clever, efficient, ready to help at the bat of an eye-lash, eager to please, emotional to the MAX! In fact she can’t stay still! She was there with her thumbs up, all teary eyed at finally meeting us (she had been working on our tour for 18 months..!) , jumping up and down and saying “sabbaba legamreyyy!!”.. handing out little bags with a small bottle of water, an apple and a banana for each of us!! I couldn’t have dreamed of a warmer welcome.

The trip to the hotel took us forever. Horrible traffic, Cars and more cars. Old cars, small cars, but most of all NEW Mercedes, Audis, Porches and what not! Hardly any bicycles in the center of Beijing and of the few we saw most were motorized!! Progress…?

Then the buildings hit us…the skyscrapers soaring higher and higher, the shopping centers, convention centers, commercial centers, office buildings, banks, insurance companies, markets, shops and more shops, Prada, Gucci, Tiffany’s, Armani, Versace, Kentucky Fried Chicken on every corner, cutting edge architecture, and everywhere, people! People running, working, building, shopping, learning…
China feels like a teenager with hormones exploding, that wants to swallow the world in one gulp, run the marathon, sleep with anything on legs, get a Phd in a week, horde gadgets and consume till she drops BUT never lose composure lest she awaken the wrath of her very strict father. Woah! What a hand-full.

And with all that, there are shadows lurking in the corners, places you are forbidden to shine your flashlight on. Restrictions of all sorts, beginning with the urban one-child policy and ending with a ban on international social networks: No facebook, twitter or youtube ! Yes...you are cut off! Big brother is definitely watching you here. And no photo taking in many places, and make sure not to say the words “human rights”, “Tibet”, “freedom of speech” or even just “freedom” for that matter, or any such thing. In short, mind your own business and keep out of politics.
As a very political person myself, it is not easy for me to accept that, or more accurately, it WAS not easy, before I came here. Now I am having all kinds of second thoughts.

As a foreigner, there are endless things about China we do not understand and probably never will. There are most likely a lot of dark going-ons that we could never accept with our western set of values. On the other hand, there is one thing you cannot deny: somebody in China is doing something right. You look around, and you see that everywhere, people’s quality of life is improving. People are moving forward, expanding horizons, building in just 20 short years what America had hardly managed to get going in 200. They have a future, and the sky is the limit. Their government may be restricting their freedom on the border of oppression, but at the same time they are being cared for and given tools to hone a very real, very positive new future for themselves. Truth is, China is going to be so far advanced in ten years time she will make all of us look Neanderthal. I say, better start brushing up your Chinese. For now, they still think they have something to learn from us, where the truth is, we have much more to learn from them.

We in Israel are 7 million, the Chinese, at last count, are 1 billion 375 million. That figure is mind boggling to say the least. Chinese admire the Jews and Israel to no end. They admire the fusion of courage, wit, innovation and ancient wisdom that we represent...it is, in effect, a mirror of their own self image. Somebody once told me the Chinese see themselves as “the Jews” of Asia.
Yet, I look at Israel with its glorious “democracy”, and a see a country in a total state of havoc, with so many things going wrong, where life just gets harder and harder, education and vocation harder and harder to come by, buying a house almost unthinkable, more and more public services privatized, healthcare on the down turn, budgets for culture and education, that in China are skyrocketing, in Israel keep getting smaller and smaller....politics gnaws away at everything in the worst possible manner...arguing and bickering and ridiculous wheeling and dealing rather than straight, firm leadership aimed at truly bettering our lives. And that’s before I’ve gotten started with the fiasco that is Israel’s public image and handling of the peace process.

So, where does the truth lie? I have no idea...as always, somewhere in the middle, or somewhere at the bottom of the sea or outer space. Anyway, time will tell.
Our Beijing experience was a positive one all in all. We visited the Forbidden City, which was breathtaking. We then had a press conference at the Forbidden City Concert Hall where we will perform on May 9th.
That was strange. The journalists looked at us, and we looked at them, and there was silence. Finally one brave guy asked something, we answered, and silence again. Finally, Mira and I interviewed the journalists.
At the end, somebody asked me if I was aware a friend of mine was in Bejing: Nicola Piovani! What a shock! It appears he was in town as the guest of the Italian Cinema Orchestra who were performing in the great hall of the people. I was very excited to hear that, ‘sms’ed him, and to make a long story short, ended up singing two songs at the concert the following evening, “Beautiful That Way” and “Quanto t’ho Ammato”. It was thrilling.

We also had a chance to meet our sponsor, CNA president from Singapore, Dr. David Ong, and the Israeli businessman who had made the connection, Eytan Gilboa (who is a friend of my friend Avremi...Israeli system ..).
It was wonderful meeting both of them. Amazing, warm people. We are lucky!!
They both took us out to dinner. We ate Peking duck (hmm, I’m not impressed ..) and other yummy delicacies the first night, and Peking duck (take 2!), broiled chicken feet (arrgh, Ii left that one on the plate) the second. Chinese food is good all in all, but sometimes very odd.

From Beijing we moved on the Zoungzhou.
The hotel was modern with all the amenities but smelled funny. In fact, all of China smells funny to me. In this case the hotel was also just next door to the bustling fish market, which did not help matters much.
The concert hall in ZZ is impossible to describe in words. Modern to the max, huge, resembling four spaceships that just happened to come in for a landing, something the like so which I have never seen anywhere including NY, Paris, London etc. And we are talking about a “small” town by Chinese standards... 7 million! Yet the theatre is incredible. That, by the way, looks like it is going to be a “recurring theme” on this tour.
And then there was the concert:
Oy.
In a hall of 2000 sat 450 bored looking people, some children, some very old, some teens, all scattered around. One lady slept through the whole show right in front of us. Applause? Forget it, that’s asking for too much. Some people walked out before the end. Even during our final bow, nobody seemed to understand that it was the end until we walked off. Then there was a meager attempt at some enthusiasm , we did our Chinese song (they liked that) and bye bye.
Mira and I were shocked and depressed.
Then Ying ran over to us, all jumpy, clapping, smiling, happy! “That was great, they loved it!!” she yelped. What?? We thought, love it? They had a strange way of showing it.
Please! She continued, come quick, you must sign autographs and take pictures, they are waiting!
And sure enough, there they were, buying up tons of cds, waiting for autographs.
Later we received an explanation from Ying: the rate of development, construction and modernity is so fast that culturally people just can’t keep up. They have these amazing theatres but have no idea what to do with them yet and how to behave at the events that are presented. That gap was where we fell in. It was as if you had taken a child and given it a brand new Mercedes to play with...a bit of an overkill.
On top of that, they do not know how to show their emotions....said Ying, as she wiped the tears from her eyes (I love her).

More and more surprises.
The next town, Quingdao, would be a totally different experience. Quingdao is a modern, prosperous coastal city, very attractive to local tourism, where the Germans ruled for a few decades and left their cultural and architectural traces everywhere. The swing of development is unfathomable, and the theatre, again, just too wild to be true.
But here, we had a host, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Feng Bin. Mr Feng, an old friend of Israel and of Oded Drory, Gil’s friend from Yavneh (Israeli system at work again ), took us out to the best meal we have had in China so far. The restaurant was situated in a golf course right on the water! Upon entrance, you see a row of aquariums with every type of weirdness from under the sea swimming around, or hanging around, or slithering in boxes waiting to be chosen as food. Oy vey.
Mr. Feng made his order and up we went: Private room, big round table, beautiful chandelier, lazy Susan in the center. (lazy Susan is a big glass circle on a central hinge that spins around with the food on it, thus reaching everyone. demands quite a bit of collaboration to be effective )
Food was exceptional, the best in China so far. Especially the fish...yumm!
The next day we were taken on a tour of Qingdao by bus like real tourists, accompanied by Mr. Feng’s assistant, Chen. Gift shops everywhere... Everything that glitters and glows is available here, in quantities. The city is very upscale, complete with Beverly Hills style malls a yacht club and an Olympic sailing center... Very impressive. One of Quingdao’s many sister cities is Nes Tziona, Israel, where my father was born! In fact there is a sign in the port: Nes Tziona, 7,400 km! Cool.
The concert was a whole different ballgame from its predecessor. To begin, a lot more people showed up, we had about a thousand! Also, Gil and I made a lot of changes in our part of the show that were really effective: More talking in Chinese between the songs, (with the help of dear Zhang Ying, the sweetest on earth, who came on stage and translated), more audience involvement, less ballads, even got them to sing with me on “I Don’t Know”!. It was great! After the concert we had dinner all together with Feng, Drory and some the Quingdao Israeli community (all 5 of them ), it was overall a merry occasion.

Today we woke very early and travelled to Hefei (left hotel at 5:45! ).
Hefei is a very small town of 2 million people (you get used to that after a while..). As I write I am sitting in front of a big window on the 15th floor of a very fancy hotel. Earlier I was a total zombie, feeling tired and missing home terribly. I went out to eat with Gil and Ofer, another voyage into the twilight zone of culinary weirdness where I ended up eating only boiled lettuce leaves and rice. On the way to the restaurant we saw a bit of the ‘real’ Hefei...pretty poor , dusty and shabby, but immersed in endless construction and changes everywhere. What’s nice is that people smile at you everywhere you go...they really are friendly and curious about us foreigners. Almost as much as we are about them.
Soon Ii will be picked up to go to the theater. Wonder what lies in store?

