Star pianist is fired by UK and Swiss over Gaza tweet
NewsThe City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestraa and Migros Concerts in Switzerland have cancelled the Turkish pianist Fazil Say over his X-Twitter post, accusing Israel of genocide.
He also supported the false claim that Israel bombed a hospital in Gaza.
Here’s the nub of his tweet (full version here): ‘Netanyahu should be tried for war crimes, genocide and massacres. Freedom for Palestinians. For humanity. Enough with this brutality.’
Say continues to defend his statement and to protest that he is for peace.
In Switzerland, I have been removed from the lineup of the planned four concerts organized by the concert organization unit of the MIGROS company. Officials from MIGROS cited the ideas I expressed on the Israel-Palestine tension on my social media as the reason. Everything I’ve written remains on my social media without any changes. They will also make a statement themselves.
However, I would like to convey to art enthusiasts that due to this decision, I will not be able to perform on stage with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at these concerts in Zurich on October 23, Bern on October 24, Geneva on October 25, and Lucerne on October 26.
During the Middle East crisis, I posted a total of 3 tweets and a video where I spoke.
I am for peace, and all my statements were in the spirit of peace. And I have always been in favor of the good, of compromise, and of jointly seeking a beautiful future.
As someone who has been to Israel for 24 years, I have been saddened by terrorist incidents like everyone else. I have always had an approach that seeks to understand both sides of this troubled issue. I also wrote that I find Netanyahu’s war politics, which have no future, to be very wrong and cruel. And finally, I found Erdoğan’s approach to this issue “sensible and peaceful” for both sides, and I supported it.
While I find it strange and even disturbing that discomfort has arisen from all of this, and it has turned into a one-sided concert cancellation, there is nothing I can do about it from my perspective. We are in an environment where we are not being heard, where our voices are not wanted to be heard.
I had trusted that in Europe we can rely on freedom of expression, I knew it as darkness and lack of understanding would not be experienced. I want to point out that my trust has been significantly shaken in the face of this disturbing incident.
Every individual should have an opinion. And more importantly, these opinions should not affect our professional lives.
I am on the side of peace and humanity. And I make music to give hope to people.
Sincerely,
Fazıl Say
He has lost many friends around the world.
So many will be touched by this inspiring move by the CBSO. Thank you. As to Fazil Say – his future appearances should be limited to concerts in Russia under Gergiev, another musician who sides with evil and lost his conscious.
From the information above, it appears that the decision was taken by the concert promoter, not the orchestra.
He should be sent back to his Caliph and stay there, instead of living from his Swiss benefits.
Here we go, partisan more social media opinions. Why do you think his opinion is any worse than yours, killing people by your vicious words?
I guess free speech is another of the Israel-Hamas casualties.
In the United States, it was a casualty of the mostly peaceful Summer of Floyd.
You mean the murder of a black men by a cop in open daylight?
Read about the open daylight killing of John Geer, an unarmed white man, by a Hispanic cop in Fairfax County, Virginia. This killing of an unarmed man followed two others by county police.
No rioting or looting took place, though there were a few peaceful demonstrations.
Not really. One can exercise their right to free speech, as this cretin has, but then must also be prepared to suffer the consequences of said speech.
As he’s both able to publish this statement and privileged to have it relayed on this site, he seems to be free to speak indeed.
It is clear than anyone will be ostracized for speaking on behalf of the Palestinians, but are there not reasons to be deeply concerned about their treatment? Is this treatment not contributing to the continued problems of Israel, including the move of its political establishment to the far-right?
In his op-ed “Reiterating the Keys to Peace”, published in The Boston Globe on 20 December 2006, former President Jimmy Carter summarized some major problems:
* Multiple deaths of innocent civilians have occurred on both sides, and this violence and all terrorism must cease.
* For 39 years, Israel has occupied Palestinian land, and has confiscated and colonized hundreds of choice sites.
*Often excluded from their former homes, land, and places of worship, protesting Palestinians have been severely dominated and oppressed.
* There is forced segregation between Israeli settlers and Palestine’s citizens, with a complex pass system required for Arabs to traverse Israel’s multiple checkpoints.
* An enormous wall snakes through populated areas of what is left of the West Bank, constructed on wide swaths of bulldozed trees and property of Arab families, obviously designed to acquire more territory and to protect the Israeli colonies already built.
* Combined with this wall, Israeli control of the Jordan River Valley will completely enclose Palestinians in their shrunken and divided territory.
* Gaza is surrounded by a similar barrier with only two openings, still controlled by Israel. The crowded citizens have no free access to the outside world by air, sea, or land.
