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CELEBRATED ISRAELI SINGING STAR/PEACE ACTIVIST PUBLISHES POIGNANT LETTER TO “MY PALESTINIAN BROTHERS’
ON RAPIDLY-GROWING PEACE WEBSITE

(Tel Aviv; January 7, 2009)   Since its launch less than 3 month ago by Israeli peace activist, David Califa (who also founded the far-reaching ‘Candle for Tibet’ initiative in summer, 2008), more than 14,000 members have joined iPeace (http://ipeace.me), making it what is believed to be the fastest-growing peace network on the web. The buzz of their activity is not only in groups, forums and blogs, but also in real life events where people from opposing zones meet to break down the barriers that are built on fear.

Recently, Achinoa Nini/ Noa, Israel's most successful musician and life-long peace activist, penned “A letter to my Palestinian brothers in Gaza and everywhere” that was posted on the iPeace website.  Here is an excerpt from her letter:

“we have one joint enemy, one awful joint enemy and we must all work together to eradicate it!

That enemy is fanaticism my friends. That enemy is extremism in all its ugly reincarnations and manifestations.

That enemy is all men who put “god” above life, who claim “god” as their sword and shield, who claim “god” is on THEIR side.

Jews, Muslims, Christians, all share this black streak. All have fallen to this destructive, horrible fanaticism at some point in their histories and the results have been devastating.”

Here is Noa’s letter in its entirety:

A letter to my Palestinian brothers in Gaza and everywhere
from Achinoa Nini/ Noa

Dear Palestinian brothers,

It is with a heavy heart I write to you today.
Gaza is burning. The border with Israel is under fire. Children on both sides of the fence are terrified, traumatized for life, wounded in body and soul, dying, dead.  Blood flows. Sirens wail. Pain and tears and anguish abound.

How familiar it all is, my brothers? How well we know these images, this fear clutching our throats, hope slipping away from our hearts?

Who can tell a new year has begun?

I am sitting here near my computer in the dark night, in my home by the sea. This sea that is ours, our Mediterranean sea, our culture, we the people of wandering, we the homeless, the homesick, we the fighters ,the builders, the survivors, our dreams like waves and tide, pulled by the moon and stars to eternity.

Since that fateful day in 1995 when Rabin was murdered a few feet from me, since that awful moment, I have dedicated much of my public life to singing and speaking for peace.

I have seen the peace process rise and fall and rise like the breast of a woman breathing in the night. I have seen opportunities missed, so many missed, so many chances, so much ignorance and stubbornness and bullheadedness, so much beauty trampled under the heavy boot of pride.

I have sung and I have spoken, I have argued and I have embraced, I have been moved to tears so many times, I have made the most unlikely friends….friends I would give my right arm for, friends I would run across the border under fire to protect.

And today, today I say this; we have one joint enemy, one awful joint enemy and we must all work together to eradicate it!

That enemy is fanaticism my friends. That enemy is extremism in all its ugly reincarnations and manifestations.

That enemy is all men who put “god” above life, who claim “god” as their sword and shield, who claim “god” is on THEIR side.

Jews, Muslims, Christians, all share this black streak. All have fallen to this destructive, horrible fanaticism at some point in their histories and the results have been devastating.

I have often spoken out against fanaticism in my country, for I find it repulsive and unbearable. In government, in settlements, in synagogues, I am passionately against it. I have risked my career and my wellbeing for this belief.

Now I see the ugly head of fanaticism, I see it large and horrid, I see it’s black eyes and spine-chilling smile, I see blood on its hands.

You know this too, my brothers. You know this ugly monster. You know it is raping the minds of your children. You know it is educating to hatred and death. You know it is chauvinistic and violent, greedy and selfish, it feeds on your blood and screams out God’s name in vain!

I know this is true my brothers!! I know YOU know the truth!!And I know you cannot say it for fear of life so I will say it for you!! I fear nothing!! I am privileged to live in a democracy where men and women are free, where a singer can say and do as she pleases! Some of you do not have this privilege (yet…but you will, inshallah, you will…).

