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| Jerusalem Diary: Choir caught in disharmony | Jerusalem Diary: Choir caught in disharmony |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The choir's director had been keen to show his students the West Bank barrier By Tim Franks BBC News, Jerusalem | The choir's director had been keen to show his students the West Bank barrier By Tim Franks BBC News, Jerusalem |
| CHOIR FEELING FLAT OVER BOYCOTT ROW | CHOIR FEELING FLAT OVER BOYCOTT ROW |
| It should be a time of unalloyed joy for Tim Brown. The director of one of Britain's most well-regarded choirs is beginning a six-concert tour of Israel this week. | It should be a time of unalloyed joy for Tim Brown. The director of one of Britain's most well-regarded choirs is beginning a six-concert tour of Israel this week. |
| The choir of Clare College, Cambridge, will be singing Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Israel Camerata Orchestra. But the singers have not, as a choir, been able to perform in East Jerusalem or Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, after a Palestinian protest against the choir's tour of Israel. | The choir of Clare College, Cambridge, will be singing Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Israel Camerata Orchestra. But the singers have not, as a choir, been able to perform in East Jerusalem or Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, after a Palestinian protest against the choir's tour of Israel. |
| The choir has been caught in the passionate arguments over whether Israel should be boycotted. | The choir has been caught in the passionate arguments over whether Israel should be boycotted. |
| Tim Brown says he is very disappointed. He had been hoping that the choir could precede its tour of Israel with a visit to St George's Cathedral in East Jerusalem, and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. They had been invited to sing in both locations by the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem. | Tim Brown says he is very disappointed. He had been hoping that the choir could precede its tour of Israel with a visit to St George's Cathedral in East Jerusalem, and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. They had been invited to sing in both locations by the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem. |
| But that was before the London-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign swung into action. The campaign wrote a letter, signed by more than 200 people, asking that the choir cancel its tour of Israel or risk, in their words, "appearing indifferent to Palestinian suffering". | But that was before the London-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign swung into action. The campaign wrote a letter, signed by more than 200 people, asking that the choir cancel its tour of Israel or risk, in their words, "appearing indifferent to Palestinian suffering". |
| The Palestinian Authority joined in. | The Palestinian Authority joined in. |
| According to one of those involved, the PA asked the Bishop of Jerusalem to withdraw the invitation for the choir to sing in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem. | According to one of those involved, the PA asked the Bishop of Jerusalem to withdraw the invitation for the choir to sing in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem. |
| The choir was informed that it would not be welcome in Bethlehem, should its members try to come in, en masse, as part of the bishop's pilgrimage. | The choir was informed that it would not be welcome in Bethlehem, should its members try to come in, en masse, as part of the bishop's pilgrimage. |
| The choir's director says his frustration is borne of what he describes as his own pro-Palestinian stance: he has taught and performed with Palestinian musicians. Mr Brown was very keen for his students to see the West Bank barrier and, as he put it, the "privations" caused by the Israeli occupation. | The choir's director says his frustration is borne of what he describes as his own pro-Palestinian stance: he has taught and performed with Palestinian musicians. Mr Brown was very keen for his students to see the West Bank barrier and, as he put it, the "privations" caused by the Israeli occupation. |
| Betty Hunter, the general secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, says that desire to travel to the West Bank does not excuse the choir's tour of Israel. That tour, she says, is "surprising and shocking" - something which, in her words, "promotes Israel as a normal state rather than one which represses Palestinians". | Betty Hunter, the general secretary of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, says that desire to travel to the West Bank does not excuse the choir's tour of Israel. That tour, she says, is "surprising and shocking" - something which, in her words, "promotes Israel as a normal state rather than one which represses Palestinians". |
| The issue of whether Israel should be boycotted has gained publicity in recent months with campaigns led by British trades unions. Separately, some Israeli MPs reacted angrily to the British government issuing guidelines over the labelling of produce imported from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. British officials are keen to stress that their move has nothing to do with a boycott. | The issue of whether Israel should be boycotted has gained publicity in recent months with campaigns led by British trades unions. Separately, some Israeli MPs reacted angrily to the British government issuing guidelines over the labelling of produce imported from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. British officials are keen to stress that their move has nothing to do with a boycott. |
| But Betty Hunter says that these are but the opening skirmishes of a whole new boycott campaign that she says will open up over the next few months. | But Betty Hunter says that these are but the opening skirmishes of a whole new boycott campaign that she says will open up over the next few months. |
| Send us your thoughts on Tim Franks' latest diary: | Send us your thoughts on Tim Franks' latest diary: |
| A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |
| Thank you Mr Brown for your courage to bring the problem to the forefront. In my view, the Palestinian supporters (ie Betty Hunter) have done a disservice to the Palestinian cause by condemning the choir's tour altogether. It would have been better to make sure the choir does visit the two sites on Palestinian territory as well as getting to see 'the wall' and have a chance to discuss, when back home, the horrific situation of Palestinian people with first-hand knowledge. What happens now is exactly what was intended by the Israeli hosts: a visit to Israel - only.Wolfgang, Yarmouth, ME / USA | |
| So you're not welcome in the PA unless you boycott Israel. This is the idea of peace seeking and engagement of the PA - a "normal place" as opposed to Israel. Ask any "Palestinian" living is Israel if they would prefer to move to the PA and the answer is NO, because apart from economic reasons, the PA has much worse human rights record than Israel and it represses its own people. Peter, Dublin, Ireland | |
| I guess the choir will have to do with a tour of Lebanon instead to see a country that really oppresses Palestinians.David Guy, Rehovot, Israel |