Arab rocker rejects the call to BDS

Radiohead  an English rock band from Oxfordshire is scheduled to play tomorrow in Tel Aviv. This will be their their 4th performance in Israel.  Since the date was announced, they have been subject to an unrelenting campaign of bullying and pressure from anti-Israeli activists.

Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards) has repeatedly expressed his disgust with the way the band has been treated

From Rolling Stone

I'll be totally honest with you: this has been extremely upsetting. There's an awful lot of people who don't agree with the BDS movement, including us. I don't agree with the cultural ban at all, along with J.K. Rowling, Noam Chomsky and a long list of others.

There are people I admire [who have been critical of the concert] like [English film director] Ken Loach, who I would never dream of telling where to work or what to do or think. The kind of dialogue that they want to engage in is one that's black or white. I have a problem with that. It's deeply distressing that they choose to, rather than engage with us personally, throw shit at us in public. It's deeply disrespectful to assume that we're either being misinformed or that we're so retarded we can't make these decisions ourselves. I thought it was patronizing in the extreme. It's offensive and I just can't understand why going to play a rock show or going to lecture at a university [is a problem to them].
Nasreen Qadri, an Israeli Arab singer who will perform alongside Radiohead in Tel Aviv has also rejected BDS bullies claim to speak for the “Palestinians”and  spoke out against calls by BDS activists for the band to cancel their concert in Israel.

In an op-ed in Newsweek, Qadri writes:

An Arabic proverb says "music is the nutrition of the spirit." Music feeds people’s spirits and opens them up. Music builds bridges and this is exactly what I am hoping to achieve through this concert.

Those who call for boycott are only trying to divide us. They are trying to shut down the music. I will not be a part of that. Sadly, there are too many countries in the Middle East in which such a concert could have never taken place.

I was lucky to be born in Israel, and I am grateful for the opportunity to build bridges of understanding.

Alongside Thom Yorke and Radiohead I plan on rocking Israel this Wednesday.

Rock on, Thom and Nasreen and friends, and welcome to Tel Aviv.

Fly the friendly skies direct to Tel Aviv. BDS fail

One of the goals of the BDS movement is to isolate Israel, economically, politically, and culturally. Even here,  in the belly of the beast- the San Francisco Bay area, the BDS movement is failing .

United Airlines has just announced that it will launch 3 non-stop flights a week between Tel Aviv and San Francisco beginning on April 1, 2016.   Flight times are expected to be 14 hours, 10 minutes eastbound and 15 hours, 5 minutes westbound.

From the J Post:

“We’re very excited about introducing nonstop service between Tel Aviv and San Francisco with the customer-pleasing Dreamliner,” said Avi Friedman, United’s Managing Director Sales in Israel. “This is a response to demand from our customers for direct flights to one of the United States’ most popular business and tourism destinations, with the added benefit of convenient onward connections from our San Francisco International hub.”

The 787-9 Dreamliner flights will depart Tel Aviv at 12:55 a.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and land in San Francisco at 6:00 a.m. the same day. The returns will depart San Francisco at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Tel Aviv at 8:10 p.m. the following days. 

US Ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro said the announcement was welcome news that would strengthen ties between the US and Israel. 

"These flights will facilitate technology exchanges between high-tech firms on the West Coast of the United States and the start-up community here in Israel, as well as people-to-people engagement between Israelis and Americans," he said.

June is Pride Month in Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv City Hall becomes a huge rainbow flag for Pride month

 
June is Pride Month in Tel Aviv.   Tel Aviv expects 130,000 people, a record breaking number, to attend the Gay Pride events . In addition, 30,000 tourists are slated to arrive in the city for pride events across the city.

•    June 1-12: Pride Village at Meir Park (outside the Gay Community center) - events and shows (in Hebrew)
•    June 5-14: Pride Beach @ Hilton Beach with open air parties through the day until sunset
•    June 7-16: The Tel Aviv LGBT International Film Festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and the Tel Aviv LGBT Community Center
•    June 8-12: GAY EXPO at Dizengoff Center Mall, showcasing gay products and services (10:00-21:00 daily)
•    June 11: Gay football team practice (June 11 at 19:30 in Jaffa)
•    June 12: Mayor's cocktail at the Gay Community Center at Meir Park (in Hebrew)  (19:00)
•    June 13: Pride Parade 2014, starting at 10:00 in the morning from Meir Park . The 2014 Tolerance Award will be hosted by Israeli model and actress Moran Atias, with a performance by Israeli singer Dana International.

