A love song to Israel

A love song to Israel, written by Doron Medley and composed by Idan Raichel

70 years on the road I'm traveling and looking

At what was and what will
And how my soul is still this nation

From catching the sunrise
From Jerusalem with its palaces
From the beaches of the Kinneret
From the parties of Tel Aviv

My father dreamed and prayed
To live in the Land of Israel
Today my children ask me
What is the story of Israel?

This is my home This is my heart
And I will not leave
Our ancestors, our roots
We are the flowers, the melodies
A tribe of brothers and sisters

The same neighborhood, the same street
Jacob's twelve sons'
Brought together after their wanderings
In the place of their longing

A man is his native landscape
He lines lines in the palm of his hand
Between the prayers and the oaths
The smell of orchard of citrus

And in my mother's eyes
I'll always find my place
The guitar is playing
An ancient tune that is right

This is a my home
This is my heart
And I will not leave
Our ancestors, our roots

And we are the flowers, the melodies
A tribe of brothers and sisters

From scratch everything is sewn
Patches, patches of the story
Like two words - they connect
The golden needle of a poet

Here I am from, Here I belong
And every friend of mine is like a brother
You are beating in my heart
I am east and west

This is my home
This is my heart
And I will not leave
Our ancestors, our roots
We are the flowers, the melodies
A tribe of brothers and sisters

This is my home
This is my heart
And I will not leave
Our ancestors, our roots
We are the flowers, the melodies

A dozen protest Idan Raichel at New York's Beacon theater. BDS fail

Phyllis Chessler described it as  "Probably the most insane leftist protest ever".

Thats arguable. 

After all,  in the Bay area we've experienced the  Code Pink 2 hour "hunger strike".  We've witnessed "Mimes for Gaza".  We've seen queer groups protest the venerable Frameline LGBT film festival for the unforgivable offense of daring to show films about the struggle for equality - in Israel

Only in San Francisco. Mimes for Gaza

New York can't hold a candle to the Bay in terms of sheer, unbridled insanity.

On the evening of April 12th, at New Yorks beautiful Beacon Theater, members of anti-Israel groups including  Adalah-NY, the BDS National Committee,  the Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, Jewish Voice for Peace and Jews Say No gathered to protest popular Israeli Singer Idan Raichel.

Were minutes from showtime! Share your moments from tonight's @idanraichel show using the hashtag #RaichelBeacon pic.twitter.com/NNM84GzIws
— Beacon Theatre (@BeaconTheatre) April 12, 2015

The press release from Adalah claims 40 people showed up- contradicted  by eyewitness reports that only 12 showed up , and were completely overwhelmed by over 200 pro-Israel supporters.

Phyllis Chessler, writing in Arutz Sheva, described the scene

On the side for Israel: A woman with a bright, fierce countenance told me she was a ninety-year-old Holocaust survivor. She said: “I will never stop fighting for Israel.” Her sign read: “Boycotting Israel is Racist.”

I love her.

And then there was the woman whom I asked to estimate for me how many pro-Israel demonstrators she thought were there. She said: “Six hundred thousand. Everyone who left Egypt is here today.”

I love her too.

For Israel. There they stood: One Asian woman, one Black woman, several Mizrachi and Arab-looking women and men. People of all ages, including children and teenagers (at least five), but mainly fifty and older were there.

The irony of the so-called "progressive" left protesting Idan Raichel was not lost on Phyllis Chessler, who wrote:

My friends--welcome to Upside-Down Land.

The musician these groups tried to boycott is none other than Idan Raichel, one of Israel’s most popular musicians, and the one most responsible for introducing black and “ethnic” (including Ethiopian, Yemenite, Arab, and Sudanese) music into Israel, and for supporting it globally. I have been told that Reichel used to wear the longest Rastafarian dreadlocks. He is responsible for fusing electronics, Hebrew texts, Arab, and Ethiopian music; he welcomed non-Jewish refugee musicians, including Cabra Casey, from a refugee camp in Sudan.

Anti-Israel activists view the world through a prism of darkness, unable to see the light.  The rest of us know better.

Last year Idan Raichel won the distinguished MTV Role Model Award .

From Shalom Life 

Following his winning the award, Keys surprised Raichel with a wonderful 'mazel tov' video, which was screened at the MTV Israel Award Ceremony at the Theater Club in Jaffa, where she lauded her "friend Idan" for "all the incredible work that you do."

