Stories that give hope - #10 : All Roads lead to Ramallah

Date: August 26, 2005 at 10:54:33
From: VFP, [ool-18b99586.dyn.optonline.net]
Subject: Stories that give hope - #10 : All Roads lead to Ramallah

All roads lead to Ramallah
Noam Ben Zeev *

Ramallah - Two diplomatic motorcades traveled to Ramallah in the last two days. The young passengers gazed out the window, entranced by scenery they were seeing for the first time. Their final destination was the new culture center, dedicated by the city last year; their mission was to perform a concerto by Mozart and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This was the end of an extended concert tour which began in Spain last year, traveled to Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, the Proms Festival in London and then to Berlin.

On Saturday, young performers from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt traveled in the first motorcade. Yesterday morning, Israelis traveled from East Jerusalem. They met for a final rehearsal before the concert, which was broadcast on the Arte culture network yesterday to the entire world. The concert by the East-West Diwan orchestra, a collection of performers from every corner of the Middle East, was conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

In recent years, Barenboim has set a number of precedents in the region: the premiere concert of the Ramallah orchestra; the performance of a Richard Wagner piece in Binyanei Hauma followed by a scathing address in the Knesset and the establishment of the first music education program in the Palestinian Authority, which includes a musical kindergarten that employs teachers from West Bank refugee camps.

However, his current project aptly fits the definition of a "historic event": Dozens of Israeli youngsters are traveling to Ramallah to play music, and young performers from Syria and Lebanon are crossing the border to join them, with permission from the upper echelons of national governments, including President Assad and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Fear and suspicion

Suspicion pervaded the Haifa Auditorium yesterday as crowds of youngsters first took the stage.

"This concert is not unlike others from a musical perspective," said Barenboim, in a brief conversation, "but you can write a book about the logistic problems."

Mixed messages from the Syrian leadership frightened local performers. Apprehensive Israelis and the determined opposition of their parents led to doubts regarding their participation. Lebanese mistrust of authorization granted by their own precarious government caused many of them to cancel and the Spanish government's regretted promise to grant performers diplomatic passports for a week, to ease their entry into Israel and the PA, called the whole endeavor into question - until four days ago.

All was solved on Thursday: Syrian performers held a vote and decided to come, Israelis overcame their fears and media from around the world were permitted to cover the event, at the last moment.

Musicians expressed palpable joy and excitement at the rehearsal, in addition to fatigue. Barenboim stressed precision and final instructions as he fought their exhaustion. "Anyone who is tired is free to go home!" he roared at the orchestra, when it lagged behind the galloping tempo of Beethoven's Symphony.

During a backstage break, a Syrian violinist remarked, "Palestine is `Neverland' to us. I thought I would never be able to see it."

The violinist is a Palestinian refugee whose family comes from Acre. "That's why I was moved to tears. I woke up last night and looked out the window. I couldn't believe I was looking at the scenery that I have heard my parents talk about throughout my life."

"When are we taking a tour of the city?" asked an impatient Israeli musician, as two other Syrian musicians' faces lit up while they discussed the visit, and the opportunity to play music together. Fear and astonishment were expressed only in response to the high separation fence that intersected their journey.

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* Noam Ben Zeev writes for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Source: Haaretz, August 22, 2005.

Visit Haaretz Online: www.haaretz.com

Distributed by the Common Ground News Service.

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