Check out all the Pride festivities at A Wider bridge, building LGBT connections with Israel

include the 2014 Tolerance Award and will be hosted by Israeli model and actress Moran Atias, with a performance by Israeli singer Dana International. - See more at: http://awiderbridge.org/record-breaking-number-of-people-expected-at-tel-aviv-gay-pride-events/#sthash.lKVfCEag.dpuf

USA Today: Tel Aviv is the world's #1 Beach town

Its enough to make Jerusalem blush.

Via USA today

Matador Network's new travel guide, 101 Places to Get F*cked Up Before You Die, features hilarious-yet-useful advice, stunning photography and plenty of fun destination ideas. But the section on beaches stands out. As the book's editor, David Miller, says, "There's an innate sensuality to being in the sun, being by the water. Of wearing less (no?) clothes. Swimming, surfing, diving. Eating local food." Here, Matador shares their ultimate beach-party bucket list with USA TODAY, so raise your glass and take a tour of the 15 best beaches for a rockin' good time:

And the number 1 spot belongs to Tel Aviv, Israel

Israel's financial hub sure knows how to throw a party. Business licensing is lax here, which means there's always a new hotspot on the scene, with new clubs sometimes literally popping up overnight. News spreads on the beach, so skip the recommendations in the guidebook and catch a few rays while chatting up some locals to find where the pulse is beating that night.

King Lizard: Anatomy of a Cultural Boycott fail

Its a familiar  routine by now. An artist or group announces their intention of performing for their fans in Israel.  The haters mobilize- they inundate the facebook pages and Twitter feeds of the artist.  They spread lies- and often they threaten the artists.   Sometimes they are banned or blocked- as often they are ignored or rebuked.

 Lets examine this week's BDS fail: King Lizard, who just played a successful show in Tel Aviv.

Tali Shapiro begins by urging her friends and partners in slime to spam King Lizard

And finds herself soundly rebuked.

Turns out that King Lizard loved Tel Aviv.

And they are coming back.

 A classic BDS Fail in 3 steps.

Welcome to Israel, Alicia Keys!

 Please sign the Creative Community for peace petition welcoming singer Alicia Keys to Israel, and circulate it widely. The 12 time Grammy winner is scheduled to play in Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena on July 4, 2013.  Like all artists who are scheduled to perform in Israel, she is being subject to an unrelenting pressure campaign. Help Alicia Keys resist the BDS bullies    Sign  here:

 The text of the petition follows

We, the undersigned, wholeheartedly support your upcoming tour in Israel and your dedication to your fans across the globe.

We know you are hearing falsehoods about Israel being an apartheid state and unfair comparisons of Israel to apartheid South Africa. These messages are filled with distortions and untruths that seek to malign Israel and distort the discourse of those that seek peace.

Those who have actually been to Israel know that it is a democratic country with a diverse population, where women, Arabs, Muslims, Christians and all minorities have equal rights; a nation where art and freedom of expression flourish. In fact, Arab-Israeli citizens serve on Israel’s Supreme Court and in its Parliament. The recently crowned Miss Israel was born in Ethiopia and quoted Martin Luther King in her acceptance speech! "There are many different communities of many different colors in Israel, and it's important to show that to the world," said the new Miss Israel.

We too wish for a resolution to the complicated Palestinian/Israeli peace process, and we believe that the unique connection between artist and fan is part of the solution. Music is a great tool--one that can be used for building bridges, dialogue and understanding between people. Cultural boycotts drown out freedom and the voices of change. Your voice, your message will touch hearts and minds in a region desperately looking for peace.

We therefore urge you to keep your tour date in Israel, the land Madonna calls "the energy center of the world." Join the ranks of independent-minded artists who have performed in Israel recently, including Rihanna, Macy Gray, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Black Eyed Peas, Missy Elliot, Metallica, Linkin Park, Lady Gaga, Seal, Meshell Ngedecello, Erykah Badu and many others. Your fans in Israel are looking forward to seeing you and know that you will use the power of your music to help bring hope and peace to the region!

You know the drill. Sign it, post it on Facebook, add it to your blogs, and tweet it out. When we fight back we win.