"This is an amazing, amazing award," Keys said to Raichel in the video, "which is what you are. But really what you are is just an incredible human being who bridges cultures and promotes tolerance, which there's nothing more important than you and your mission and your work. So congratulations because you inspire me all the time."

Idan Raichel in San Francisco: BDS fail

Israeli singer songwriter Idan Raichel is back in San Francisco, performing tomorrow night at the Nourse Theatre. The 1600 seat venue is completely sold out. 

For the lucky ticket holders, here's a taste of whats to come



Idan Raichel visited ABC7 News with the Consul General of Israel, Dr. Andy David to talk about his music and his vision.  He was interviewed by Cheryl Jennings

From ABC, Channel 7

The Idan Raichel Project is a multicultural and international collection of musicians working with an Israeli recording artist who believes music can bring people together in spite of their political or religious differences...

 "We're singing in our own native languages, in Hebrew, Arabic, over 95 musicians and singers record in the Idan Raichel Project. The youngest member in the project is 16 and the young spirits are 83 and 91 years old," Raichel said. 

Cheryl: "Why do you call it the Idan Raichel Project?" 

Raichel: "Because it's not a band. In every song there is a different lead singer and different musicians."
Israel is surrounded by countries in conflict. Raichel says his project brings the voices of Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrian musicians to mainstream radio in Israel. 

"When you talk about peace agreements and the struggle for peace, I think it should start from the art, that people will start just listening to music from both sides," Raichel said. 

"Once you are hearing the performers that join Idan, you stop looking at the colors, you stop looking at how they look, you just understand they are just like you," Israel Consul General Dr. Andy David said. "I think Idan is maybe the best ambassador that Israel has through his music and his inclusiveness." 

 To hear more from the Idan Raichel project, check out their official youtube channel here

BDS fail: Alicia Keys and Idan Raichel together in Tel Aviv

It began shortly after pop super star Alicia Keys decided to play a July 4 gig in Tel Aviv.  The BDS'ers spared no effort in their attempt to pressure the 14 time Grammy award winning singer to cancel the performance. In addition to the usual attempts to hijack her twitter feed and Facebook page, the BDS'ers solicited a letter from Alice Walker, who urged Alicia not to put her soul in danger by playing in Israel.  Even after Alicia Keys arrived in Israel, the onslaught continued,  with anti-Israel activist and cultural boycott advocate Tali Shapiro urging people to continue hounding Ms. Keys.

.

It was to no avail.

On July 4th, Alicia Keys and her special guest Idan Raichel joined together to use their music to "unify audiences in peace and love" at Alicia Keys' long-awaited, sold out concert in Israel. 



After Alicia Keys addressed the sold out crowd in Hebrew, "Ma Kore Tel Aviv", (What's up, Tel Aviv?") Shapiro's bitterness slipped out,  calling the ancient language of the Jewish people a "colonial language"

It was a massive BDS fail for those seeking to culturally isolate Israel.

From the Jerusalem Post:

Alicia Keys set the Tel Aviv on fire Thursday night with her powerful, soulful voice and a message of peace and love, BDS movement be damned....

Keys stood out most on her own, whether it was belting out "Girl on Fire," the song that gave her tour its name, or crooning her love song to her home town, "Empire State of Mind."

Keys ended the song with her smash-hit New York anthem, taking the state in a slinky, sparkling red gown and raising the whole audience.

"This song is about hopes and dreams," she said. "We all have the same hopes and dreams. It doesn't matter where you come from. Don't let anyone hold us back or push us down."

 Press release from the Creative Community for Peace: Alicia Keys plays for Peace in Israel

(Los Angeles -- July 4, 2013) -- The Creative Community for Peace (“CCFP”), an organization of leading executives from within the entertainment industry, congratulates Alicia Keys on the success of her first concert in Israel and the fulfillment of her goal to “unify her audiences in peace and love”. We are grateful that Alicia saw beyond the baseless accusations of apartheid and the rhetoric of the cultural Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (“BDS”) movement and did not allow their noise to drown out the melodies of freedom and the voices of change.