* The Palestinian people are now being deprived of the necessities of life by economic restrictions imposed on them by Israel and the United States because 42 percent voted for Hamas candidates in this year’s election. Teachers, nurses, policemen, firemen and other employees cannot be paid, and the UN has reported food supplies in Gaza equivalent to those among the poorest families in sub-Sahara Africa, with half the families surviving on one meal a day.
* Mahmoud Abbas, first as prime minister and now as president of the Palestinian National Authority and leader of the PLO, has sought to negotiate with Israel for almost six years, without success.
* UN Resolutions, the Camp David Accords of 1978, the Oslo Agreement of 1993, official US Policy, and the International Roadmap for Peace are all based on the premise that Israel withdraw from occupied territories.
* Also, Palestinians must accept the same commitment made by the 23 Arab nations in 2002: to recognize Israel’s right to live in peace within its legal borders. These are the two keys to peace.
This 2006 statement is like ancient history now.
And a sobering reminder that the general situation on both sides is now far worse that 17 years ago. Time for some new approaches?
I also dare not say my name
I stand with Fazil Say
I have watched his video, and the views he expresses are too mild and modest in my opinion. War crimes committed by the state of Israel are ongoing and have been going on since its inception. The current round of collective punishment if continued much longer will constitute a genocide.
We are being silenced into watching this happen before our very eyes.
That the ‘liberal’ western classical music world is complicit in this silencing is abhorrent, though sadly not surprising.
It is clear that Palestinian lives simply do not matter.
Carter means well but has some mistaken ideas about Israel and the Palestinians (there are innacuracies in the above, for instance), but there is no need to get into that here. What is very necessary is to recognize that what happened on 7th Oct was not ‘just another round’ or an ‘expected’ part or result of the ongoing conflict. It was a massacre of civilians the like of which, in sadism and cruelty, the world has rarely seen. If anything, it yet again reinforces those who claim that if Israel lays down its weapons and gives up swathes of land at its extreme peril. But for Say not to even mention the word Hamas, to seek to implicitly blame Israel for the murder and torture (which barely begins to describe what happened) and rape of hundreds of its citizens, including babies and the very elderly, aids and abets these barbarians, who do not represent aspirations to Palestinian statehood and seek to kill all Jews.
Correct yourself – yes, the Palestinians have only 2 borders – but only one is controlled by Israel. The southern border is controlled by Egypt – and they refuse to let any Palestinians in. Since the war broke on Oct 7, they even built another wall around their existing border to prevent any Palestinians from crossing.
Under the Agreed Principles for the Rafah Crossing (bordering Egypt,) part of the Agreement on Movement and Access of 15 November 2005, the European Union Border Assistance Mission was responsible for monitoring the port of entry. The agreement ensured Israel authority to dispute entrance by any person. This allowed Israel to control both the north and south ports. This is what Carter was referring to.
I strongly recommend Jean Genet’s “Prisoner of Love”, his last book. It is great, and tells his involvment with the Palestinians.
His favorite music: Mozart’s Requiem.
Dear no name, I suggest you study more of the factual historical events and the origins of this conflict.
The media is not the source which is capable of offering one sobriety and real clarity and understanding this whole subject. This conflict goes back 1400 years.
If I may suggest 2 excellent books: “From Time Immemorial” by Joan Peters and “Forgotten Ally” by Pierre van Paassen. Both books are available from Amazon. Both are expertly written and I think after reading both of these you might learn many facts you don’t know. You might also then be proud to reveal your name without the reservations you expressed. I firmly believe that when one addresses a subject such as this one, a well sourced study on the subject puts one in a category of striving after the truth.
Is not one’s quest generally in life to increase one’s understanding and compassion? In so doing one will also be raising one’s consciousness to the highest level of one’s capacity?
I believe that this is what deep and thorough study of music does.
Is this not what being part of being civilised and civilisation is about?
You have joined the choir of jew haters, pro terrorist student college groups! Israel in the 75 year history NEVER started a war, nor deliberately killed a civilian!
Israel experienced the most horrific monstrous atrocity since the holocaust and you call it incident?? Shame on you!! 500000 thousand palestinians every day crossed the border to work in Israeli companies, pharmacies, hospitals, supermarkets, restaurants and in every sphere of Israeli Economy.
Israel raised their economic standard of living matching Israel’s! They had the same benefits as Israelis!
Wake up! Start thinking for yourself! Who’s propaganda are you listening to?
Arab students are studying in every university in Israel, they are terrific music students at the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other academies and conservatories and Israeli professors are proud of their achievements!!
Next time think twice before you post an absurdity !
I am glad your concerts were cancelled!
“Israel in the 75 year history NEVER started a war, nor deliberately killed a civilian!”
Even the most fervent defender of the Israeli state can’t believe this surely.
