Daniel Barenboim calls on Israel to lift siege of Gaza

The veteran musician tonight issued a notably one-sided statement:

I have followed the events of the weekend with horror and the utmost worry as I see the situation in Israel/Palestine worsening to unimaginable depths. Hamas’ attack on the Israeli civilian population is an outrageous crime which I condemn fiercely. The death of so many in southern Israel and Gaza is a tragedy that will loom for a long time to come. The extent of this human tragedy is not only in lives lost but also hostages taken, homes destroyed, and communities devastated. An Israeli siege on Gaza constitutes a policy of collective punishment, which is a violation of human rights.

Edward Said and I always believed that the only path to peace between Israel and Palestine is a path based on humanism, justice, equality and an end to the occupation rather than military action, and I find myself today grounded in this belief more strongly than ever. In these trying times and with these words I stand in solidarity with all victims and their families.

Barenboim makes no appeal to the Gaza authorities to release 150 innocent hostages, including several children. His bias has never been clearer in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict. This ill-considered statement of his does nothing for the cause of peace or for the prospect of a ceasefire.

 
COMMENT: Why Barenboim is tone-deaf on Gaza