For several years, the cultural BDS movement has been pressuring artists from all over the world to cancel their performances in Israel with tactics that frequently cross the line and border on harassment. These boycott activists hijack the social media platforms of artists and inundate them and their representatives with petitions, phone calls, letters and thousands of Facebook posts, Tweets, and emails, often threatening the artist's reputation and professional career. At times they even violate copyright laws and will use an artist's work for their own self-gain, forcing the artist to take legal action to protect his or her work, as Alicia Keys had to do with an unauthorized video utilizing her song, “Girl on Fire.” But above all, the BDS movement works against reconciliation, distorts the dialogue of those who seek peace, and provokes discord among the fans of these iconic artists.

The Creative Community for Peace works within the entertainment industry to promote a positive environment for cultural exchange and seeks to provide balance to the misinformation that artists may see about Israel in social media. It believes that singling out Israel for a cultural boycott is hypocritical when human rights abuses go unchecked in various other countries in the Middle East. CCFP applauds Alicia Keys and the hundreds of other artists who, despite the concerted efforts of these misinformed groups, perform and visit Israel, cherishing the freedom of expression that exists there and coming away with an incredible experience.

Alicia Keys received an open letter from novelist and BDS supporter, Alice Walker, who said that by performing in Israel, Alicia would be putting herself in “soul danger”. In response to Alice Walker’s open letter, 17 members of CCFP’s advisory board, comprised of top level executives in the entertainment industry, signed their own open letter , refuting Walker’s false allegations of apartheid and congratulating Alicia Keys for looking beyond the rhetoric. Like Alicia, CCFP believes music is a universal language that should be shared and can help build bridges and promote understanding.

In addition to the open letter, the CCFP “Anti-Boycott Petition”  signed by over 18,000 people from every corner of the world, was sent to Alicia to show her that she has thousands of fans who support and believe in her message of peace and love.

Thank you Alicia Keys for sharing the gift of your music with the people of the state of Israel- Arab, Muslim, Christian and Jew alike. Your voice and your message have touched the hearts of thousands of people in a region wholeheartedly hoping for peace. We are sure that they will hope to see you again soon!

For several years, the cultural BDS movement has been pressuring artists from all over the world to cancel their performances in Israel with tactics that frequently cross the line and border on harassment. These boycott activists hijack the social media platforms of artists and inundate them and their representatives with petitions, phone calls, letters and thousands of Facebook posts, Tweets, and emails, often threatening the artist's reputation and professional career. At times they even violate copyright laws and will use an artist's work for their own self-gain, forcing the artist to take legal action to protect his or her work, as Alicia Keys had to do with an unauthorized video utilizing her song, “Girl on Fire.” But above all, the BDS movement works against reconciliation, distorts the dialogue of those who seek peace, and provokes discord among the fans of these iconic artists.

The Creative Community for Peace works within the entertainment industry to promote a positive environment for cultural exchange and seeks to provide balance to the misinformation that artists may see about Israel in social media. It believes that singling out Israel for a cultural boycott is hypocritical when human rights abuses go unchecked in various other countries in the Middle East. CCFP applauds Alicia Keys and the hundreds of other artists who, despite the concerted efforts of these misinformed groups, perform and visit Israel, cherishing the freedom of expression that exists there and coming away with an incredible experience.

Alicia Keys received an open letter from novelist and BDS supporter, Alice Walker, who said that by performing in Israel, Alicia would be putting herself in “soul danger”. In response to Alice Walker’s open letter, 17 members of CCFP’s advisory board, comprised of top level executives in the entertainment industry, signed their own open letter , refuting Walker’s false allegations of apartheid and congratulating Alicia Keys for looking beyond the rhetoric. Like Alicia, CCFP believes music is a universal language that should be shared and can help build bridges and promote understanding.

In addition to the open letter, the CCFP “Anti-Boycott Petition”  signed by over 18,000 people from every corner of the world, was sent to Alicia to show her that she has thousands of fans who support and believe in her message of peace and love.
Thank you Alicia Keys for sharing the gift of your music with the people of the state of Israel- Arab, Muslim, Christian and Jew alike. Your voice and your message have touched the hearts of thousands of people in a region wholeheartedly hoping for peace. We are sure that they will hope to see you again soon!

Thank you, Alicia Keys for standing strong against the BDS bullies. Thank you for standing up for truth. Thank for for respecting standing up for cultural freedom, and for resisting the efforts of those who seek to destroy the ancient homeland of the Jewish people. And thank you for honoring your fans and your music with an amazing performance.