Let’s not exaggerate of how this state was conceived and which methods they used to achieve that. And, I’m not anti-Israel, after that barbarism on the 7th October, Israel has a right to wipe Hamas from the face of Earth but Gaza strip cannot become another Mariupol.
This is about 90-victim terrorist attack before Israel was even created, 90 people killed, including Britons and Jews.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_Hotel_bombing
“On February 22, 1948, three British Army trucks led by an armoured car driven by Arab irregulars and British deserters exploded on Ben Yehuda Street killing from 49 to 58 civilians[1][2] and injuring from 140 to 200.[3][4][5][6] The bomb may have been intended to kill members of the Furmans (Palmach convoy escorts) who lodged in the Atlantic and Amdursky Hotels but had left on patrol shortly beforehand.[7] In addition to the two hotels, the Vilenchick Building and the Kupat-Milveh Bank were destroyed.[7] The bomb had been created by Fawzi al-Qutb. The convoy was led by a Jerusalemite militant, ‘Azmi al-Ja’uni, who spoke fluent English and could pass himself off as a British officer.[4] Two British deserters, Eddie Brown, a police captain who claimed that the Irgun had killed his brother, and Peter Madison, an army corporal, had been persuaded to join the attack, also by the promise of substantial financial rewards.[
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Yehuda_Street_bombings
You too should think twice before posting and absurdity.
Thank you, Kevin Chen for supporting Israel! Standing ovation!
Fazil Say,
I am so deeply sad to be exposed to your opinions here. I take you to be such a fine, serious pianist and composer, and so I assume (perhaps I am wrong, I give you and me the benefit of the doubt) that you inform yourself before you express your political opinions in public.However,
What happened on the 7th of October, was a massacre of innocents, mass rape of women, beheading of toddlers and babies. All, unfortunately, well documented by Hamas and by the Israeli press. There seems to be no doubt about that. The dispute is only about the meaning of it. Surely, you know, that those slaughtered families in the south of Israel, have practically done for the Gaza citizens more than any BDS, Jon Olivers or a shameless Gretha Thunbergs have done: those wonderful people, always present in the protest against Netanyahu were peace activists, driving daily, on their own expenses Gaza patients into hospitals in Israel. They were slaughtered, and many mass raped, elderly, women man and children.
Yet, at this very time, if face of a terrible historical point, you keep supporting the narrative spread by the non-human organization, Hamas, who hasn’t done anything good for its people since its formation. An organization, who in the name of “freedom” that you propagate, does not conduct elections of any sort in the Gaza strip, gives no rights to women, LGBT or other religions than Islam.
Still, you don’t justify a massacre of innocents, “But”… Maybe if they belong to a certain ethnic group it’s not soooo bad. Consider the following when you think or write about the water and electricity for the kids in Gaza: there are no kids in the Kibbutzim around Gaza anymore who need water. They are either slaughtered or kidnapped. Your fans, your audience.
I have supported the two-state solution my whole life. Perhaps you should consider, that It is okay to condemn massacre of innocents, and crimes against humanity, and at the same time to support the two state solution and be against Netanyahu’s policy. Unfortunately, by accepting, and excusing the October 7th massacre, you have exposed a rather unbearable side of your beliefs: some lives are precious, others – not so much.
I can only be sorry for you, that sights of massacred innocents don’t affect you. Something must be deeply broken inside you. But do enjoy the snuggly embrace from those phony liberals. Liberals who support mass murders. What a sad sad joke…
You play with fire, you get burned.
what a jerk. he should do a concert in gaza during a nice israeli bombing. and that should settle it for him for good.
The MIGROS would be well advised to invest in a security service – some people who cannot differentiate between national pride – propaganda – evidence and legitimate criticism are extremely upset about that decision (they should try “freedom of expression” in Erdogan’s Turkey btw with an opinion that is exactly not that of the president (which Say parroted in this case) – that would be quite astonished about the outcome)!
His only defence is truth.
Didn’t Fazil Say learn anything about the dangers of Twitter after being put on trial & nearly imprisoned for retweeting something his own govt. didn’t like a few years ago?
If I were Fazil Say, I would have sworn off of social media then & there. Why is he even still on Twitter?
He may be a wonderful pianist but he doesn’t strike me as a particularly bright guy if he is still tweeting anything at all.
Exactly what I was going to say.
Huge respect to these organizations!
At the moment it is very important to choose who you are with. You may not like the Israeli government and this is legitimate, but in the face of such a brutal crime in which not only terrorists, but also hundreds of “Palestinian civilians” took part, there is no room for anything other than disgust, condemnation and protest. Fazil Sai was a big disappointment, but at least now we know who he is.
We are with peace not with Israel not with Hamas but people of Palestine and Israel, of all religions as well as non believers. I support the views expressed by Fazıl Say
His playing is more offensive and distasteful than his political views anyway. Real ”art enthusiasts” won’t miss much
Why do you have to display your stupidity and ignorance so publicly?