...Back in my room....wow, the show was wonderful!! SO many people showed up, What an enthusiastic audience! They participated and applauded, they were so nice! It’s amazing: they bring their children to see concerts! In Europe you hardly see that, but here, about 15 percent of the audience if not more where under 12! More proof of how important it is to them to educate their children and broaden their horizons (sigh..I’m jealous..). Plus, you could see them making efforts to speak to us in English..Every mother nudging her child forward and whispering in their ear, then the bashful cutie says: “How ah yoo ? ”. They are just great.

So I’m happy. After a rough day, missing home, feeling tired, to be rewarded by music and love is so amazing.
This First chapter of the China Chronicles comes to an end. Thanks for reading.
I am going to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.
Noa, April 30, Hefei, China.

in view of the latest essay by Richard Goldstone

2011-04-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

During the Gaza war, i was widely criticized for publishing an open letter to the Palestinian people, calling them to rid themselves of what i consider to be a terrorist organization strangling their hopes for peace and condemning them to a future ridden with hatred and bloodshed. I was also criticized by these same people for defending Israel’s right to self defence and claiming that there was never any intention on Israel’s part of hurting innocent civilians, whereas Hamas’ sinister plans were and remain clear: to destroy Israel and in such, target innocent civilians intentionally.

I have always been a staunch supporter of the Peace process and the ‘two state solution’. But during the public discourse on this matter, i was shocked by the clear demonization of Israel, which became a horrible sort of “fashion”, and the forgiving, “they know not what they do” attitude used to judge, or rather not to judge, Hamas. I stated that though i am and have always been critical of many of Israel’s policies and actions, i would by no means agree to the wanton and imbalanced “death sentence” flung at her doorstep. I even compared it to Ceasar’s ‘thumb down’ with the bloodthirsty crowds roaring.

When the Goldstone report was issued, it was widely used by anti-Israel forces to condemn Israel, and by my own critics to strengthen their claims against me. Now, almost three years after that tragic war, many things have changed, and much more is known about what really happened. It is unfortunate that due to Israel’s initial,illogical refusal to cooperate with the Goldstone fact finding committee, the truth (whatever that may mean) has taken so long to emerge from the ruins of war.

This week Judge Goldstone published an article in the prestigious Washington Post, entitled "Reconsidering the Goldstone Report".

Here are some captions:

"If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.” “Israel has dedicated significant resources to investigate over 400 allegations of operational misconduct in Gaza” while “the de facto authorities (i.e., Hamas) have not conducted any investigations into the launching of rocket and mortar attacks against Israel.”

“the most serious attack the Goldstone Report focused on was the killing of some 29 members of the al-Simouni family in their home. The shelling of the home was apparently the consequence of an Israeli commander’s erroneous interpretation of a drone image, and an Israeli officer is under investigation for having ordered the attack. “

“the Human Rights Council should condemn the inexcusable and cold-blooded recent slaughter of a young Israeli couple and three of their small children in their beds.”

“Regrettably, there has been no effort by Hamas in Gaza to investigate the allegations of its war crimes and possible crimes against humanity”

“ the laws of armed conflict apply no less to non-state actors such as Hamas than they do to national armies”

The complete report here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/reconsidering-the-goldstone-report-on-israel-and-war-crimes/2011/04/01/AFg111JC_story.html

War is an ugly thing. We must do all in our power to avoid it, and at the same time be VERY careful when we go out on witch hunts and burn culprits at the stake without carefully considering how much bias and prejudice is involved in our judgement.

Even though it may fall under the category of “too little to late”, i am happy Goldstone published this article and i admire his integrity. It takes a courageous man to reconsider his former position.

Having said that, i continue to urge my government to snap out of its destructive lethargy and rekindle peace talks with the Palestinians AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Rather than basking in an arrogant “i told you so” attitude, Netanyahu and his cabinet should be making every effort to utilize the shift of international attention from our region (the focus now being on other areas of the Arab world dealing with historic upheavals), and sanely and respectfully conclude the agreement with the Palestinian Authority. It seems Netanyahu’s regime wants to be dragged kicking and screaming by an entire nation’s hair to the table, rather than initiating the dialogue themselves, as would be the honourable thing to do.

May we know better days.

a black day

2011-03-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

today, we experienced a horrible tragedy. a bomb exploded in the center of jeruslam killing one woman and wounding 40 people.

the president of J street, a jewish american left wing organization which i support, issued the following statement. i agree with every word:

J Street condemns in the strongest possible terms today’s attack in Jerusalem as well as the increase in rocket attacks on the south of Israel. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families and to the people of Israel who in recent days are experiencing once again an increase in terror and violence.

We support the state of Israel in taking the steps necessary to respond to today’s attacks, to protect all its citizens, and to bring those who perpetrated today’s attack to justice.

We are in Jerusalem today, a mile from the bombing, for a debate in Israel’s Knesset, at which we reiterated that the security of Israel depends on ending the conflict with the Palestinian people through a two-state solution.

We remember at this moment the advice of Yitzhak Rabin that we must fight terror as if there were no peace process, but pursue peace as if there were no terror.

Even on the blackest of days like today, we recall his words and seek to carry out his legacy.

the israeli and palestinian governments should do everything they can to reach a peace agreement as soon as possible!!! how much more bloodshed can we stand??

about LIFE, the party...

2011-01-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

Since the political situation in my country, and everywhere, is nauseating and depressing to say the least, I have decided to start a new political party.
It’s called, very simply, LIFE.

“LIFE”.

In my party what we do is cultivate life.

We work to make people’s lives better. All people….And all animals and plants too.

There is no death cult. We do not think about death. We do not use death as a threat or a source of fear. We do not want to “die for ..” this or that, we want to LIVE for.. everything!

We treasure human life, regardless of race or religion. Violence is not an option.
We work for feeding the hungry, and helping them feed themselves. We work for equal rights and opportunities for all, for thriving businesses without exploitation, for education and health care on the highest level.

We take care of the planet, we care for the animals.

We nurture and adore art in all its forms; we encourage freedom of expression, eclecticism and pluralism.

We use the democratic system as best we can to promote what we believe to be universal human values. We work to abolish greed and selfishness, mitigating fear by sharing knowledge and information and promoting solidarity, empathy and ….love.

Our virtual headquarters are, for the moment, in my heart.

But we’re looking for appropriate real-estate.

Feel free to join!

All you have to do is…..

about the boycotting of israeli products

2010-10-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

hello friends.

below is a letter written by my sister-in-law's girlfriend, Tami Tal, to "Olympia Food co-op", a US based company who decided to ban Israeli products.
i agree with every word written here, i could have written the same myself. it is accurate and cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
please read.

Hi,

I read in an Israeli newspaper that "Olympia Food Co-op" is planning to boycott food products from Israel.

I suggest you take further steps, then:

The little chips inside your computer, at least some of them, are probably an Israeli invention. So are some of the software programs you use.
Also – your local hospital probably contains some life-saving Israeli-invented apparatus, as well as some Israeli-invented chemical compounds used in your medications.

The water distribution system in your rural vegetable and fruit fields, which I presume are abundant in your area, are also, most likely, a product of the Israeli brain.

Though tiny, Israel has contributed to the medical, scientific and technological world a substantial percentage of its inventions, intended for your nutrition, health and home comfort, relative to other countries on this planet that are much, much, bigger.

My suggestion, then, is – why don't you boycott all of these as well?.. That would make a much more thorough job on your part.

Lastly, while boycotting Horrible Israel, please consider boycotting:

Saudi Arabia – for human rights violations (who's heard of women driving??)

Iran – for human rights violations (stone the woman to death!)

Syria – for harboring terrorists (keep up the good work firing missiles at Israel boys!)

China – for human rights violations ("Government knows what's best for you"!)

Turkey – for occupying parts of Cyprus , for imprisoning anyone who only mentions the Turkish-caused Armenian Holocaust, and for oppressing the Kurdish people who seek independence.

Russia – for oppressing Chechnya (and for invading parts of Georgia )

France – for prohibiting Muslim women to wear face-veils (though I can't blame them – but, hey, freedom of expression, right??)

Switzerland – for banning the construction of minarets on mosques

And the list is long.

I can think of many, many other countries that are violating human rights right now as we speak.

And more seriously now:

Just so you know – I'm an Israeli woman, and – though you may find it odd – I belong to the Left political spectrum in Israel. I actually CAN'T WAIT for the Palestinians to have their own country. But what I don't like is people, like yourselves, who sit in your comfortable homes, thousands of miles away, and think they know better. What is happening here, in my country, is not black and white like you make it to be. There are TWO sides to the coin.

So I would greatly appreciate if you – and about 99% of all other people on this planet – stop demonizing Israel. Because despite the wrongs that Israel is doing (and there are wrongs), there is also good, and there is also our side of the story. Add to that the fact that other countries around the world are not such great saints either (including, by the way, your very own country), I would be happy if you reconsider.

Sincerely yours,

Tami Tal, Jerusalem , Israel

amen!

