A conductor is caught in Israel’s war

A conductor is caught in Israel’s war

News

norman lebrecht

October 11, 2023

This weekend, Julian Rachlin opened his account as music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

All did not go quite as planned, he writes:

One week ago today was the opening of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra season. Friends from all over Israel and Europe joined me in celebrating my first week as Music Director of this wonderful orchestra. I was overjoyed to share the stage with the incredible musicians, meet the wonderful audience, and work alongside our dedicated team at the orchestra. We continued on with a second celebratory concert in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

On Saturday morning, my wife Sarah and I woke up to the sound of explosions near our hotel. Soon enough, sirens were heard and we spent the day with my parents in and out of the bomb shelter in the basement of our hotel. Thanks to the kind help of friends in Israel, my family and I were able to secure seats on a flight home to Vienna on Sunday.

I am at a complete loss for words as my friends, extended family, and the musicians of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, are still in Israel, facing unimaginable uncertainty and danger. I’m left speechless, overwhelmed with anger, shock, disbelief, and profound concern, distraught for my new musical family.

A week that was meant to be a celebration of music and togetherness has been overshadowed by the harsh reality of terrorism and conflict.

My thoughts are with Israel, and with all those who are enduring the unimaginable. It is impossible to know what to say or what to do. I hope for the safety of the people living through this hell, and send my deepest condolences to those who have lost friends and family in the most horrific of circumstances.”

Julian Rachlin

Comments

  • Israeli citizen says:

    Dear Julian ,
    Your wrote from your heart ❤️ and it’s get into our hearts . It was magical week ago , and since Saturday morning the dark side of the terrorists came to kill the Israeli people , like animals.
    We are strong enough, and the revenge will 1000 times more.

  • Mr. Ron says:

    Well Julian, war has a way of disrupting everything. You are a distinguished violinist but should learn about the roots of the conflict you now find yourself in and do everything you can to solve problems. Good luck.

  • prof says:

    Poor thing. Sounds like he’s safe at home in Vienna now.

  • IP says:

    He should take lessons with Danny on how to stop worrying and learn to like hamas.

  • Ellingtonia says:

    Before you comment on the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, you really have to read the charter upon which the terrorist group Hamas was founded.

    To understand Israel’s enemy in Gaza, you have know why the group was constituted. And it wasn’t constituted to negotiate a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    Hamas was founded in December 1987. In August 1988, it issued a covenant outlining its mission. The covenant has never been renounced by Hamas, even though some try to claim it is now merely a historical artifact.

    Here are nine key takeaways about Hamas, taken straight from its charter.

    1.) Hamas isn’t looking to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. It wants to destroy Israel. Quoting Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna, the charter reads:

    “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.”

    2.) Actually, Hamas’ charter goes beyond destroying Israel. It longs for Jewish genocide:

    “The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: ‘The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.’”

    3.) The international community may love the peace process, but Hamas makes it clear in its charter that it doesn’t believe in peace conferences. As its charter states:

    “Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.”

    4.) Unsurprisingly for an organization that supports Jewish genocide, Hamas’ charter is explicitly anti-Semitic. For instance, Hamas’ charter claims Jews — not just Israelis — are responsible for all wars:

    “There is no war going on anywhere, without having their finger in it.”

    5.) And all revolutions:

    “They were behind the French Revolution, the Communist revolution and most of the revolutions we heard and hear about, here and there. With their money they formed secret societies, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, the Lions and others in different parts of the world for the purpose of sabotaging societies and achieving Zionist interests.”

    6.) And they also control media:

    “For a long time, the enemies have been planning, skillfully and with precision, for the achievement of what they have attained. They took into consideration the causes affecting the current of events. They strived to amass great and substantive material wealth which they devoted to the realisation of their dream. With their money, they took control of the world media, news agencies, the press, publishing houses, broadcasting stations, and others.”

    7.) According to its charter, Hamas is a big fan of violent jihad:

    “There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.”

    8.) Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and therefore shares the Muslim Brotherhood’s enthusiasm for “death for the sake of Allah:”

    “Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution: Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes.”

    9.) Finally, like many anti-Israel protesters who don’t seem to like Jews very much, Hamas accuses Israel of being Nazi-like an awful lot in its charter. For instance, there’s this:

    “The society that confronts a vicious enemy which acts in a way similar to Nazism, making no differentiation between man and woman, between children and old people — such a society is entitled to this Islamic spirit.”
    And this:

    “In their Nazi treatment, the Jews made no exception for women or children. Their policy of striking fear in the heart is meant for all. They attack people where their breadwinning is concerned, extorting their money and threatening their honor.”
    And this:

    “The Zionist Nazi activities against our people will not last for long.”

    And, finally, this:

    “There is no way out except by concentrating all powers and energies to face this Nazi, vicious Tatar invasion.”
    But don’t accuse Hamas of being intellectually consistent on the question of the Holocaust. Though its charter repeatedly accuses Jews of being like Nazis, in 2009 the organization protested the United Nations over teaching the history of Holocaust to Palestinian children because it was, according to Hamas, “a lie invented by the Zionists.”

    The above was written in 2014 by Jamie Weinstein…………it would seem that Hamas still holds its genocidal beliefs that all Jews should be killed!!!!!………………but then all the “leftie” Hamas supporters in the west (take a bow Mr Corbyn) have always known this.

  • Pete.moor says:

    This has been a rather opportune moment for Rachlin to rise from the ashes and be in the limelight , even if only in a mediatic way. Less attention-grabbing and more musical quality, Mr.Rachlin!

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