The Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim (friend of the late Edward Said) has created a youth orchestra whose musicians are both Israelis and Palestinians. He argues, in an interview with London's Independent, that music is his contribution to creating peace.
"Expanding on the idea that the destinies of Israel and Palestine are interlinked, Barenboim suggests: "The fact that the two peoples have a different narrative makes it difficult for outsiders to see why they're so connected." In the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, he has observed that his players are all "temperamentally very similar. This may be one of the cruxes of this conflict. You're not talking here about Puerto Ricans and Norwegians. You're talking about people who I won't say have the same blood, but who certainly have the same temperature of blood. They're all hot-blooded. Their reaction to the music is all the same."
There is a wider message here that professional politicians in the Middle East might do well to heed. "The most important thing is to give these people not just culture, but self-respect and dignity," Barenboim argues. "They get that in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra; nobody is closer to the music just because he is Jewish or Muslim or Christian.
"That's what is lacking in relationships between Israelis and Palestinians, and that's why this project is so important. Before you can reach an agreement, you have to stand on an equal footing." The maestro pauses, before reaching a crescendo. "In music, we are all equal.""
Help us change the world - DONATE NOW!