Noa, Israel.

a broken heart..and a hope that refuses to die

2010-10-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

hello everybody.
it has been a while since I've written.
i am actually writing under the saddest of circumstances.
you all know Israel and Palestine are in the midst of peace talks. yes, peace talks. sounds like a joke, doesn't it? it's incredible. so many years of dreaming and waiting and here we are in the midst of direct talks: why does it all feel so dull?

well, obviously: we have been disappointed and disillusioned so many times, it seems none of us can muster even the slightest bit of enthusiasm. we have become hardened by our sad reality,our hope has reduced itself to a tiny trickle...it seems hallucinatory to think that under the existing circumstances, any progress can be made...
and yet....??
who knows?? the tiny dream naggingly persists...

one thing is for sure: the extremists on both sides will do their very best to destroy what is being built. they thrive on fear, hatred and suspicion. they are vampires, lurking the dark nights of our lives, sucking the fresh blood of hope from the bodies of our children.yes, i know that's graphic and jolting, but no understatement is in order where these monsters are concerned.
we witnessed Lieberman's bleek speech at the UN (yes, words are as destructive as bombs),the shooting of the Jewish family in the territories, the burning and defiling of mosques by settlers, we see the devilish joy in the eyes of those eager to continue the "building" in the settlements, that "building" which is actually a guise for destruction and hopelessness...and all in the name og god, of course, as always.

and now, another bitter anecdote to add to the growing list of atrocities.

i have a good friend, an amazing man. i cannot disclose his name, so a snot to endanger him forther.
he is a Palestinian peace activist who has dedicated his life to working with young people in Gaza and offering an alternative to the hate-driven terrorist organizations who suck in the youth and recruit them for acts of violence and suicide.
this man is a man of principles. a man of peace. dedicated to building bridges, to deepening understanding. a man a valour.

when hamas took over Gaza, his life was in danger. he escaped , with the help of his Israeli friends and colleagues, to ramallah, just hours before they came for him. he and his immediate family now live in ramallah, where he continues his peace activity.

but.... his brother and mother were left behind.

a few weeks ago his brother was arrested by hamas and thrown into prison.
through great efforts, a red-cross representative was allowed to visit him, and reported that he was alive, but nothing more.

a few days ago, hamas made the news public:
40 people, whose names were listed, had been arrested and imprisoned, accused of collaborating with Israel.

they are to be given a "fair trial", and executed.

my friend's brother was on the list.

since then, his mother has stopped taking her medicine, eating or drinking. she has no reason to live.
my friend is on the verge of physical and mental collapse.

he, and all of us, are helpless in the face of such cruelty, such madness, such sinister atrocity.

and all for what?
for revenge? for a public display of power? to remind Abbas whose boss?? to tamper with the Peace talks? to make sure terror continues to reign supreme???

yes, all of the above.
yes, god above, all in your name.

i am disgusted, appalled and nauseous.
i do not want to think what my friend is going through (he is not answering the phone)

if there is a god up there, (which i highly doubt), this would be a good time to show some of that merciful etc etc he or she is attributed with.

as for you, "brave" leaders of Israel and Palestine....work it out already!!!! if he is do die, let it not be in vain!!!!!!

with my deepest wish for better days,
a heartbroken Noa

some clarifications about my infamous 'open letter' written during the Gaza War, 2009

2010-06-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

During the Gaza war in January 2009, I wrote an open letter. That letter was written with the best intentions on my part but ended up drawing immense criticism, entirely contrary to the spirit in which it was written.

The criticism seems to center around the following sentence:

“I can only wish for you that Israel will do the job we all know needs to be done, and finally RID YOU of this cancer, this virus, this monster called fanaticism, today, called Hamas”

This sentence was widely interpreted as support for the Gaza war as it was perceived by many people: a wanton attack on innocent civilians. This was, and is, by no means the case.

I was always against the use of violence and i continue to be against the use of violence, on all sides. Throughout my career I have been a supporter of the Palestinian quest for independence in a sovereign state alongside Israel, and I continue to be a staunch supporter of their cause. I have fought and sacrificed much for this, and i am sorry for every innocent life lost on both sides of the fence.

It is important for me that it be known that my letter was written as an emotional reaction to horrifying testimony I received from a close friend of mine who is a Palestinian peace activist (a real peace activist) that was living in Gaza, and told me of the torturing, killing and terrorizing of the Palestinian population there by Hamas, especially anyone working for peace with Israel. He himself fled from Gaza moments before Hamas henchmen raided his house with the intention of killing him. He was lucky, many others were not. His blood-curdling stories were the impetus for my letter.

Having said that, I understand now that I should not have written the specific sentence I mentioned before in the original letter, because it did not convey my intentions properly.

There is a great distinction between my stand against Hamas and my support for the Palestinian people and their rights. My sentence seems to have confused the two. Let me be clear. For the time being I am still totally against Hamas for two reasons:
1, Their official covenant calls for the total destruction of Israel and the murder of every man, woman and child!
2. They are a fundamentalist religious organization who dictates an Islamic rule that stands against any liberal human value that I and most of the readers of this document cherish. The entire free world has fought horrible wars against similar regimes paying a high price for the liberties that the fortunate among us enjoy today – including the liberty to express unpopular views and harshly criticize each other.

BUT, my mistake was to write that it is the Israelis who must eradicate Hamas. I take back these words and i regret them. They were inappropriate.

For me, Hamas is not representative of the hopes and dreams of the Palestinian people. Hamas came into power at a certain tragic moment in time, and I personally regret that deeply, as I also regret the rise of the government presently in power in Israel.

My view is clear, as I wrote in the answers I gave to La Republica, starting with my peace plan, “recognize, apologize, share”.

Israel needs to stop the occupation immediately and make an agreement with any leadership of the Palestinian people who wishes to live in peace with its neighboring state of Israel.

Not long ago it seemed impossible to envision talks between the PLO and Israel, but both sides managed to change their paradigm. I firmly believe today that the same type of change is possible between Hamas and Israel and I urge BOTH parties to check their motives and intentions again. I will be the first to put the past behind me and reach out my hand in peace to any former enemy. I firmly believe that if Hamas adopts the same principles that the Palestinian authority has already adopted long ago, the movement towards peace will be swift, though far from easy. Both sides will have to control their extremists in much the same way that Israel managed to clear its settlers out of Gaza.

This whole process must be assisted by the international community, who must ensure the security of both sides, and contribute financially and otherwise to the success of the fledgling state of Palestine and the relationship between the two countries.

I call on all people to listen to all sides with an open heart free from prejudice. I call upon my brothers in Israel and Palestine to unite for the cause of peace. Let’s not point fingers anymore and bring more and more hatred to the world. Let’s show the beauty of all cultures, the wisdom of all religions, and the human, compassionate face of mankind.

It is as simple as that.

Sincerely yours,
Noa

an interview about the situation

2010-06-03T02:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
Here is an interview i did for the Italian paper La Republica, one of the largest in that country.
Thought you would find it interesting.
(i don't know what they will end up printing, but these are the answers i gave them)

1) Why in all these years all the pacts did not reach a real solution for the crisis?

There exist a sufficient number of Israeli Jews who are convinced that Arabs by and large want to kill them, destroy Israel and impose fanatic Moslem hegemony all over the world. At the same time there also exist a sufficient number of Moslems who are convinced that Israeli Jews wish to colonize them, expel them, kill them and enslave them forever. Unfortunately there exist enough evidence to substantiate both arguments! and the evidence continues to compile every day. Obviously each side is convinced that the evidence proves their own righteousness, while the evidence to the contrary play very little role in the minds of most people. This happens for a simple reason. Here's a metaphor which explains why: If, for example, while entering a 1000 seats auditorium, i'm being told that there is one crazy gunman with one bullet in his gun and he's bound to shoot someone, would i stay there? would i say its just one in a thousand ? of course not! i will leave the place immediately! The point is, one doesn't need too many threats to feel threatened and get defensive. From that point the road to violence is unfortunately a very short one. The Hamas Covenant on one side and the ultra-nationalist Jewish settlers' ideology on the other, combined with both parties actions to implement their ideologies by building settlements or by terrorism, provide all the necessary evidence for anyone who finds it difficult to believe in peace. For instance, i am certain that the assassinations of Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat by Muslim fundamentalists and of Israeli PM Itzhak Rabin by a Jewish fundamentalist sealed the lid on many people's hopes in our miserable war stricken region.

2) What the artists, and especially the Israeli artists, can do to testify the need of a democratic solution of the israeli-palestinian crisis?

In general I wish Israelis would both campaign and use their democratic vote to elect a government that would put a complete end to the 1967 occupation and would sign a peace treaty with the elected government of the Palestinian people. Both governments would ideally represent the wishes of both peoples to live side by side in peace and cooperation in their independent, sovereign and internationally recognized state. I will always raise my voice in such campaigns and urge all artists, Israeli and Palestinian to do the same.
I will also repeat my three stage peace plan: Recognize, Apologize, Share:
1. RECOGNIZE-
Each side must recognize the rights of the other to life, freedom, independence, identity, the right to flourish, the right to a peaceful existence. This is the first and critical stage of the plan. Without formal recognition, in writing, signed by the recognized leaders of each nation, no progress can be made.

2. APOLOGIZE-
Both sides have done horrible things to each other in the name of this and that ideal. Since the death of one life is parallel to the death of all of humanity, there should be a true and deep remorse for these actions, a heartfelt apology on both sides for the pain and anguish they have caused.