Is Erdogan’s approach is “sensible and peaceful”???
On this occasion appears to be
No longer that is the case! This is all that needs to be said about him!
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/burak-bekdil/who-lost-turkey-78485
“And more importantly, these opinions should not affect our professional lives.” That’s a new ideal, but achievable by keeping disturbing opinions to oneself.
dont bother to read the ignorant pianist’s rant
Ignorant is you passing judgement without listening or reading what he has actually said
Did Fazil comment on the Oct. 7th attack by Hamas?
I think it is wrong to cancel an artist, or any other professional, for their political views. Let the public decide whether or not to attend their appearances. And I say that that in recognition of the ongoing debacle over Anna Netrebko.
The only clear exception is when the “artist” expresses support for violence (the ultimate form of “Cancellation”), which no serious public figure I know of espouses. Fazil Say at least expresses support for peace, however naive and misguided that support may be.
Of course, there are practical consequences; how can management justify putting up a concert that no-one will go to? But AFAIK this does not appear to be the reason for the cancellations; they appears to be driven by principle, which I feel is as misguided as Say.
Lokman
I guess we cannot tell the future reach of the ICC.
Fazil Say is amazing musician who just told the truth and is now being cancelled by silly people.
Say is an atheist.
Somebody posted Jimmy Carter’s 2006 assessment of the situation. A word to the wise, you would be wiser to read it.
Has he made the same statement when 1400 Israelis have been murdered, decapitated and raped?
Shameful.
There should be no difference between supporting Russia’s crimes in Ukraine as Hamas’ crimes against humanity in Israel.
Idiot, first watch him in the link I posted explaining his position shared by the majority of Jews.
[redacted: blatant misreporting]
Just as Hamas doesn’t represent all Palestinians, you don’t represent all Israelis. From what I’ve seen, a major reason for this attack by Hamas was that the Israeli govt. has been failing to curb aggressive far right settlers who were encroaching and wreaking violence on peaceful Gazan farmers. Israel has done a poor job of controlling its far right faction. Good Israelis who respect the boundaries and laws are now paying the price, sadly.
Having spent time in Gaza I regret to say that Israel has run the place like an open air prison camp. I view that many hold.
A hypothetical dialog between concert management and Fazil Say:
“We have done our best to fulfill our part of your contract, but at 20% attendance, your performances are no longer viable.
Consequently, your appearances here over the next two years are terminated.
But should circumstances change, etc. etc. …”
So no moralising needed to achieve the same result, except this way you have demonstrable public support.
One could look him in the eye whilst saying all that and each side will know where the other stands.
On the other hand, if attendance does not drop or even starts creeping up, then we will really have something to talk about.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cynoqy9KboK/
100% behind what he has said!
The views he expresses in above link are shared by the majority of the Jews.
The use of social media by celebrities to espouse political viewpoints is akin to a business who sides with politics. You lose fans and paying customers. Just ask My Pillow Guy Mike Lindell how well his involvement in politics has gone for him.
This is what happens when we attack others for their “otherness.” Say is perfectly within his rights as a Human Being to express his horror at the massacres in Gaza and Israel. He is an
extremely spiritual person and performer, and this is experienced whenever he performs his music.
This piling on of people from opposite sides of the conflict just adds to the hatred and division and does not help to heal the schisms between people.
Enough! When we fight like this in the world of music we are losing our only consolation, which is music and art.
The forces of darkness are rejoicing as we carry the Israeli-Gazan conflict into
the spiritual world of music-making.
He is totally right! There is no black and white, same like in Ukraine. Ukraine = good, Russia = bad, Israel 0 good, Palestinians = bad. This is so naive… Thank you Fazil
Yet another internet commenter who is surprised to find out not everyone celebrates his views.
Please listen to this
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyrHWQ5vO18/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Some one should tell him it’s about time he took his tongue out of Erdogans behind.
Intellectualizing Israel is an old habit, but one that has become entirely anti-Semitic. I doubt if anyone in the Muslim world can objectively “view both sides” when their entire upbringing has been slanted and tainted. I saw that in the Egyptian I recently spoke with.
Well, respect to Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said, then, for making an effort to bridge that gap with music. Barenboim also spoke of the reluctance of young Arabs to play music with Israelis at first, possibly because of the indoctrination you’ve mentioned. The West-East Divan Orchestra managed to bring them together to play beautiful music together.
Shut up and play, the lot of you.
Swiss pianist Louis Schwitzgebel-Wang will jump in for the hole tour!
Well he will have his ‘Say’ won’t he? Why don’t musicians just shut up and do what they’re being paid to do…