Brazilian musician: I'll never go back to Israel

[Jefferson23]

South American composer and singer Caetano Veloso, who performed in Tel Aviv in July with fellow musician Gilberto Gil, publishes a three-page article on the 'occupation, segregation and violence' he witnessed in the West Bank during his visit.

Merav Yudilovitch
Published: 11.14.15

"I visited Israel to never go back there," Brazilian composer and singer Caetano Veloso, who performed in the Jewish state in July alongside fellow musician Gilberto Gil, writes in an article published in the Folha de Sao Paolo daily.

In the three-page article, the 73-year-old esteemed musician talks about emotional moments he experienced during his recent visit to the Middle East.


"Getting to know the city of Tel Aviv, which is located by the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the modern architecture and the sensual style of the people living in it, raises the question of whether the alleged peace that exists in this city is one that is not really interested in peace," he wrote.

Veloso appears to have completely changed his mind, as during his visit to Israel he met with former President Shimon Peres and stated that "the whole thing of coming here has been discussed beforehand because the BDS movement has been pressuring us not to come. We didn’t accept to cancel the show."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4724620,00.html

[King_David]

1. Rumors have it that he's pretty much more comfortable after writing this article. nt

[Little Tich]

2. Link to original article in Folha de Sao Paolo

I used Google translate for the excerpt, and it seems OK to me.

Google Translate: Visit Israel never to return to Israel by Caetano Veloso

Source: Folha de Sao Paolo, 08.11.2015

SUMMARY Under pressure not to perform in Israel with Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso visited with his friend of the West Bank. In this text, he recounts the vision he had of the oppression of Palestinians. An excerpt from a letter from Marcelo Yuka ("The Peace that I Do not Wanna&quot sums up the feeling he was visiting.

Reach Tel Aviv from Europe is like going back to Brazil. The city looks like one of our Northeastern capitals, and its people, the air haughtily astray of Rio.

From the first time I went to Israel, the country's capital of contrast with European cities, expressed in indefinite modern architecture and sensuous way of its inhabitants, won me over. I felt immediate familiarity with the praieira and sunny Mediterranean city in the summer. This identification made me totally vulnerable to the historical force that every step I was asked to face. The awareness that we were in the Holy Land, the marks of the country after World War Fundação, the socialist experiments of the kibbutzim, the revival of spoken Hebrew, the voltage constant threat of suicide bombers attacks.

I returned to Israel a few times with a much larger gap between the penultimate and this now than in the past. The first was in the 1980s that last, I felt difference from the exit of France: nothing the minute of magazines or separation in special rooms of the passengers who were there. And at Ben Gurion Airport, far from there was nerve welcome the first visitors. Tel Aviv received us without suspicious guys and already in the streets, without the unfailing once (and, after all, charming) soldiers, of both sexes, taking care of every corner. This lack of grim defense of signs did the city look like more like a fortress inhabited by locals than it had years before. The sensaão of being "at home" was stronger and more poignant than ever.

It was hard to recognize that this peace reflected the greater power acquired by the State of Israel, his certainty that the proteão dome built by his defense is secure. It is, as it says Marcelo Yuka, who do not want peace?

This question not easily appeared in my head the night of my arrival. The next day, however, I did not abandon me. I woke up as early as I could to not be late for the meeting with a group of Israeli critics of official policy, the Breaking the Silence, I had been indicated by Jorge Drexler at the time of presentation of the show with Gil in Madrid. Drexler heard how interested I was to see what is happening in the West Bank and Jewish father's son, not only gave me tips as promised to put me in touch with members of the movement.

Read more (translated): https://translate.google.com.au/translate?sl=pt&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww1.folha.uol.com.br%2Filustrissima%2F2015%2F11%2F1703012-visitar-israel-para-nao-mais-voltar-a-israel-por-caetano-veloso.shtml&edit-text=

Read more (original in Portuguese): http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ilustrissima/2015/11/1703012-visitar-israel-para-nao-mais-voltar-a-israel-por-caetano-veloso.shtml

[shira]

3. He was played by the propagandists @ Breaking the Silence. That explains it.

Anonymous reports of Israel being bad, funded by European NGO's who expect some bang for their buck - or else no more funding.