3. SHARE-
Each side should revoke their dreams of a complete ‘anything’. Only through compromise is peace achievable. In this way, on one small piece of land, we can create 2 countries, Israel and Palestine, living peacefully and respectfully alongside each-other.

3) After this violent and tragic event, what is the atmosphere and what are the feelings among your friends and people you daily meet?

The feeling is terrible, a lot of anger and frustration, a lot of remorse for the loss of human life. Nobody in Israel believes that the Israeli government intended to kill anyone on that boat. Many in Israel believe the Israeli government's decisions regarding how to handle the situation has not only brought the unnecessary loss of human life and injury to the passengers of the boat and to our soldiers, but also brought harsh criticism and demonization of the state of Israel and the Jewish people, while at the same time absolving all other participants in the incident from any responsibility for the unfortunate and utterly tragic event. If i were the Israeli PM or Defence Minister, I would resign immediately, taking responsibility for the consequences of my decisions, that have jeopardized the security of my country and harmed its image.

Personally my criticism of my own government is mostly that it continues to see the occupation as an asset rather than a liability. This position has made the moral and human implications of occupation "tolerable" for too long, and in my opinion, they are intolerable. Truly the alternative of losing strategic depth (a common fear prevalent in the post 1967 era, with arguably good reason) could only be compensated by relying on friendly nations for defence. However the inability of the allies to stop the holocaust during WWII burnt into the hearts of Jews and Israelis the notion of "never again"...never again will we rely on anyone's help but our own strength for survival! Can anyone contest this argument easily? i don't think so.
In conclusion, when i say that i Noa want to end the occupation and am willing to rely on friendly nations for my children's security and my own, it is because the west bank occupation is immoral and inhuman. I know i might be taking a huge risk, but my moral fabric refuses to succumb to any fear, however substantiated it may be. I'm far from being naive and only history will tell, but i am willing to take the risk, just as i hope people like me, on the other side, are willing to take the same risk, no matter how deeply fear and prejudice is rooted in their hearts. The anti-Israeli sentiment I feel everywhere in the world media today doesn't make that an easy thing for me and other Israelis to do, and it is for that reason that we are asking, emphatically, that the international community and its media stand firmly by those who refuse to surrender to fear and hatred, and refrain from the judgement and finger-pointing that does nothing but make matters worse.

an important petition, a sane, humane voice from israel

2010-06-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

dear friends,

i have been racking my brain trying to come up with what to write about the tragic events of the last days here in israel. i am so heartbroken, so angry, i can hardly find words to say.
then i stumbled upon this petition, written by israelis who obviously feel just as i do.
please read it, please spread it around, and if you can, please sign it!! it is so important that the world know that there are OTHER voices in Israel, not only those of our governmnet. these other voices need to be heard. i am proud to raise my voice alongside theirs.

i have printed the petition below.

this is the web site, in hebrew and english:

http://www.atzuma.co.il/hatikva

hoping for better days,

Noa

We are Israeli citizens, outraged at the continuously violent and impervious Israeli policy which has culminated in the tragic attack on the flotilla to Gaza.

We are consumed with sympathy and sorrow for the loss of those on the flotilla and for their families.

We demand that a public apology be made on our behalf to all innocent persons injured.

We demand to know: Who gave the order? Who will be held accountable? Who will investigate the incident?

We hold the government of Israel responsible: for the policies and actions which have resulted in this turn of events; for the misguided decisions; for the explicit and implied instructions; for the attempt to besmirch our children and our friends, our soldiers and their commanders.

In carrying out these actions, the government of Israel played directly into the hands of a minority group which sought to translate a global, humane, legitimate civil protest into a violent, provocative and ill fated event.

We call upon the government of Israel to recognize the profound political crisis which has been brought upon us and to make a change! We must transform this failure into a renewed sense of hope. We must return to the lines of peace. We must strive to see the end of the occupation, the end of the blockade and an end to the grave injustices they have unleashed. We must provide Israel, now more than ever before, with a renewed, promising political and moral horizon.

Do not shun responsibility, do not become entrenched in past mistakes, and do not shy away from positive transformation. It is never too late to repair misguided paths.

We deserve an Israeli policy which is committed to:

Restoring Israel’s national strategy to one of a civil society relentlessly seeking peace and founded upon values of justice, equality and morality;
Destroying the impervious political and ethical wall encompassing Israel;
Standing firm against the waves of internal hatred, political isolationism, belligerent and messianic nationalism, intolerance and xenophobia characterizing growing portions of Israeli society and large factions of its government.

We deserve a country we can be proud of

We deserve a policy of hope

דברים שיאמרו הערב בהפגנה בירושלים

2010-05-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

.שלום לכולם. הערב תתקיים הפגנה בירושלים.
גיל דור כתב בלשונו היפה דברים שאני אקריא הערב. הדברים הם על פי רעיונות שגילי ואני מפתחים יחדיו שנים.
מקוה לראותכם.

הנה הדברים:

עד לרגע זה היינו כולנו חרדים

חרדים לגורל המדינה, לגורל זהותה, אזרחיה, חזונה, דמותה ותדמיתה!

"באנו חושך לגרש בידינו אור ואש" - אש של אהבה למדינה, וגם נר זיכרון... "היו לילות, אני אותם זוכרת"... זוכרת איך לילה אחד
בנובמבר 1995 בא איש ובידו נר לבן להאיר את אוהל ליבי השחור. עוד רגע, חשבנו כולנו, ויזרח האור!
זה נראה כל כך אמיתי ואפשרי, הככר המלאה, התקווה...היתה תחושת הקלה והתרוממות רוח. ואז לפתע קדרו פני השמיים וכל השדים יצאו מן המגרה. המלאך לא בא, וגם לא השה הנאחז בסבך. הקורבן הוקרב - ויצחק לא שב.

היום, חמש עשרה שנה אחרי הלילה הנורא ההוא, סוף סוף הבנו שלא נחכה עוד לאף אחד מאבות האומה להושיע אותנו מפחדינו. היום אנחנו לוקחים את גורלנו בידנו - מסתכלים לאתגרים ישר בעיניים, לא מפחדים, לא חרדים. אזרחים ישראלים ותושבים מכל קצוות תבל ללא הבדל גזע מין ודת. בני האומה העברית החדשה בישראל הדמוקרטית, עומדים כאן בכיכר ציון, ותובעים את זכותנו לחיים של שלום ושגשוג במדינתנו.

אנחנו מאמינים שהדם היזע והדמעות שבהם נקנתה זכותנו זאת אינם בלעדיים רק לנו, ואנחנו תומכים בכל מי שתובע את זכותו לחיים של שגשוג ושלום מתוך הכרה הדדית, פשרה טריטוריאלית, ולא פחות חשוב, סליחה ומחילה הדדית על הצער והסבל שגרמנו אחד לרעהו. אנחנו תובעים זאת למעננו ולמען הדורות הבאים.

הציונות שלנו היא התנועה המסתכלת קדימה אל מקומו הראוי של העם היהודי במסגרת שליחותו האנושית, אל בנייתה של חברת מופת אזרחית רב תרבותית המעניקה שיווין הזדמנויות לכל. הציונות שלנו שואבת מן הנשגב שבמחשבת היהדות ומהישגיו הרוחניים של העולם כולו, ומצדיעה לרוח האנושית באשר היא. הציונות שלנו מנחילה ערכים. היא איננה ציונות כובשת ומתנחלת. הלאום העברי המתחדש גאה בשפתו, שפת "עבר", שהיא כור ההיתוך של החברה הישראלית. אליעזר בן יהודה וממשיכי דרכו סללו את דרכנו לזהות העברית ואפשרו לנו להבין ולהפנים את "אתה בחרתנו מכל העמים" במובן "רוממתנו מכל לשון" ואנחנו בוחרים בחיים ביד הלשון, בדו- שיח מיידי ללא הפסקה עד שיושג השלום.

ירושלים היתה יעד כיסופי הנפש של העם היהודי לדורותיו. עיר שמהותה האמיתית כשמה: "עיר שלום". זוהי עיר שמאבקי ריבונות החריבוה לאורך ההיסטוריה ויוסיפו להחריבה עד שנבין את פרושה - עיר שלום, אור לגויים. ציון שהיא ציון דרך בהיסטוריה האנושית. עיר שיצחק וישמעאל בני אברהם יחלקו לנוכח עיניהם המשתאות של אומות העולם. ואז תהיה זו עיר שחוברה לה יחדיו בשלום. בירת שתי מדינות, עיברית וערבית! עיר שתמלא את העולם באהבה ולא בשנאה, עיר שתסמל יותר מכל את הגאולה. ואנחנו נתחיל את השינוי הערב.

on symmetry, empathy and peace....by Noa and Gil Dor

2010-04-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

a group of people sharing a common cultural identity, i.e. a combination of tradition, language, historical origins and a sense of common destiny, are commonly referred to as "a people".

in order to "belong" to a people an individual must pass three tests:
1) one must identify himself as a member of the people in question.
2) one must be recognized as such by fellow individuals from that people.
3) one must be recognized as such by members of other peoples.

Both Jews and Palestinians fall under these definitions of people. This is the basic assumption behind the call for mutual recognition.

who needs a state?