You, my friends, are a people destined to flourish in peace! Your majestic history is overflowing with creativity, literature science and music, endless contributions to humanity, not crippling fanaticism, yelling Jihad and Shahid! I see you sometimes, out in the streets, demonstrating, yelling ‘death to the Jews, death to Israel!! but I don’t believe you! I know where your heart is! It is just where mine is, with my children, with the earth, with the heavens, with music, with HOPE!! You want nothing of this but I guess you feel you have no choice! I see through your veil of fear my brothers, through your uncertainty and years of painful history.  I embrace your hopes for they are mine!

My country has made many many mistakes over the years, I have watched it miss so many opportunities, and as a citizen of this country I am the first to admit it and criticize its foolery. I demonstrate, I vote, I speak out, I sing loud and clear.

My brothers, I cry for you. I cry for us too, yes, I cry for my fellow countrymen suffering the bombs in the south and north and everywhere, I cry for the kidnapped soldiers and the murdered ones, for their bereft families, for the innocence lost forever, but I cry especially painfully for you for  I know your suffering, I feel you, I feel you!!

I can only wish for you that this monster called fantacism release you from its grip. And that these killers will find what little compassion may still exist in their hearts and STOP using you and your children as human shields for their cowardice and crimes.

And then… then, maybe, Inshallah, we will again have an opportunity..we will again pick up our broken bodies and souls and walk slowly towards each other, leaving our bloody history behind, leaving the blaming and accusations behind for we know they are endless, reach out a tired hand, look into eyes filled with tears and with a choked voice say:
“Shalom. Salam. Enough. Enough my brother ….

 Here, sit for a while…lets talk….we know the words, we know the songs, we know the road….
 
Shalom……
Salam……

With a broken heart still yearning to love,
Your friend, Noa

About Noa and brief Q&A:

From The White House to the Nobel Foundation, from the peace rally stage she shared with Yitzhak Rabin, minutes before his assassination, to the film recording studios where she sang her own lyrics written specially for the soundtrack of Roberto Benigni's film, Life is beautiful, Noa, Israel's most celebrated international singing sensation, is everything but your usual 'Star': She is a phenomenally impressive woman who engages her life and her artistic soul to the cause of furthering peace through music.

In all your years of impressive peace activism, which moments stand as the most impressive? 
      Singing at the peace rally on Nov 4th 1995 where hundreds of thousands of Israelis came out to support peace, just minutes before their hero (and mine too!), Yitzhak Rabin, was murdered in cold blood by Yigal Amir. That was what you would call, a defining moment. I came away from that dreadful night a changed woman. 

Could you elaborate a little on your own message of peace through the role of music? 
      Music breaks barriers, connects us on the deepest level, in those places where we are all vulnerably the same: our guts and emotions.  I feel peace is like the rings created by a rock thrown into water. One small rock creates one small ring that becomes wider and wider but weaker at the same time, unless it meets other rings, and joins them, and together they make waves.

      Why did you choose to join iPeace?                                             
      I feel any initiative for peace is essentially worth encouraging. Since we all know there is power in numbers and in the joining of minds and spirits, i feel happy to be able to contribute my voice and heart to this new peace network. 
             
      You have received accolades at the highest level worldwide in your role as what is best described as an international ambassador for peace, what in your view remains the most difficult challenge to peace, especially in the middle east? 
      In the middle east our history, our pride, our sense of self-righteousness and, to quote the famous Aaron Neville song, the feeling that we each have "god on our side", all contribute to our inability to progress into the territories of peace and reconciliation. Religion is an obstacle, so is fear and prejudice that are mostly brought about by lack of information, especially objective information (in so much as it exists).

About iPeace:

Imagine a living organism made of people, regardless of their nationality, sex, religion, race or politics; imagine millions contributing and sharing freely their energy, talent, creativity and love; imagine an organism that keeps pouring money into initiatives, projects and causes that its members believe can help bring about peace; imagine an organism that can save lives:  this organism is iPeace.
iPeace is a hub for serious peace initiatives, a platform that actively supports, advertises, promotes and aids in financing them. It offers a forum where its community debates, discusses and educates each other on what projects to support.
This isn't utopia. It is a quickly emerging reality. Since its launch less than 3 month ago, more than 14,000 members have joined iPeace. The buzz of their activity is not only in groups, forums and blogs, but also in real life events where people from opposing zones meet to break down the barriers that are built on fear.

      Take part in the fastest-growing force of peace on the net - Join iPeace http://ipeace.me

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