Two principal trombonists help save Israeli harvest
NewsAfter the Hamas massacre of Thai and other foreign workers on October 7, a call has gone out for all hands to the harvest.
Two trombonists – Nitzan Haroz of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Micha Davis of the Israel Philharmonic – were first in line.
photo: FB
Micha writes: ‘This morning we, some of the philharmonic players, families and friends, are volunteering in the cucumber greenhouse (regular, not pickles), back-breaking work in the unusual heat and humidity…. I think it’s better to play Mahler in an air-conditioned hall.’
Just to stress that Hamas massacred more than 1000 innocent people, *including* some Thai and other foreign workers
Many Thai workers were captured, tortured, and killed. Hamas itself released footage of a Thai worker being beheaded with a rake (it took many blows). Almost nothing is beeing said about 5,000 – 6,000 foeigners stuck in Gazza and taken hostage by Hamas.
If they were proper bone players, they’d accept a few rounds at the pub for payment.
It is often overlooked that one aspect of the founding of Israel is that it was the first time in about 2000 years that Jewish people could become farmers. During the Diaspora they were generally forbidden from owning land.
It is sadly ironic, however, to read of the Thai and other “foreign” workers when there are over 5 million Palestinians at hand, including 2.5 million confined in an open air prison 25 miles long and 4 to 5 miles wide. No land to farm among the dispossessed. To say nothing of the illegal settlements and the horrors of the current war. Hamas is one thing, but the massive killing of innocents another. With what is going on now, a focus on picking cucumbers is a triviality created by tubular vision.
If you have lost your love ones in that terrible attack you probably won’t call this act of solidarity “a triviality created by tubular vision”. These musicians and other volunteers risked they life by going there, as the entire area is still under constant rocket fire. The “open air prison” you mentioned was created after Hamas took over Gaza, killing their political rivals, and declaring that their objective is the complete destruction of Israel. And just for your information, some of the terrorist of Oct 7 had work permit in Israel. Look how it worked out.
Trombonists picking cucumbers is no more trivial than a naked baritone in a care home, another story on this site. But since you’ve brought up Gaza, you should know that over 18,000 Gazans were working in Israel, many in agriculture, before Hamas went on a rampage of death and destruction. I wonder what those Gazans are thinking now that they really are stuck in Gaza. You might also find it interesting that when Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, they left many greenhouses behind which were promptly looted and destroyed by Hamas. Instead of holding over 50 Thais hostage (and 200 others) and sending daily rockets on Tel Aviv, Hamas could be picking cucumbers with the trombonists. Now that would make a great story for Slipped Disc.
Sorry, but this is an ignorant comment. Many thousands of Palestinians work in Israel every day (some 150,000 as reported by the Globes financial magazine recently) – over the past few years, the Israeli government had adopted a policy of trying to encourage Hamas to become a more ‘normal’ administration by allowing hundreds of millions of dollars in each year from Qatar, starting discussions about constructing a seaport, Israeli hospitals were treating (and still are) Gazans in medical need (now even including some of the terrorists who were wounded), and allowing increasing numbers of Gazans into Israel to work there and earn higher wages, despite the fact that Gaza is run by a group dedicated to Israel’s destruction, the killing of Jews and establishment of an extremist Islamic caliphate in the region and beyond. This number of Gazans working in Israel was up to nearly 20,000 every day by the time of the massacre. As it turns out, Hamas was dissembling and using the easing of restrictions to build its arms and plan the bestial murders, rape and torture they carried out on October 7th.
When Israel completely pulled out of Gaza (a very traumatic event for Israelis), the Palestinians there had a seaport and an airport and it was intended to be the forerunner of a Palestinian state – as an extra goodwill gesture Israel also pulled its citizens out of some West Bank settlements – but Hamas came in and launched unremitting attacks on Israel, which is why the airport was destroyed and the sort-of blockade was put in place, to keep out weapons (though it is Hamas and not Israel who limited the number of trucks going into Gaza from Israel each day to 400, so they could keep their public dependent on them and profit from the black market of smuggling from Egypt – some 1700 Hamas officials are millionaires). So, let’s review – Israel completely pulled out of Gaza, and got Hamas rockets and other attacks. Israel enabled large amount of money into Gaza and Gazan workers to come into Israel etc, and they got the unspeakable massacre of October 7th and some 240 mostly civilians including babies abducted. And you’re surprised that Israel and Egypt are extremely careful about what goes in and comes out of Gaza?
Thai workers are generally very loved in Israel, where they work in agriculture and often as care workers for the elderly. Palestinians are all across Israeli society, with very many of them working in healthcare and in construction.
A lie is still a lie even when endlesly repeatd. Gazza is not an “open prison” – it has an exit, via Egypt,. It’s border with Israel was controlled, like any normal border: People and goods could come in or leave. What you seem to sujest is that Israel is under some kind of obligation to open it’s borders – and let in anyone.
As for the “killing of inocents” (I hope the biblical reference is unintended): Today I read what Ehad Tamimi, a PLO acrivist’ a noncombatant tweeted: “What Hitler did to you was a picnic. We will drink your blood and eat your skulls.”
The murderers at the Kibbutzim included ones who worked there and knew their victims. So Palestinians had jobs inside Israel proper. Certainly the border will be shut going forward. Your comment makes it sounds as if not enough Jewish blood was shed to satiate your appetite. I guess 1400 babies and women who were burned alive clearly means nothing to you. You prove the case why the Jewish people must have a state. Ghoul!
Look at these numbers for the latest war, then say nothing about the massive death and destruction that is ongoing. Let’s just focus on picking cucumbers. It is exactly the mindset of these posts that show why this conflict has gone on for 70 years with no resolution and massive harm to both sides.
1,400
Number of people killed in Israel
8,525
Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza
125
Number of Palestinians killed in West Bank
5,431
Number of Israelis injured
21,543
Number of Palestinians injured in Gaza
2,050
Number of Palestinians injured in the West Bank
250,000
Number of Israelis displaced
Over 1.4 million
Number of Palestinians displaced in Gaza
240
Soldiers and civilians being held hostage in Gaza
5
Hostages released or rescued
217
Aid trucks let into Gaza
None of these numbers would have existed, if all of those barbaric terrorist murderers did not do what they did four weeks ago.
So the conflict is all the Palestinians’ fault, eh?
For the most part, certainly so, but their supporters also deserve part of the blame.
Trombonists harvest, while the viola players do sectional work on Bolero.
Besides these helpers being trombonists, what does this little article have do to with arts and culture?
Simply put: Solidarity and involvement in the fate of their people sometime is more important than art – even for professional artist.