UPDATE:

Thanks to an outpouring of support from friends of Israel and the arts worldwide, the petition for Alicia Keys has quickly surpassed 11,000 signatures ...and is growing rapidly.

Signators are from Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxenbourg, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, S. Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, united Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zambia!

Red Hot Chili Peppers rock Tel Aviv!

Ignoring months of threats, intimidation and bullying by the BDS cru, the Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked Tel Aviv tonight, playing to over 50,000 fans this evening.

Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer arrived in Israel from Turkey, landing at Ben-Gurion Airport in a private jet Sunday afternoon. Shortly after, they went to the Kotel in Jerusalem- holiest site for the Jewish people.

And the BDS'ers went crazy. From the facebook Page "Tag An Artist Against Apartheid", set up to harass artists scheduled to perform in Israel


The claim that our holiest site was part of "Occupied East Jerusalem" was followed by bitter and vengeful comments


But the show went on.

From the Times of Israel

And the music was a joy. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are generally categorized as funk-rockers, but that sells them short. Flea and drummer Chad Smith propel every song infectiously forward — everybody, but everybody was dancing throughout — but there’s melody and harmony and subtlety to their music, too, and they replicated it onstage, outdoing their recorded versions with instrumental intros, layers of extra vocals, fresh keyboards and more. And they had Israeli trumpeter Avishai Cohen up on stage for two numbers for even more pep.

I'm thinking "BDS fail". Again. Only the addled brain of BDS'er and anti-Israel activist Remi Kanazi (who called the campaign to bully the RHCP a "success" )could think otherwise.

Have a Sprite and a smile

I'm thinking...BDS fail. Yeah, that.

Check out this brilliant bit of marketing. Advertising agency Ogilvy and Sprite have put a human sized soda fountain on the beach in Tel Aviv. No, it doesn't dispense Sprite- its just a cold and refreshing shower- but its very welcome after a hot day at the beach.

This innovative bit of marketing can be found in Rio and Tel Aviv this summer- two of the best beach towns in the world.

Pinkwash this! Tel Aviv Vibe at San Francisco Pride Parade

Spotted at San Francisco Pride June 24, 2012- a colorful float highlighting Israel's LGBT record, keeping with this years theme "Global Equality". Check out the Tel Aviv Vibe.






Allison Deger of Mondofront has been duly impressed with the plethora of activities in the Bay area, celebrating Israel. Here's one more item you can add to your list, Allison. Tel Aviv Vibe. San francisco Pride parade. And yes, the crowd went wild.

Check out that ruach, Allison.

Gay Pride & Israel: More Progressive than the U.S.

Tel Aviv gay pride parade brings out broad spectrum of

 Israeli society

TEL AVIV, Israel — Tel Aviv's gay pride parade, in its 14th year, is such an established tradition that diplomatic delegations send representatives as if the pageant were its own nation: A multi-colored, laughing enclave within the greater, beachside city. An alternate Vatican.

Israeli soldiers marched alongside Arabs from Jaffa and Nazareth on Friday. Politicians of all stripes, right to left — from former Kadima Party leader Tsippi Livni to Labor Party head Shelly Yachimovich — gave speeches to the cheerful crowd of over 30,000 people. Religious political parties, extreme right-wing parties and Arab parties were conspicuous by their absence.

...

Homosexuals have always been drafted into the Israeli army, and to the surprise of many conservative American tourists to the Holy Land, neither gay rights nor abortion are sources of contention or controversy in Israel, where the overriding urgency of the country's geo-political problems rules the debate.

The issue of gay rights has on occasion raised hackles in meetings between Americans and Israelis, most notably before the State Department revised its policy on same sex partners of American diplomats.

On one occasion, a number of years ago, the Israeli army officer assigned to coordinate security arrangements in the West Bank with an American diplomat burst out in frustration, blurting, "Who are you to come and tell us how we should do things? You think you know everything? You're the one who comes from a country that prevents you from living openly with your boyfriend!"

Both, as it happened, were gay. 

Hats off to Israel!

Tel Aviv Named Best Gay City

Now, this is what pinkwashing is all about.

Israel's malicious campaign of pinkwashing--giving LGBT Israelis full civil rights, recognition of foreign marriages, health care for domestic partners, and all that other dreadful imperialist stuff they do...has paid off.

