Depeche Mode shuns apartheid Israel, Still Plays, but under Quiet Cover

Apartheid Israel Official twitter is so desperate to appropriate art for its purposes, that it lies and tweets that Depeche Mode kicked off their world tour in Tel Aviv on May 7.  Nice, France was the location for the kick-off of their world Delta Machine tour on May 4.  Meanwhile, Depeche Mode announced on facebook:

(From May 3) The Delta Machine Tour starts tomorrow in Nice. Be sure to watch our Tumblr page for a live blog from the show! http://depechemode.tumblr.com/

(from May 4) We'll be live blogging shortly from Nice, FR from the first show of the Delta Machine tour. Follow along athttp://depechemode.tumblr.com/.

(from May 5)  if you missed last night's live blog of the Nice tour kick-off, check out our Tumblr:  http://depechemode.tumblr.com/ "

(from May 6) As part of their partnership with charity: water and Hublot, DM will be donating their birthdays this summer to help bring clean water to people in developing countries. Check out the campaign page to take part and join in with DM. http://www.charitywater.org/depechemode

(from May 7, the day they play apartheid israel, they make NO MENTION of their concert in Tel Aviv, instead posting about future gigs)  North American fans: DM will be headlining this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL). 3 day festival passes on sale May 7 at 10am Central Time. [and] Depeche Mode will be headlining the after-race concert at the 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 3rd, 2013.

(from May 12)  Depeche Mode posts "Sofia, Bulgaria - 12/5/13" alongside a photo of their gig in Sofia.

TWITTER

On the Depeche Mode twitter account, Israel is also clearly and conspicuously absent.  Multiple tweets are made of the fact that the tour is kicking off in Nice, France.  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL

Although Depeche Mode did play in Tel Aviv, they did not show pictures of their concert or even mention it on facebook or twitter.  Also, no photos of the Israel concert were shown on their Tumblr.  On May 4, they are shown breaking down their stage from their gig in Nice, with the comment   "Load out already well under way. Next stop… TEL AVIV!"  But then later there are no references made to Tel Aviv nor pictures.  

This strongly suggests that Depeche Mode purposely left out these images and references due to shame that they violated the Palestinian call for boycott.  The PACBI (Palestinian Campaign fot the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel) wrote an open letter to the band on March 27, asking them not to entertain apartheid.  Recently,  there has also been widespread press coverage of the phenomenal news that Roger Waters supports the boycott of Israel, along with even more press coverage of the colossal news that Stephen Hawking added his name to the list of boycotters of the apartheid entity.   

Stephen Hawking Takes Boycott of Israel to Whole New Level

"What?  You mean Stephen H A W K I N G is helping Palestine??  That's amazing!"  
(shocked and elated 11 year old

on the news that the world's greatest scientist known to kids is joining the boycott of Israel)

Tweets today called Stephen Hawking a hero, thanked him, and applauded him for his choice to support the boycott.  
The media in the UK (The Guardian, UK Reuters, BBC) covered the news, and so did the press in Israel (Jerusalem Post, 972.mag and more).  It rapidly spread to the USA and Canada.  The Atlantic Wire, USA Today, The New York Times, Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, and the Daily Beast are joined by many other publications that are making this wonderful news go viral.

“Never has a scientist of this stature boycotted Israel,” said Yigal Palmor, the spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

World renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking has made the courageous decision to join the academic boycott of apartheid Israel.  He cancelled his appearance at a conference planned for this June and hosted by Shimon Peres.The decision was confirmed by Professor Hawking's university and the event's organisers yesterday.
"Hawking joined the academic boycott of Israel and pulled out of the Israeli Presidential Conference: Facing Tomorrow 2013, under the auspices of President Peres," Israeli organisers said in a statement.
The British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP), which supports the academic boycott of Israel and opposes its occupation of Palestinian territories, said Professor Hawking had decided to observe the boycott and as a result had "declined his invitation."
"This is his independent decision to respect the boycott, based upon his knowledge of Palestine, and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there," it said.
Britain's Cambridge University, where Professor Hawking has worked since 1962, initially said the physicist, who suffers from motor neurone disease, had pulled out for health reasons on the grounds that doctors had advised him against flying.
But it later confirmed it was because of the boycott.

Plugfest Israel Has Been Unplugged! No #ArtsAppropriated for these Artists!

by DPAI (UK, Australia, Ireland, USA)

It comes as welcome news to the global BDS movement that Plugfest Israel has been cancelled.  

The Plugfest cancellation is extremely significant, especially as Plug Productions initiated Plugfest to replace their failed Lollapalooza attempt.
Both were attempts to be Israel’s first ever international music festival, proving the boycott is so successful that a large number of musicians refrain from performing in Israel. 

Plug Productions were initially in denial that Lollapalooza was cancelled. Are they again in denial that they couldn't get sufficient Plugfest artists to breach the boycott?