The individual right for the pursuit of happiness is best manifested in the principle of equal opportunity. But in order for the individual to asses, to understand, to seize and to exploit a given opportunity, he/she must be well prepared!
The responsibility for this preparation starts at home with our parents. it includes language, traditions etc... in short, culture! or more accurately - our parents’ culture. that culture is typically most effective among individuals of the same "people". moreover the "rules of the game" within each society are best expressed by its traditional practices. these in turn are solidified then transformed into laws and constitutions of nations. however, whereas traditional practices can withhold regardless of a people's independence, formal laws and constitutions are meaningless without a territorial jurisdiction. It is no wonder that societies evolve from "wandering peoples" to "national states". It is a manifestation of the individual's wish to secure the best future for his children...

Both Jews and Palestinians have lived as peoples without their own independent country. At this time in history, both need a sovereign government running an independent national homeland of their own.

But as much as peoples need a land, lands throughout history have always been inhabited by more than one people! That is why "nations" are not synonymous with "people". Nations are born from the societies that live on a land. Israel and Palestine are no exclusion. They are inhabited by dynamic and diverse groups of people. In fact they are mixed with each other! The Israeli nation cannot and will not be comprised of the Jewish people exclusively. In fact the Israeli society has been grappling with this challenge since its inception and despite the ongoing violent conflict, it is has made substantial steps in the right direction. Unfortunately without peace based on mutual recognition, the formation of the Israeli Nation cannot be accomplished. The same is true for the Palestinian Nation with regards to its society's ethnical and religious diversity.

The failure to recognize each other's rights, compounded by exclusive claims of both people to the land, seem to be at the root of our inability to resolve the conflict.

The Palestinians need to recognize both Israel's right to exist in peace and security, and the Jewish people's right for a National home land in Israel. These are two separate and critical points.

Similarly, Israel needs to recognize both the Palestinian’s right for a national home land in Palestine, and the sovereignty of the future independent Palestinian state.

The ensuing territorial compromise has already been spelled out and should be implemented as a part of a comprehensive settlement based on the aforementioned mutual recognitions.

The right of return

The issue of the "right of return" of refugees of war to their homes should be resolved from the point of view of symmetry. both people feel they have a "right of return". We suggest replacing the term “right of return” with “the right to live in peace within secured and recognized borders of each people’s national homeland”.

Jerusalem

The issue of Jerusalem touches upon the sensitive subject of religion. On the eve of the holocaust Memorial day 2010, it may be appropriate to speculate that since the destruction of the Jewish temple by the Romans, God seems to have given us the following message:
"My existence is relative, not absolute! There are two forces that drive conscious interactions in the universe: empathy and apathy. When human interactions are governed by empathy I come to be and whenever they are governed by apathy i cease to exist."

That means that God, in the deepest sense, is a metaphor for empathy without which no human society could have ever evolved. This notion connects perfectly with the idea of "love thy neighbour" and the concept of God as love on a universal scale, a concept common to many philosophies and religions in the world.

This piece of philosophy is entirely relevant to the political issue at hand since God, as an expression of human empathy, could not have promised anything to anyone based on apathy to the needs of other people! Human Empathy is all we need to enable us to recognize apologize and share, and that includes Jerusalem. When we do, we will finally arrive at the two state solution:

Israel - a "Hebrew" state:
1) The "national homeland" for the Jewish diaspora
2) A pluralistic democracy for all of its citizens

Palestine - an "Arabic" state:
1) The "national homeland" for the Palestinian diaspora
2) A pluralistic democracy for all of its citizens

2010-03-13T23:31:00.000-08:00

Hello all.
One voice is a great group of Arabs and Jews doing the only thing there is to be done in the depressing, grotesque reality we live in here: urging our leaders to stop making excuses, sit and talk, and find a solution.
In light of the horribly embarrassing, not to say destructive, conduct Netanyahu's government displayed during vice president Joe Biden's recent visit, it's good to know there was someone out there raising the voice of reason and unity.
I am proud to add my voice to 'OneVoice'.
Look below..
AchiNoam

Biden Responds to OneVoice Israel

With the country watching, OneVoice Israel gives voice to the moderate majority
New York, March 11, 2010—OneVoice Israel staff and youth leaders urged hundreds of people attending United States Vice President Joe Biden’s speech at Tel Aviv University on Thursday not to let the extremists on either side seize the peace process.

Eight youth leaders joined OneVoice Israel Interim Director Tal Harris and Coordinator Guy Lupo in distributing nearly 1,000 flyers to attendees in support of the renewal of talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
“The agenda in Israel is being hijacked by extremists who work to undermine our government's strategy for peace,” said Harris. “Today, we witnessed 700 students at Tel Aviv University eager for change, who disagree with the appeasement of extreme settlers.”

OneVoice Israel’s staff and youth leaders wearing the movement’s t-shirts stood out from the audience during Biden’s talk. Noticing their presence, the vice president gave the first question to our youth leader Danny Shaket.

Shaket asked Biden for his opinion on what the U.S. administration, the Israeli government, and the Palestinian Authority would need from the moderate majority in order to reach an agreement.

“The United States cannot want peace more than the Palestinians want it or more than the Israelis want it,” Biden said. “You have got to get to the point where the leaders are actually able to sit and hopefully what we can do in these proximity talks, being available to both parties, we can be a bridging mechanism.”
Throughout his speech, Biden voiced his commitment to end the conflict through a two-state solution.

“For Israel, then, this is about both preserving your identity and achieving the security you deserve, lasting security,” Biden said. “For Palestinians, statehood will not just fulfill a legitimate and long-sought aspiration common to all peoples; it will restore the fundamental dignity and self-respect that their current predicament denies them.”

Israel’s announcement of plans to build 1,600 Jewish homes in the Ramat Shlomo settlement in Arab East Jerusalem marred Biden’s visit and was condemned by the United States.

“[T]hat decision, in my view, undermined the trust required for productive negotiations,” Biden said on Thursday. “I -- and at the request of President Obama condemned it immediately and unequivocally.”

The vice president’s comments were met with applause from the mainly Israeli audience, many of whom were students at Tel Aviv University.

“It's unfortunate and dangerous that the Israeli government’s actions are not in sync with their two-state strategy,” said Tal Harris of OneVoice Israel.

The OneVoice is an international grassroots movement amplifying the voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates. OneVoice works with Israelis and Palestinians in parallel, empowering them to seize back the agenda for conflict resolution and demand that their leaders achieve a two-state solution, guaranteeing the end of occupation and the establishment of Palestinian state, while ensuring the safety and security of the State of Israel.

2010-02-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

Dearest family and friends,
Friday feb 12th at 2 am our daughter Yum was born.
Funny. I had to go to the hospital on the 11th, when my water broke. But when 11 became 12, when 1 became 2, so did i….

Yum, in Hebrew… sea.
A sea of love.
She was delivered naturally. I was in the water a lot and asher and I were together, holding on to each other for dear life…
It was very painful but went well and the feeling of achievement, doing it this way like some amazon, is indescribable.
Debby our midwife was wonderful. thank you debby.
I'm exhausted but happy and honored to have been host to this miracle for the third time.
We were home 12 hours after the delivery.
Ayehli and Enea are super excited. As are grand and great-grandparents alike.
So,
New life begins…
I wish Yum a life of depth and discovery, befitting of her name.
(she's 4 days old in the photos attached..)

Love
achiNoam.

food for thought...a personal note on the verge of new life

2010-02-08T01:13:00.000-08:00

Hello all.

Tick tock, tick tock...

I am waiting to give birth, for the third time. due formally feb 24th but feel it could be any day.

What a strange, suspended state of being... my thoughts are like the waves of the sea (the one near our house, i attached a photo...)

New life soon to emerge, a new chance for....for what?

For clearer vision, for purer heart, for hope, for change, for sanity. A new chance for humanity in the form of a tiny fractal of its colossal whole..

A tiny fractal that could maybe be the one cell to multiply differently. To change the warped genetics of this generation, that emotional DNA which has brought so much pain and suffering to this world. Will it be this new little bud, a leader of the future, a discoverer, a fighter, a mover....

will this little bud be the one to finally experience the highest form of bliss, a life untainted by war??

These questions and so many more fill my sleepless nights.

I saw an amazing movie last night, called AJAMI, Israel's contender for this year's Oscar Award.

This movie is a must see in my opinion, i applaud its creators with all my heart. Its perspective, message and insight into the complexity of our painful situation here in Israel is so moving, so brilliant, it left me awed and heartbroken.

for all of you who feel you are in the dark about what's going on here, and that includes my fellow Israelis, this is your chance for a rare and magnificent peek into a reality far from the black and white propaganda presented by almost everyone, almost always, here in our own back-yard. Here, 15 minutes away from this house where i now sit and write..not in Gaza, not in Syria, not in iran. Here. This is our face, this is all of us.

Spectacular, Highly recommended.

While we're on the subject of perspective, find below, a link to a speech given by a journalist and woman i admire greatly, Pilar Rahola from Spain. (both English and Spanish version links).

Another brave soul, willing to fight against singular, propaganda-driven thinking. A real free thinker, the sort of which i admire greatly.

The sort of which i hope our new daughter will be.