Tel Aviv has been named Best Gay City for 2011.

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Tel Aviv has been named the best gay city for 2011 in a poll sponsored by American Airlines and Gaycities.com.

The city was selected as the "Best City of 2011" in the "Best of Gay Cities 2011" poll. Tel Aviv garnered 43 percent of the votes, followed by New York City with 14 percent and Toronto with 7 percent.

"Winning this competition constitutes an additional strengthening of the fact that Tel Aviv-Jaffa is a city that respects all people and allows everyone to live according to his/her own principles," Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said. "Ours is a city in which everyone can be proud of who they are."

New York won in the Best Night Life category, San Francisco took the Best Pride city category, and Buffalo, N.Y., was the Most Up-and-Coming city.

More than 5,000 gay tourists visited Tel Aviv in June for its annual pride parade, according to the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality.


If you go to Gaycities.com, and look at their map of great gay cities, you're going to notice something, and that's that Tel Aviv stands alone in the Middle East. I mean, entirely alone. That little pin in the map marks the lone gay party town of the region.


Kol ha-kavod, Tel Aviv!

The Virtues of Tel Aviv

Our latest contributor, Mike from the Israel Thrives blog is visiting Israel for the first time. He writes "Tel Aviv is a terrific city, but Godawful ugly". Clearly Mike has not developed an appreciation for Bauhaus architecture- a celebration of function over form. In 2003 Tel Aviv was declared a World Cultural Heritage site, by UNESCO in recognition of the 4,000 Bauhaus buildings in the city. Bauhaus, from the German word meaning "Godawful ugly" architects reject "bourgeois" decorative details by using principles of classical architecture in their most pure form: without ornamentation of any kind.

This is likely not the appropriate forum to debate the virtues of Bauhaus architecture, but indeed, Tel Aviv is a terrific city, and has just been acknowledged by the Canadian Globe and Mail as one of the world's most creative cities

Steve Brearton writes:

The entire population of Israel may only number seven million—smaller than New York City—but this Middle Eastern state spends more of its GDP on research and development than any other nation. And it shows. In April, 2011, Israeli software start-ups PicApp and PicScout sold for a combined $30 million (all currency in U.S. dollars) to Indian and American buyers, respectively. A month later, cellular company Provigent was snapped up by U.S. chip maker Broadcom for $313 million, while Google paid $70 million for app developer Snaptu. In September, eBay bought e-commerce site The Gifts Project for a reported $20 million. All are start-ups. All have offices in or near Tel Aviv. In the first three quarters of 2011 alone, 422 Israeli start-ups raised $1.57 billion in venture capital, and an estimated 250 multinationals maintain R&D operations there. What makes Silicon Wadi—as the coastal region between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is known—so special? Some say that a service requirement in the country’s famously high-tech military has given many young Israelis a technological sophistication that bolsters creativity and inventiveness. What we do know is that while Tel Aviv is small, it’s one giant innovation engine.

Israel. Its full of surprises.

Lonely Planet: Tel Aviv is one of the top three cities in the world

Tel Aviv is one of the worlds' top cities for 2011, according to Lonely Planet.

Ansd we all know Lonely Planet is objective. We've already read their glowing praise for Roots the elegant Gaza City restaurant

Roots is where important people dine on steak au poivre and chicken cordon bleu, though, since alcohol isn't served, there's no washing it down with a good vintage of anything other than Coke. .

From the Lonely Planet website
Tel Aviv is the total flipside of Jerusalem, a modern Sin City on the sea rather than an ancient Holy City on a hill. Hedonism is the one religion that unites its inhabitants. There are more bars than synagogues, God is a DJ and everyone’s body is a temple. Yet, scratch underneath the surface and Tel Aviv, or TLV, reveals itself as a truly diverse 21st-century Mediterranean hub. By far the most international city in Israel, Tel Aviv is also home to a large gay community, a kind of San Francisco in the Middle East. Thanks to its university and museums, it is also the greenhouse for Israel’s growing art, film and music scenes.

Beautiful vibrant Tel Aviv, founded in 1909 has always been a haven for cultural diversity in Israel. A center for music, theater and the arts, it offers something for everyone- from the fire dancers on Chinky beach to the upscale shopping on Sheikin Street.

Thank you Lonely Planet.