Azealia Banks, who frequently tweets themes of woman's empowerment, had been the featured artist on posters for the failed event.  Banks was aware of the boycott and reasons for it.  Pressure was intense for her to play apartheid Israel, a video on youtube (link below) with exceptionally high production values for a group of young girls prompts speculations that the video was a propaganda effort used by the state. (These tactics were used in the past with pinkwashing efforts.)

!!! Chk Chk Chk was well-informed about the necessity for boycott from within the music industry along with appeals from BDS advocates.

Tiger Love planned to also play in Tel Aviv on May 17th at the Reading 3, this gig has also been cancelled, thank you Tiger Love!

Jessie Ware, mentioned in the above tweet screenshot, is a frequent interactive twitter user and she was aware of the boycott.

Other artists that will not be playing Israel due to the failed Plugfest include Lee Scratch Perry, Water Knot, John Talabot, CSS, 2ManyDJs and Tinariwen. (see list at http://refrainplayingisrael.blogspot.com/2013/03/unplug-apartheid-israel-plugfest.html) 

It may well be that sufficient performers withdrew their performances, leaving the organisers no option but to cancel another festival, not long after Lollapalooza music festival in Israel was cancelled!

The global boycott campaign has successfully informed many bands and performers and is now known even more widely than before these aborted attempted festivals.

See facebook page Unplug Apartheid Plugfest for updates on artists who support the boycott.

References:  
Lollapalooza Israel Cancelled: We're Sorry, BILLBOARD magazine, 23 Jan, 2013 http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1521648/lollapalooza-israel-canceled-were-sorry  
Possible pro-Israel propaganda effort video 212- Azealia banks Music Video Cover   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoRotKSABCo

Sergei Babkin Сергей Бабкин will not play apartheid Israel 26 April

by DPAI (UK, Australia, Ireland, USA)

We are delighted that Ukrainian musician Sergei Babkin (Сергей Бабкин) cancelled his performance in Tel Aviv, Israel without any commitment to reschedule. 

His booked performance at the Barby for 26 April was cancelled without a plausible explanation. We hope once he is made fully informed of the boycott he would continue refraining from rescheduling.  

Increasingly, musicians of conscience from all over the world are choosing to respect the cultural boycott of Israel.  Rolling Stones magazine published an article last month citing Roger Waters of Pink Floyd's decision to advocate vocally for the boycott.  Since 2005, Palestinian civil society has called for a boycott.  The BDS movement has made incredible advancements in just eight years.  

Israel & Crime of Apartheid & Pet Shop Boys

by DPAI (UK, Australia, Ireland, USA)

If the Pet Shop Boys go ahead with their 23 June gig in Tel Aviv, Israel, they'll be playing to a privileged  segregated audience.  

Millions of Palestinians under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and under siege in Gaza will find it impossible to attend their concert.  

Recently, the EI published an article that explained that, in all of Israel, there was only one young man so far this year who was a convicted conscientious objector to the military service that Israel requires.  It is a fallacy to assume that many Israelis are against the occupation.  Natan Blanc, Israeli citizen and conscientious objector 19, stated:

There are not many cases like mine in prison. I was the only prisoner who got convicted for service refusal this year. Our percentage is very small.

The Pet Shop Boys are well aware of colleague Dusty Springfield's  courageous stand against South African apartheid in 1964.   Springfield walked out of a South African tour when she found out she was playing to segregated audiences.  She was the first performer to engineer an anti-apartheid clause in her professional contract. 

In the 1960s, the Anti-Apartheid Movement began to campaign for a cultural boycott of apartheid South Africa.  Pet Shop Boys' colleague Springfield was a part of this significant movement.  Artists were requested not to present or let their works be hosted in South Africa. In 1963, 45 British writers put their signatures to an affirmation approving of the boycott, and, in 1964, American actor Marlon Brando called for a similar affirmation for films. 

In 1965, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain called for a proscription on the sending of films to South Africa. Over sixty American artists signed a statement against apartheid and against professional links with the state. 

Are the Pet Shop Boys behind the times nearly half a century later?  

The boycott of Israel is in its infancy now, the call made only in 2005.  But with today's technology, we're much more aware and much more connected.  Roger Waters has taken a bold stand against Israeli apartheid, many other artists turn down invitations to Israel or vocally support the boycott.  There are still some musicians,  it seems, that are either unaware, or misled into thinking that Israelis are mostly against the occupation.  

Pet Shop Boys play in the UK before their proposed Tel Aviv gig.  http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Pet-Shop-Boys-tickets/artist/735852   A facebook page is set up asking the band to cancel,  "Pet Shop Boys, Apartheid's a Sin - Don't Play Israel"  

NOTES:

http://dustyspringfieldsoul4u.com/dusty-in-south-africa

http://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A26179211

OPEN LETTER from BDS France to Alicia Keys: If you play in Tel Aviv, it will be before a segregated audience ...

Based in Paris, BDS France asks multi-platinum star
Alicia Keys to cancel her gig in Israel.