Sending all of you much love,

Noa (Achinoam)

http://www.pilarrahola.com/3_0/XTRAS/print.cfm?ID=1775&TIPO=11&IDIOMA=3

in Spanish:

http://www.pilarrahola.com/3_0/CONFERENCIAS/default.cfm?ID=1775

pace of peace, POP, the seeds of hope.

2010-01-21T01:33:00.000-08:00

hello all.

i's like to bring to your attention an animated film called "pace of peace", made by Israel high school students, arab and jewish, in collaboration with some very fine Italina animators.

the story was conceived by the kids, and i had the pleasure of writing and performing the theme song. gil dor did the prodcution. i asked Rim Banna, palestinian/israeli singer songwriter, to join...and the result is before you.

the film was made a few years ago, and won several prizes. much has happened since, but nothing has really changed, so it remains highly relevant in my eyes...

in troubled times lke these, all i can do to keep sane is spread seeds of hope and pray the winds of good will carry them as far as they can go.

to see the film please go to YOUTUBE and search for "Pace of Peace" . it's the anumated film right on top. i tried to put in alink but something went wrong.

thanks and enjoy.

love

noa

2010-01-17T03:10:00.000-08:00

hello all,

here is my ' fim debut', the trailer from a film called "the Golden Pomegranate"!

the film is visually beautiful and historically very interesting. the story of one strong Jewish Yemenite woman's struggle for survival and independence against all odds.

i play a tiny part and i'm basically playing myslef so no need to hold your breath for an oscar any time this century, Penelope can relax, but it's a start! LOL :-) (Almodovar here i come!!)

check it out.
love
noa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AxtshXZddk

as the new year approaches

2009-12-21T23:33:00.000-08:00

hello everbody.
The two videos below are really amazing. I got them from different people over time, you may have seen them already, but if you haven’t , this is DEFINALTELY worth the couple of minutes it takes.
It’s a wow. Believe me :-)
As we approach a new year, good to know where we’re headed, or rather, to understand we have NO IDEA where we’re headed!
My conclusion?
“ all we need is love” .
Hope you got lots of it this year and all of those to come.
Hug
achiNOAam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY&feature=fvst

And the last update:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8

hunger

2009-11-20T01:07:00.000-08:00

hello all,
a few years ago i was chosen to be good will ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. i am very proud to be able to contribute to the important work done by the good people there.
this is a 15 second video i would ask you to watch. and read on, if your heart leads you to....
warmly,
noa
http://www.1billionhungry.org/

and watch this, you must:
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte

once again in the name of balance

2009-11-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
The link below is a speech made in the UN human rights council by the president of the ‘UN watch’ group.
I think it is worth your time. Especially interesting the reaction of the chairman at the end. I listened to the speech several times and could not under any circumstances understand why the chairman asked to remove the speech from the protocol….is it not the job of UN watch to criticize UN activity? If there is no such freedom of speech, what legitimacy does this respectable organization have?
I am sending you this under the slogan of ‘there is no black and white’. The slogan so important for us all to remember.
I will also say, for the sake of balance, that I believe Israel should be looking seriously into all the points mentioned in the Goldstone report. I think my country has the responsibility of checking and rechecking it’s actions and it is my duty as a citizen to call for this action to take place, as I have on my blog and every other forum. Our worst enemy is self-righteousness. I want to make it clear that I am not a spokesman for Israeli foreign policy. On the contrary, I am very critical of it.
BUT, at the same time, I will not tolerate the racism, hypocrisy and bigotry against Israel displayed in almost every international forum including, sadly, the UN, as the speaker below summarizes so well.
If you care about forming a balanced, intelligent opinion, I think hope you should take the time to see this. The speech is in English.

Sincerely,
Achinoam (noa)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhWgZu6tcZU

this is the UN watch site, many interesting things here, mostly not about the middle east.

www.unwatch.org

goldstone and a plan for the future

2009-10-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

about the goldstone report..

i have not read it all, but i do want to express a general opinion.
if there is to be any criticism of military behaviour, it has to be equally on both sides (of course, if we're talking real fairness, then lets look into every military conflict in human history, shall we? or is it only this one we're interested in, and why? every semi intelligent person should be asking themselves that question).
if anything, both sides should be looking carefully into their methods/actions/policies.
the IDF has done this many times in the past. when fault has been found, proper measures have been taken.
in fact, i as a citizen demand do know what my army is doing. i am the first to criticize them when they go wrong, and that has happened in the past. it infuriates me.
do the palestinians want to know what hamas has done? i hope so. will they be infuriated as i am when atrocius behaviour is uncovered? i sure hope so.
can hamas inspect themselves? will they? and if they do, how credible will it be? what infrastructure do they have to survey them, what 'objective observer'? i would like to know.
war is ugly. and so much of what is going on is ridden with propaganda, prejudice, manipulation and outright lies.

something to watch:

http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=7536409

so what should be done?

recognize, apologize , share

and:

1. israel, stop the building in the settlements
2. all, go back to the negotiating table immediately!!
3. palestine, give up the right of return and swap it for something more feasible (some sort of compensation)
4. draw permanent borders for palestine and israel
5. israel, talk to syria and find the solution there, which is clear cut and has been for years.
6.all arab countries, recognize israel's right to exist and agree to live peacefully with that fact.
7. work out jerusalem. it's not impossible, many good plans have been drawn already
8. commit to an the end of the conflict!!

politicians, get to work. you've wasted too much time and sacrificed too much human life on arrogance, fear, self-righteaousness, and stupid pride. enough!!!

our ordeal in Barcelona

2009-09-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

About 3 months ago, Gil Dor and myself recieved an invitation to perform in the ‘Diada’ in Barcelona, the most important celebration in Catalunya, that takes place on their national day, september 11th (it is actually the day they lost their independence and were forced to join the Spanish union). I was asked to sing a song called “el cant del ocells”, the song of the birds. It is an old Catalan song that was resurrected by Pau Casals, the world famous cellist (from Catalunya), who made it into a national symbol of peace and dreams yet to be fulfilled. It is one of the most important and well loved songs in catalunya. The organizers asked me to collaborate on this song with the Arab Orchestra of Barcelona, with whom I happily agreed to join forces. It was also planned that I sing the theme song from ‘life is beautiful’ in Catalan as well. The invitation was a huge honor for us.

A few days before the concert, a group called “Palestinian Solidarity Group” in Barcelona called to Boycott me and my performance, claiming that since I had “justified the bombing of gaza” in my open letter to the Palestinians during the gaza war, I could not sing for peace in Barcelona. The radical left wing party, ICV, who are ironically also in the government and so responsible for inviting me to begin with, joined this group in calling for the cancellation of my concert, a boycott on me personally and on Israel as a whole.

The newspapers were full of this story, it was on the front page everywhere in Spain and especially in Catlunya as the Diada is a hugely important event for them, and I am very famous in Spain. A large internet campaign was launched as well.

Gil Dor and myself decided to fight back, with a major retaliation against this indomitable propaganda. We got prime space in all the newspapers, tv and radio. Our point was, that the situation in the middle east is much too complex to be judged by such childish, simplistic terms. We are people with a long history of peace activity. Condemning Hamas does not mean going against the Palestinian people, the opposite is true. We believed during the Gaza war and still believe the Palestinian population in Gaza are being held hostage by hamas and their fanataic views, who are willing to sacrifice innocent victims on the altar of their death-loving ideology. At the same time, we continue to support Abu Mazen’s strategy of dialogue, co-existence, and a two-state solution. We support dialogue and compromise above all else. Our well known peace plan, “recognize, apologize, share” is the flag we bear proudly (read more details on earlier blog posts, especially 'politics, first step'). The Israeli embassy in Spain, the Spanish foreign ministry (Miguel Moratinos and his staff, who were visiting Israel at the time), our Israeli and Spanish management and promoters all came to our assistance. Mira Awad was also interviewed, and expressed strong support for our cause and our message.

This message came across clearly in all the media, and in Friday morning’s headlines the tide was clearly changing in our favor.

During the concert, there were about 50 people in the front rows form this organization, waving Palestinian flags, blowing whistles, yelling “boycott Israel! Boycott Israel”! they tried as hard as they could to get me off stage, to make me stop singing, to make sure nobody could hear me.
But they failed!
Even though my heart was breaking inside, I decided not to surrender to this ‘violent’ minority and to respect the event and the people of Catalunya who invited me.

I sang the lovely song ‘el cant dels ocells’ with the Arab orchestra, who played beautifully. It must be said to their credit, that despite the fact that they were attacked by the Palestinian organization constantly and urged to cancel their performance with me, they refused, preferring to stand on stage together and convey this message of peace for all to see.

Then I spoke. I read a speech I had written, translated into Catalan. In this speech, I said that I was honored to perform in Catalunya and that I admire how, despite all the dreams they have yet to fulfill (referring to ther dream of independence), they cultivate peace and brotherhood on their lands. We in the middle east, I said, have many dreams too, but our road is a bloody one. we look to the west and take inspiration from a continent that was once drenched in blood and has found somehow a way to live in unity and solidarity. That is our wish too.
Then I said that it is my dream to sing in the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Palestine.