[Little Tich]

4. I think Breaking the Silence is doing a good job.

I'm not really sure if you agree with BTS, but these NGOs are very important for disseminating and anchoring democratic practices. It's a pity that Israel is more like Russia than the US or Europe when it comes to NGOs.

Caetano Veloso seems to be a wise man, and also very keen on trying to explain why he's taken the stand he did. I don't think those dastardly leftists pulled the wool over his eyes and made him believe things that were untrue. I think he made an informed and moral decision which will stand up to scrutiny.

[shira]

7. Anonymous complaints cannot lead to convictions.

Their condemnations are not for Israeli consumption - or Israeli improvement. Their complaints are red meat for certain elements & certain parts of Europe - the ugly Europe of 75 years ago.

Israel is a very free open society - open to incredible criticism - arguably moreso than any other on the planet. If these guys were serious about justice, they'd go public and demand convictions.

[Jefferson23]

5. That's the Israeli governments line. As I have said many times, you have zero respect for

any dissent nor any human rights group that does not relieve Israel of
responsibility.

Israel needs the truth about Cast Lead Oded Na'aman



Earlier this week, Breaking the Silence, an organisation of Israeli veterans, released a book of soldiers' testimonies from the Cast Lead operation in the Gaza Strip. The public debate that this publication has provoked in Israel and that Dan Kosky is attempting to stir in his Guardian piece revolves around the methodology Breaking the Silence employed in collecting the data. The actual issues that arise in the testimonies – ammunition and rules of engagement, policy on house demolitions, treatment of civilian population, the tactics that were used – are neither explicitly denied nor confirmed. Instead, the army's spokesman decided to cast the testimonies as utterly unreliable, thereby avoiding the need to address their content.

First, it should be stated that our organisation does not claim to present a full and detailed portrait of the events of Operation Cast Lead. Breaking the Silence claims only to present the personal, firsthand stories of some 30 soldiers who participated in the attack. This is not all one can hope for but it is certainly more than has been made available to the Israeli public through any official channels.

Second, with regard to methodology, Breaking the Silence verifies all of its information by cross-referencing the testimonies it collects. The material that is eventually published has been confirmed by a number of testimonies, from several different points of view. Breaking the Silence also made it clear that the personal details of the soldiers quoted in the collection, and the exact location of the incidents described in the testimonies, would readily be made available to any official and independent investigation of the events, as long as the identity of the testifiers did not become public.

Finally, it is somewhat difficult to provide the accusations that Breaking the Silence has conducted a biased investigation with a dignified reply, when the only official investigation of the events of Operation Cast Lead has been conducted by an organisation whose involvement in the operation is anything but minor – the IDF.

But even if Kosky and the IDF's spokesman have reservations about the reliability of the testimonies, why should they want to avoid addressing their content? If the testimonies were so poorly assembled, it should not be difficult to present facts that refute them one by one. What better way is there to expose their "half-bakedness"? In light of their claims, it is Kosky's and the IDF's insistence on not discussing the details of the testimonies that raises suspicion. How can proud Israelis, who care about their army and soldiers, who believe in the legitimacy of their country's actions and conduct, dismiss the opportunity, offered to them by the very soldiers they sent to war, to learn more about what was done there in their names?

If there is a slight chance that you, your father, your brother, your partner or your child, were sent to (among other things) kill innocent people in dangerous actions that did not contribute to the safety of your family, society or country, wouldn't you like to look into it? Wouldn't you like to know what is it exactly the army charged with defending you and your freedom is doing in your name? If your answer is "no", it is because you suspect there is some uncomfortable truth that might be revealed. After all, if you are confident of the legitimacy of your army's actions, you should not be reluctant to learn more. If you reject the opportunity to learn more about those you trust with your life, you surrender your freedom to those you secretly know are likely to abuse it.

This self-weakening, self-defeating attitude is adopted by those who claim to "defend Israel" by undermining the credibility of the new testimonies from Operation Cast Lead. Those who care about Israel, the values it aspires to stand for and its future, want to know what happened last winter in the Gaza Strip. Only the guilty turn their eyes away from their actions while filling the air with cries of their innocence.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/jul/17/israel-gaza-breaking-silence

[shira]

8. We've already established you couldn't care less about corrupt NGO's. n/t

[Jefferson23]

9. You mean you and the Israeli government established they have no respect for any

human rights group..none.

