Israel’s public enemy #1
NewsThe Israel Prize for Music was awarded yesterday to Professor Yehoash Hirshberg, the leading authority on Paul Ben Haim, the country’s foundational symphonist. Hirshberg, 84, is a mild quizzical scholar who wears his great knowledge very lightly.
Within hour of the announcement of his award, social media were filled with demands for it to be cancelled. Hirshberg, the online warriors screamed, had expressed reservations about the Netanyahu government’s urgent drive to disempower the Supreme court and undermine the entire legal system. The newspaper Yisrael Hayom, a Netanyahu mouthpiece, ran a large feature demanding Hirshberg’ instant cancellation.
Some might feel alarmed by these officially sponsored expressions of hate. Others will be encouraged at the sight of a regime so weak that the only way it can survive is by demonising the mildest of music scholars.
Forgive me please a non-musical comment, but we can see this happening in many places around. Governments trying to undermine every possible person with an independent mindset and public authority, and then dismantling the legal system, so that there is nobody left to stop them in their purse of unchecked power. And then we musicians far too often pretend that we do not live in a real world and turn the blind eye (as has been the case with Russia). It is great that there are some people who still have the courage to speak their mind publicly and resist.
I agree 100%, Musician.
The worldwide rise of fascistic behavior is frightening.
Actually, many musicians and music lovers speak out about Russian supporters of Putin. We see that frequently on Slipped Disk.
The Israeli is quickly moving to a dictatorship. 1933 anyone?!
Many come out screaming against the new laws the new government is passing. Netanyahu wants to squash any sign of resistance and violence from his side is going to come soon. It’s a tragedy in the making
Of all places, I would never have expected Isreal to move in this direction in the past. Now, under this regime, yes, and largely fueled due to recent events in the US since 2016. Everyone with a properly functioning brain needs to fight all of this worldwide, as it’s tiresome having these monsters interfering with life, to say the least.
Israel is a democracy and it’s government is elected by the will of it’s people. It is not a dictatorship. Just because someone is a Jew doesn’t mean they cannot be anti-semetic. Israel has the right to pass laws that are for reasons regarding self preservation of the state. Only the anti-semites wish otherwise.
Israel may well be passing laws that help with self preservation in the short term but without a concrete plan to re-engage with the Palestinians and be willing to compromise as Israel was willing to do at its birth, their long term goal of peaceful coexistence is in jeopardy.
Too many Palestinians hate Israelis and too many Israelis hate Palestinians. Policies based upon hate can never work for long.
They have been there an done that and were rejected on all three occasions. We are talking about the existence of the state of Israel, correct?
He is awarded for his talent.
Not his political views.
Excellent comment, Norman. Thank you for your voice of sanity.
Apparently Netamyahu is quite willing for Israel to be just another corrupted middle-Eastern Theocracy, as long as it keeps him in power.