I got a huge standing ovation from the audience, and when I sang “life is beautiful”, there was perfect silence.

you can see the video here, our performance is 27 minutes into the ceremony
http://www.tv3.cat/videos/1483099
the song 'beautiful that way' here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCFugd5WOK0

The next day, the newspapers were full of compliments, saying “victory for Noa, star of Diada”. The media condemned the behavior of the demonstrators, and the ICV radical left party , who initiated the boycott, claimed they had never meant to do it and they were misunderstood …! Now they want to collaborate with us!

It is important to state that this victory was not only ours, it was a victory for Israel, and for all people everywhere who believe peace is not only a dream but can be a reality of we work for it!! In days when Israel’s image is being so ruthlessly and diabolically distorted everywhere, I feel this incident is a real ray of light.

reaction to Catalan Palestinian Activists

2009-09-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

The following document answers several questions I have been asked as a part of the discussion about my Open Letter to my Palestinian Brothers, from January 2009 (Gaza War).

1. Why did you write the line: “I can only wish for you that Israel will do the job we all know needs to be done, and finally RID YOU of this cancer, this virus, this monster called fanaticism, today, called Hamas. “ ?

The last Gaza operation came after 8 years of consecutive bombing by Hamas on Israel’s borders. 8 years! Israel has been dragged into war by those who dream of dying for Allah. This is not something I have invented:

Hamas Covenant, 18 August 1988

“The Slogan of the Islamic Resistance Movement: Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution: Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes.”

The declared purpose of these rocket attacks and mortar shelling was to continue the Islamic Palestinian armed struggle against Israel. Here's another quote :

Hamas covenant: “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it"

During those 8 years, Hamas threatened to kill anyone who worked for peace with Israel. One of my Palestinian friends, whose name I will not disclose, escaped with barely his life after his friends had their legs shot off by Hamas. This is not fantasy, this is fact!! My friend managed to escape thanks to the help of his Israeli friends, and continues his important work for peace from Ramallah.

War is ugly. Whoever chooses the path of war should not be surprised at its tragic consequences.

Hamas have chosen this path OPENLY. Israel is fighting a war of survival….that is exactly what Hamas says : “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it"
And yes, I want to live and not die!! As opposed to Hamas, it is NOT my loftiest aspiration to die for ANY god! I want to live and let live. Live!! And I'm firm in my belief that so do the majority of the Palestinian people.

2. Are you blind to the fact that supporting war is supporting the killing of innocent people?

I am not SUPPORTING war. This allegation is a warped statement meant to serve the propaganda machine.

In my opinion, war is a primitive substitute for dialogue.

In our region, there have been many attempts at dialogue. Unfortunately, until today, they have failed. Responsibility for that, I believe, lies on the shoulders of both sides by definition.

There is no such thing as a ‘clean war’.

The question one should ask is: what are your intentions?? What is your plan?

The answer from the Israeli declaration of independence,Issued at Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948
“WE APPEAL - in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months - to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.
WE EXTEND our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.”

The answer from the Hamas covenant:
“There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. The initiatives, proposals and International Conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility. The Palestinian people are too noble to have their future, their right and their destiny submitted to a vain game”
“Egypt has already been cast out of the conflict, to a very great extent through the treacherous Camp David Accords, and she has been trying to drag other countries into similar agreements in order to push them out of the circle of conflict”.“The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him"

3. Don’t you think that in view of the fact that the internal affairs of the Palestinian people should be respected, it is very politically incorrect to criticize the democratically elected Hamas?

Many terrible dictators were democratically elected and caused their own people and others endless suffering.

There are moments when a citizen must break the silence, and the code of ‘politically correctness’ and expose evil where it lies.

There are 2 types of struggle: The struggle for compromise and the struggle for “all or nothing”. The first one's goal is life on both sides and a chance to heal and prosper. The other type is death and destruction to at least one side with a good chance of death to all.

The Zionist struggle has historically been one of compromise, whereas the Arab armed struggle has been of the ‘all or nothing’ sort. (Please read Israel's declaration of independence and compare to Hamas covenant). Since the beginning of Zionism it won the support of many nations worldwide as it was viewed as a struggle for fair compromise. It is this support that facilitated the establishment of the state of Israel, especially following the Holocaust.

In their struggle to gain ‘everything’, the Palestinian people lost everything!

This tragedy brought them to a place of weakness which in turn led to the emergence of a new trend: the Palestinian struggle for compromise, Hence Oslo negotiations and accord.

To those who wish to compromise, I say: here I am, willing to share everything I have with you!

But there is another faction of the Palestinian people that not only sustains the ‘all or nothing” attitude, but draws it resources from places far from Israel and Palestine.

I am referring to Hamas and other fundamentalist groups, worldwide.
This is exactly why I separate the Palestinians into different factions.

I fully support Abu-Mazen and the current FATAH leadership, and all Palestinians who strive for peace. I am their staunchest ally. But those who wish to eternalize violence and war? I will never support them, even if they were democratically elected.

In conclusion, I would like to restate my well know views:
1. I advocate the two state solution based on mutual compromise.
2. My own ‘peace plan’, “recognize, apologize, share”, can be found in a previous blog entry called "politics, first step".

on peace/demonstrations/declarations and taranta

2009-08-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

On August 23rd I had the pleasure of performing in the impressive “Notte de la Tarante” festival in Melpignano , Italy.
It is a wonderful celebration of the traditional Taranta music of the region. hundreds of thousands of people, many of them young, show up to celebrate, sing and dance. Not with Madonna or the Rolling Stones, but with their own heritage, their own roots.
Being an honorary citizen of Melpignano, an extraordinary place with a unique mayor (the one and only Sergio Blasi) which deserves a chapter of its own, I was happy to accept the invitation to participate in this exceptional event. I came together with the wonderful Mira Awad. We were to each sing one song from the taranta repertoire, and then sing our song, “there must be another way”, together.
(For whoever does not know, Mira is a Palestinian Israeli singer-songwriter. We represented Israel this year in the Eurovision song contest with a song we wrote in three languages, Arabic Hebrew and English, conveying a message of tolerance and co-existence to hundreds of millions of people around the world.)
I went on stage at roughly 1:30 am (it’s an all night event). After singing the beautiful Taranta song “damme nu ricciu” , I spoke to the audience, saying how happy and proud I was to be there, and explaining that the song they were about to hear bore the message of peace and co-existence, breaking the walls between languages and cultures , bringing hope though music. I then invited Mira to the stage. As I looked out over the audience I saw a huge sign. It said “mira and noa…”, and I couldn’t make out the rest. There was a map of Israel, and Palestinian flags were waving.
I immediately interpreted this as a sign of support from the audience for the work mira and I were doing, and this made me very happy. When mira came on stage I pointed it out to her joyfully, wanting to share the beautiful moment. We sang together with energy and intention, as we always do, took our bow, and I went off stage, leaving mira to her solo song. I could hear the audience yelling “mira, mira”, and I was once again happy they were embracing my friend with love and respect, as they have always embraced me.
When I got to the side of the stage, I saw galia my tour manager looking like a ghost, with tears in her eyes. I asked her what was wrong?? And she said:”the sign, the sign! Didn’t you see it? I’m devastated…”.
That’s when I realized my mistake. I became cold as a rock.
You see, dear friends, it was no sign of support. No demonstration of unity and hope, of willingness to build a better future.
The sign said: : “noa and mira, accomplices in the killing machine. Israel=Nazis”.
Yes, that’s what the sign said. Right in front of our faces.
And the calls ‘mira mira’ were to the killer mira, the criminal mira.
Her crime? Singing for peace. Daring to hope for a better future.
The organization who are responsible for this hijacked the Taranta festival for their own selfish, ignorant, destructive propaganda-driven agenda. And their southern-Italian hosts were just too polite, sweet and open-minded to do anything about it.
The Italians around me were unbelieving, shocked and apologetic. For many of them I am a sort of hero. Years of concerts, stubborn insistence on playing even in the smallest venues and sustaining the highest level of musicianship and originality and tireless work for peace have gained me their unwavering love and admiration. They simply could not understand this rude and violent display of hatred.
I know these Palestinian groups. This is not the first time they have shown me their ‘love’. They have been haunting me for years. I have tried communicating with them by mail, tried intelligent dialogue and reasoning but to no avail. The fact that I have dedicated half my life to supporting the Palestinian cause, at a very high personal price, means nothing to them.
These groups represent a very small part of the Palestinian people. As always, most people want to live and not die. To live and let live. To live.
But these groups know how to make noise. They are funded by big money from fanatic organizations that call for nothing less than the death of my children and the destruction of my country (unless of course I convert to islam and wear a burka). They have no interest whatsoever in finding a ‘path to follow’ that will lead to two states for two people, coexistence, prosperity and peace. Their agenda includes fanning the flames of hatred and war for eternity, until we all burn in a hell of vengeance and self-righteousness
I have no intention of embarking once again on the endless, futile dissection of thewhat/who/where/why/how of middle eastern politics. I’ve been around that block too many times and it has led me nowhere.
I say only this:
There are two options.
Either we eternalize the violence, hatred, suffering killing and vengeance and pass it on to our children and our children’s children like a bloody, cursed inheritance.
or
we put the past respectfully behind us and look to the future, using all of our resources to find a way to live together without violence.

My agenda is clear.