Alicia Keys

c/o Jeff Robinson

MBK Entertainment

240 West 35th Street, 18th Floor

New York, NY 10001

USA

April 8, 2013

Dear Alicia Keys,

All your fans here in France are excited that you're coming to Paris in June. But we’re dismayed to learn that the organizers of your tour have included in your schedule a performance on July 4th in Tel Aviv.

Maybe you don't know that the Palestinians have appealed to international artists not to play in Israel while it continues to ignore all United Nations resolutions, flout international law, and deprive the Palestinian people of their most elementary human rights.

Maybe you don't know that in the past three years many prominent artists have responded to the appeal by refusing to appear in Israel, and others who had initially accepted to play there have cancelled their performances, preferring to show their support for the struggle of the Palestinian people against Israeli oppression.

They include Elvis Costello, Cat Power, Roger Waters, Cassandra Wilson, Stanley Jordan, Carlos Santana, Devendra Banhart, Annie Lennox, Eric Clapton, Brian Eno, U2, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Massive Attack, Gorillaz Sound System, The Pixies, Tuba Skinny, Pete Seeger, the late Gil Scott-Heron, Jello Biafra… Macy Gray is one artist who did perform there in 2011, but she regretted it and won’t be going back. She stated publicly: “I had a reality check and I definitely would not have played there if I had known even the little that I know now.”

Israel's occupation has endured now for decades, and makes the Palestinians’ life a hell on earth. It’s an occupation that gobbles up Palestinian land to build vast illegal settlements and settlers-only roads. It’s an occupation that steals water - 80% of the West Bank's water is taken by Israel so that the settlers on their hilltops can have green lawns and fill their swimming pools, while in the villages below Palestinians have no running water. It’s an occupation that kills, tortures, humiliates, that imprisons men, women and children without charge or trial, bulldozes houses, herds Palestinians into walled ghettos and, through the checkpoints, roadblocks, and an apartheid-like pass system, prevents Palestinians from going to work, children from going to school, farmers from harvesting their crops, pregnant women and the critically ill from reaching hospital.

Israeli violence spares no one. Just last week, Hasan Barhoush, a frail 80-year old farmer, was brutally attacked by a group of Israeli settlers and now lies in hospital in Tulkarem. A different group of settlers hurled rocks at a school bus near Nablus, shattering windows and wounding young children, seven of whom had to be hospitalized. No Israeli will be punished for such savagery. That was just another ordinary day in occupied Palestine.

We think you're too smart not to realize that performing in Israel today is like making a political statement.   Israel openly admits to using cultural events as a propaganda tool, and it will use your image in an attempt to camouflage something very systematic and very ugly. However much you believe that you can go there simply as an artist, your presence will be spun to paint this ruthless colonial society as being normal, and the unrelenting atrocities against the Palestinian people as something to be ignored. We sincerely hope you will think again.

It goes without saying that if you play in Tel Aviv, it will be before a segregated audience, because none of your Palestinian fans either in Gaza or in the West Bank just a short drive away, will be allowed to come and hear you. Is it conceivable that, during the long struggle against apartheid South Africa, you would have travelled there to perform for the white supremacists? If your answer is No, then you’re already willing to boycott a cruel and unjust system.

There’s a wave, Alicia – a whole international wave of people supporting justice for the Palestinians via consumer boycotts, academic boycotts, cultural boycotts.   Cancel your gig and ride that wave – Please don’t go.

Yours truly,

BDS French Campaign

CICP - 21 ter rue Voltaire

75011 Paris, France

http://www.bdsfrance.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1068%3Alettre-de-la-campagne-bds-france-a-alicia-keys&catid=9%3Aevenements-bds-france&Itemid=98&lang=fr

Alexandra Burke Refrains from Performing for Israel Independence Day Gala in London

(LONDON) Award winning singer Alexandra Burke, British pop sensation at age 24, has chosen to refrain from headlining the Zionist Federation Gala to celebrate Israel's 65th birthday at Wembley Arena tonight.  Wembley has a capacity of 12,500, though it is unknown how many people planned to attend the event in order to hear Burke sing. The Times of Israel reported that 10,000 people were expected.

Anti-apartheid supporters had contacted Burke, and there have been protests outside of Wembley Arena in support of Palestinian rights. In the Jewish Chronicle online, it was reported that an email was sent to supporters saying:

"We would like to inform you that unfortunately Alexandra Burke will no longer be able to join us on the night."

The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 is directly linked to several massacres, deliberate expulsions, the destruction of over 400 Palestinian villages and the systematic dispossession of the indigenous Palestinian people. More than 700 000 Palestinians became refugees in neighboring countries due to Israel's violent establishment in 1948 in Palestine. Palestinian refugees and their descendants are the largest population of refugees in the world, who have for the last 65 years been denied the "right to return" to their homes by the State of Israel. While Israeli supporters "celebrate" Israeli Independence Day, Palestinians, progressive Israelis, supporters of justice and peace-loving peoples of the world mark the day as Al-Nakba (meaning the "catastrophe").

If you would like to learn more about Israeli Independence Day and the Nakba, view the YouTube lecture by Israeli historian, Professor Ilan Pappe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV9gv7w3pLY