[shira]

10. We did this dance last week WRT B'tselem. You were indifferent....

...to the fact that an NGO reporting against Israel very recently employed a Holocaust Denying field researcher & a Director of of information who equated Israel with the Nazis.

No comment from you. No condemnation. Not even a week later.

[Jefferson23]

11. The thread where you found TWO people who were fired. They didn't need to do more than that.

But they did, they announced how those opinions are not advanced by B'tselem.

No human rights group report is accepted by the Israeli government, nor
by you.

There is no need for me to condemn them, unless they didn't fire them, but
that didn't happen, did it?

[shira]

12. They had to fire them. They had no choice & didn't want to lose their funding....

B'tselem actually denied the Holocaust denying accusations at first until video was shown. They attacked the accuser until they were busted with the video.

Classy.

The question is why such a small NGO hired 2 out-of-control Israel haters on its very small staff. What are the odds that could happen, unless they're looking to hire anti-Israel activists?

[Jefferson23]

13. You mean they were looking for evidence the person was a Holocaust denier. See that is what

honest people do..they verify. Once verified they were fired.

A small NGO? You're going to twist yourself up in an attempt to make them look worse than you do
right now? I don't think that is possible.

Questions and answers

Since its founding, certain questions have repeatedly been asked about the organization, among them:

What does B'Tselem do?

B'Tselem promotes respect for human rights in Israel and the Occupied Territories through a variety of means. We document both specific incidents and systemic problems impacting human rights. We maintain an extensive communication with Israeli authorities to ensure that individual cases are addressed, and to encourage a rethinking of policies that are out of step with Israel's legal obligations. We conduct first-class research analyzing the full spectrum of human rights concerns. And we use creative public education and advocacy strategies - including pioneering video advocacy - to generate public discussion and foster positive change.

Why is B'Tselem bringing this work to the United States instead of keeping it in Israel?

American foreign policy plays a vital role in shaping Israel's policies in the Occupied Territories. The debate in the United States is often based on a false dichotomy between Israel's legitimate security concerns on the one hand, and Palestinians' basic rights on the other. As an Israeli human rights group, we are uniquely positioned to inform and enrich this debate, providing the facts necessary to evaluate Israeli policy in light of security needs and applicable legal standards. B'Tselem has established a presence in the United States to enable Americans to support a human rights agenda that will protect the rights of Israelis and Palestinians alike, while also strengthening Israel's civil society and its democracy.

Just as B'Tselem's work spurs vigorous debate in Israel about the implications of our control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip, so too does B'Tselem aspire to serve as a resource to promote the same healthy debate within the United States. B'Tselem works in the United States to provide accurate, reliable information to policy makers, opinion shapers, and the public alike about the reality on the ground. Our work is guided by the belief that accurate information is indispensable to effective policy making and broadens and informs the public debate that drives it.

Don't you worry that you are making Israel look bad?

B'Tselem's primary goal is to ensure that Israel respects human rights in the Occupied Territories and fulfills its obligations under international law. Publicity has often proven effective in improving Israeli policies and for this reason we are obligated to publicize policies that harm human rights and run counter to Israel's legal obligations. While B'Tselem reports on some of the least attractive aspects of Israeli policy, in doing so we highlight some of the best aspects of Israeli society. B'Tselem is part of Israel's vibrant, civil society, working in spite of the difficult security situation to improve our society from within. We are proud to represent this part of Israel to a world which is all too often unaware of it.

What does the word “B'Tselem” mean?

B'Tselem's work is rooted both in the Jewish tradition and in the universal principles of international law. Its name in Hebrew literally means "in the image of," and is also used as a synonym for human dignity. The word is taken from Genesis 1:27 "And God created human beings in his image. In the image of God did He create them." This spirit is echoed in the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "All human beings are born equal in dignity and rights."

Does B'Tselem report on all human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, or just those committed by Israelis?

B'Tselem sees international law and human rights norms as universal standards that are equally applicable. All Israelis and Palestinians have equal rights to live in dignity and safety, and Israeli and Palestinian authorities must respect these rights. B'Tselem monitors and reports on severe violations of human rights by the Palestinian Authority against their own population, as well as on terror attacks against Israelis. Ultimately, though, B'Tselem is an Israeli organization and our primary concern is the actions of the Israeli government and security forces.