I have children and I have no time to waste on testosterone-driven religious fanatics who want to die and kill in the name of some god or another and pull us all down with them. Or bored European pseudo-intellectuals who need a cause and choose one carelessly.
I CHOOSE LIFE.
As I’ve said many times before,
Recognize, Apologize, Share. (you can read the elaborate version of that theory in a former blog)
So, despite how hurt I was by what occurred, I plan to continue in just the same way, stubbornly, adamantly, bull headedly, with full belief that…
there must be another way.

Signing out.
Noa.

home made religion...

2009-08-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

just got back to hotel after performing with Mira Awad in Paola, Itlay. The concert was great. people were warm and receptive. the goal was to raisie money to re-build a church that had been destroyed by the earthquake in l'aquila.
sigh...
i have mixed feelings.
on the one hand, i can commend the church of st. francesco de paola for making this effort. it is noble, on their part..and no doubt, san francesco was one of the 'good guys' of his genre, nature loving, modest, kind. but i can not help but wonder, would it not make more sense to use all that power and money to build a new school, orphanage, library, shelter for battered women or homeless people, rehabilitating clinic, etc etc etc...?

this brings us to my problem with religion.
first, it amazes me what an ENORMOUS amount of money and resources go into the maintenance and cultivation of the religious institutions wherever they may be, money that could go into making people's lives better...feeding, educating, healing...for a start. i mean, could it be that proportionally, churches, temples, mosques and synagogues are THAT much more important than schools, hospitals and museums?

then, it AMAZES me how much war, hatred, misogyny, prejudice , and violence is waged in the name if this or that religion. from the crusades to the Inquisition to 9/11 and the list us WAYYY long. fueled by fear and greed, religion will ever too often transform into a dark-hearted monster, evoking pandemonium, sweeping all it's believers along in the great flood.

for me, there is only one justification for the term god, and that is, if it is in direct correlation with the term LOVE. love, and with it, compassion, unity, fraternity, solidarity, benevolence, kindness, generosity, and so on and on and on, the heart's to-do list. love your brother as you love yourself.

and the question is asked: if these terms are universal, if they exist in every single human being's heart, if they are known to every mother nurturing her child, why then, do we need religion?

don't get me wrong. i can respect anybody's religious beliefs, UNTIL they tangle with morals and values that should be shared by all humanity. until they get ugly and violent and domineering and worse of all: self righteous. until they become the moral apron for hiding behind. until they separate the world into 'them' and 'us'. until they become dangerously judgemental. and so sadly, much too often, religion is the source of all of the above, where it should never be. it should be solely a source of hope, light, positive energy and solace.

recommended reading: 'the god delusion', by richard dawkins.
and/or check out the lyrics of a song i wrote called "home made religion", from the album "blue touches blue".

tomorrow ravello. a very beautiful place. we'll take it from there...

good night.

greetings from tarragona

2009-08-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

hi everbody.
writing from Tarragona in Spain. People here live so differently. all the political mass that sits so squarely on our shoulders back in the middle east and weighs us down to the ground is non existent here. we were out walking at midnight, the streets were teeming, families and couples and seniors and infants all together , talking laughing eating living...just living! is that what peace really means? normality? ah yes....what a dream.
People recognized me everywere and i was happy and proud to greet them. i feel comfortable and easy going in their midst.
on the way to dinner (which starts at ten here!) we passed by 2 'clubs' where young people are taught the local art of human tower building! yes, that's right. they climb up on each other’s shoulders until they create a sort of human ‘tower of pisa’ but without the slant :-) and of course the smallest children, like little monkeys, are taught to scramble up nimbly to the top and stand proud, their hands outstretched, links in a long chain of Catalonian tradition. it really moved me. that chain. i guess making the album 'genes and jeans' and performing it over the last 2 years has made me feel more deeply than ever the significance of connecting to a deep root, and spreading your wings from there...like that little girl on top of the tower..

Tonight we perform here. Mira Awad will open the show with her beautiful songs and we'll continue with our ‘genes and jeans’ and other stuff, then Mira and i will sing duets from our album.

thank god for music.

be well all.

love.

a tired mother's thoughts

2009-08-05T12:45:00.001-07:00

so what's going on??
i am feeling down in the dumps these days.
i feel israel is on the brink of a real explosion. like some horror sci fi movie scene, the forces of evil seem to be gathering frightening momentum. we've had hordes of ultra orthodox going crazy on the streets, throwing stones, hitting cops, creating total havoc, in DEFENCE of a woman who almost starved her child to death! and why?? simply because she was "part of THEM"! what the hell is THEM for god's sake?? does being part of THEM justify murder?? shouldn't a court of law be the judge of that?? i am appalled and horrified. and the treatment of foreign workers here is beyond belief, beyond disgust. if they would have passed that law about evicting the children of foreign workers born in israel from this country, i would have ripped up my passport. enough is enough. and add the horrible murder of those young homosexuals in TA and the murderer still on the loose!! i mean, who needs terrorist bombers when we have all this?? i don't know what's going on. it's just appalling. but you know how the hebrew saying goes, the fish stinks from its head.i feel the present government is such a pathetic failure they should all go home NOW, staring with Netanyahu the zero and followed by his criminal entourage led by the psychopath Liberman and the fascist Eli Yishai. HOME.
sadly, besides Livni (possibly), there is not a ray of light in parliament to replace them. darkness all around.
so what do i hang on to?
i look close to home. i shut off the tv and search for hope in the boring mundane actions of stubborn people who won't give up..
like my friend Issam who escaped from gaza and is now living in ramallah, who against all odds created a summer camp for kids form ramallah and sderot who spent 2 weeks of the summer together. he said it was a blast (no pun intended :-)
like my friend ofer bronstein who travels ceaselessly to an fro talking to this side and that, bringing people together, fusing, mending, building bridges.
like the incredible "parent's circle", amazing people , bereaved families who have paid the highest price as a result of this conflict, arabs and jews dedicated to peace against all odds.
these and many more like them are my heros.
i salute you!!!!
and now, i'll go to sleep. tomorrow my daughter turns 5. we'll sing and dance and eat choclate cake. she wanted fairies for her birthday. she likes to dream. like her mom.
may she grow to see better days than these.
good night.

concerts, islands, lakes, music, love.

2009-07-29T09:08:00.001-07:00

back from an interesting tour....
2 very different concerts. one in Panarea, a small and very beautiful island off the coast of sicily. we were the first artists to eer perform there :-) the island has a permanent population of about 150 people (!) and in summer it triples, but that's it :-) and the best part, NO CARS! only electric golf carts! and no street lights. you can see a billiob stars at night. i loved it and can't wait to get back there with my husband and kids.
show afer that was in Gardone Riviera, on the shore of Lake Garda. what a beautiful place. god has blessed the italians with absolutley everything.
the oncert was in an amphitheater overlooking the lake. we had a great audience, full house, tons of enthusiasm and love poured out. the lighting board collapsed at some point but it didn't hurt the magic..maybe even added to it, as it was obvius we were working with minimal assistance from technology :-)
now back home. had rehearsals for 'meir ariel' event in ceasaria next week. it will be a very cool concert. he was one of israel's most beloved songwriters, passed away ten years ago. this weekend we have gigs in 2 very nice clubs in israel, with mira as our guest. friday night in a place called 'radio bar' in kibbutz bet-keshet in the north, and saturday night in jerusalem in a place called "ha maabada" (the labrotory).
whoever's in the holy land is more than welcome. :-)

politics...first step.

2009-07-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

hi everybody.
you know, there is no way politics will not find their way into thei blog. that's just the way it is.
i thought a good way to start would be with my "peace plan" for the middle east. it's pretty straight forward, even obvious (like, duuuh..). but we all know the simplest things are often the most elusive. that's definately the way it works in the middle east.
here it is:

1. RECOGNIZE-
Each side must recognize the rights of the other to life, freedom, independence, identity, the right to flourish, the right to a peaceful existence. This is the first and critical stage of the plan. Without formal recognition, in writing, signed by the recognized leaders of each nation, no progress can be made.

2. APOLOGIZE-
Both sides have done horrible things to each other in the name of this and that ideal. Since the death of one life is parallel to the death of all of humanity, there should be a true and deep remorse for these actions, a heartfelt apology on both sides for the pain and anguish they have caused.

3. SHARE-
Each side should revoke their dreams of a complete ‘anything’. Only through compromise is peace achievable. In this way, on one small piece of land, we can create 2 countries, Israel and Palestine, living peacefully and respectfully alongside each-other.

with love,
noa

july 13th

2009-07-13T02:23:00.000-07:00

hello everybody,
i'm very excited as this is my first post on my very own blog :-)
this weekend's shows were nice, thanks to all the great peole who came out to see them.
thursday the 16th sees us on an airplane to barcelona. that evening we rehearse with a symphony orchestra for a conert the next day. we will be singing three songs, amongst them the aria 'glitter and be gay' from the opera 'candide' by leonard bernstein. fun for me as it's not what i normally do :-) we will also be singing a duet with the phenomenal Joan Manuel Serrat. later on we move to Palma de Mallorca and Madrid, where will be hosting Mira Awad and her band as an opening act ! mira is great. we will also be singing some duets together at the end of my set. hope to see my spanish friends there :-)
take care all.