How is B'Tselem's work received by the Israeli government and security forces?

B'Tselem maintains an extensive and multi-faceted relationship with the Israeli authorities. Every year we send hundreds of individual cases to the relevant authorities asking them to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. In turn, these authorities request B'Tselem's assistance in conducting investigations, and B'Tselem locates Palestinians witnesses, encourages them to cooperate with Israeli investigations in the interest of promoting justice, and provides other forms of assistance to achieve redress.

On the policy-level as well, the Israeli government and military authorities have learned to take B'Tselem's work seriously. Both military and government officials understand that B'Tselem's reports must be addressed in a substantive manner, even if they are unhappy about the content of those reports.

The Israel Defense Forces and other relevant authorities frequently issue formal responses to B'Tselem reports and these responses are published together with the reports. B'Tselem is also invited to participate in Knesset hearings and meets regularly with military and government officials to voice our concerns. B'Tselem has worked successfully on both the political and public level to shape Israel's national debate over policies regarding the Occupied Territories, and to change Israeli policy to better accord with human rights obligations.

Regarding such a politically polarizing issue as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, much of the information that comes out of the region is weighted to favor one side or the other. Why should I trust B'Tselem's information?

B'Tselem ensures the reliability of its information through independent fieldwork and rigorous research, the results of which are thoroughly cross-checked with relevant documents, official government sources, and information from other sources, among them Israeli, Palestinian, and other human rights organizations. B'Tselem includes responses from the relevant authorities in its reports whenever we get them, so you can evaluate both our findings and those of the government and make your own judgment.

snip*

Why don't you work to protect human rights within Israel?

B'Tselem's energies are intentionally focused exclusively on violations of human rights within the Occupied Territories, where there is a systematic lack of accountability for ensuring the rule of law that endangers the well-being of the population there and undermines Israel's image as a country guided by the rule of law. A broad spectrum of other Israeli organizations engage in the important work of addressing human rights issues within Israel.

Where does B'Tselem stand on a two-state solution?

B'Tselem's primary goal is to promote Israel's adherence to human rights and international humanitarian law as it applies to Israel's conduct in the Occupied Territories. We support all policies that would substantially decrease or end the violations of human rights under the Occupation. We do not weigh in on political matters, except to comment on their implications for human rights.

Who funds B'Tselem?

B'Tselem is independent and is funded by contributions from foundations in Europe and North America that support human rights activity worldwide, and by foreign governments, and private individuals in Israel and abroad.

http://www.btselem.org/about_btselem

[shira]

14. Here's a false report from B'tselem. Aug. 1, 2014. Claims 35 killed....

http://www.btselem.org/press_release/20140801_a_dali_building_bombing

35 weren't killed.

6 were killed, but not 35....

Here's an Arabic article on it:
http://www.fatehmedia.ps/page-15551.html

And here are the photos....

http://www.newswala.com/International-News/Palestinian-Mourners-gather-around-the-bodies-of-six-members-of-al-Hashash-family-who-were-killed-in-an-Israeli-air-strike-71826.html

They're wrapped in the flags of Islamic Jihad.

Why did B'tselem lie?

[Jefferson23]

15. Where is your evidence it was a false report? You list one link in Arabic, to prove what?

You link to news wala, to prove what?

[shira]

16. To prove 35 weren't killed. Where's mention of this outside of B'tselem? n/t

[Jefferson23]

17. That proved 35 people were not killed? How do you figure that? There were numerous

reports and in total 19, 000 structures were leveled. But then again, maybe that
didn't happen either..after all one would need to rely on the press, which you believe
is out to get Israel unfairly, then all the human rights groups, even former soldiers
of the IDF. Breaking the Silence is an NGO with an agenda you stated, they are in
fact ISREALI citizens..and you have said you are not, correct?

Lets not forget the academics you feel are morons too.

All out to get Israel..hmm. None of it nor even most of it could be true,
since in the end, the Palestinians made Israel do it..am I right?

[Israeli]

18. Nothing " Anonymous " about Yehuda Shaul shira .....

He just showed him Susya and spoke the truth .

[Jefferson23]

6. Thank you. n/t