The unlikely news outlet of the Wall Street Journal offers a profile of the Israeli-Iranian pop star, Rita Jahanforuz. Rita, as she is known to Israelis was, in the 1980s, a successful singer who eschewed any specific ethnic identity hewing to a pure middle of the road pop approach. But over the past year, she’s embraced her Iranian ethnic origins and incorporated Iranian Farsi-language songs into her act. This career choice was serendipitously timed with political developments and a deterioration of relations between Israel and Iran. The result hasn’t just earned her success among Iranian-Israelis nostalgic for memories of their homeland, it’s also swept the Israeli mainstream as well. In a further ironic twist, Rita’s music has become popular in Iran as well, though a ban on Israeli products means her listeners there must do so in private settings.
Unlike Noa who, along with Israeli Palestinian singer, Mira Awad, brought a saccharine pop song to Eurovision, Rita appears to truly embrace a strong anti-war message:
Rita…has emerged as an unexpected bond between ordinary Iranians and Israelis—part cultural ambassador, part antiwar spokeswoman. A picture of Rita with the banner, “Iranians we will never bomb your country,” is posted on her Facebook page.
“These days, people only know the language of war and violence and hatred,” said Rita, referring to Israelis’ view of the Persian language, during a recent interview in Tel Aviv. After she started receiving emails from Iranian fans, she realized music can “puncture the wall” of tension.
Though the article states that Iranian hardliners thoroughly disapprove of Rita and her pop peace offensive, they might think twice when they read this comment from an Israeli concertgoer:
“Listen, I’m not Persian,” said Meir Kanto, a 72-year-old farmer. “But the culture is so colorful and so beautiful, from my perspective, let them conquer us. It wouldn’t hurt.”
And, the article reports, in Iran the reaction is similarly dovish:
“She is singing from her heart. So what if she is from Israel?” said Manijeh, a 43-year-old relative of the [Iranian] bride who asked that her surname not be published. “We love her.”
I don’t believe, as Noa and Idan Raichel appear to, that music obliterates political difference. It doesn’t. But music that has a political consciousness can pierce the belligerence and make enemies realize that their leaders may be taking them over a cliff and that they should have a say in whether they follow them or not.
This is Rita’s official YouTube page. This is her official website.
Rita’s voice is beautiful, her songs too (I prefer ‘Shaneh’ and another one in Hebrew with a video in black and white), I’m sure she has the best of intentions but when I read in that WSJ-article – which of course had to include the usual “Israel-should-be-wiped-off-the-map”-mantra – that her message in Farsi for Nowruz was posted on the MFA’s Persian website, then my inner hasbara-detector starts ringing.
It reminds me a litte too much of Noa and Mira Awad singing “There must be another way” in the European Song Contest, less than five months after Cast Lead.
I’m in the middle of writing a long piece about Israeli music and the political uses to which it is put. I think that Rita may’ve been exploited or allowed herself to be exploited in terms of the MFA sponsored Nowruz msg. She may not have realized how it might appear to an Iranian to have your message kashered by Avigdor Lieberman.
That’s sounds very interesting, looking forward to read that. Nothing like music to break down borders and soften hearts, that’s why it’s so useful to propaganda.
I didn’t know Idan Raichel that you mentioned above, and looked him up. Electronic Intifada (I think) and Jewish Voices for Peace have very interesting articles about him: he claims that he’s proud to be part of the hasbara abroad.
Mark Eliyahu, a Daghestani-born Jew, who’s also playing the kamancheh (close to the Arab rabâb) in the video above, is here in a piece called “Agadir”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuNYFNaANzA
It’s simply beautiful, when I hear that I say to myself that these people are my brothers, that someone who plays Oriental music so well can’t be voting Likud, be Arab-haters etc, (look at the guy playing the qanûn), and then I see the name of the orchestra: Ashkelon Andalusin Orchestra.
Ashkelon built on land belonging to the Arab town of al-Majdal-Asqalân whose more than 10.000 inhabitants were mostly expelled in 1948 (Ismail Haniyeh’s family were among them), the remaining 2.500 were kept in a concentration camp and were finally deported to Gaza on trucks in 1950.
There’s something sick about this: living on land from which Arab natives have been expelled for you to live there to play music from your (Arab) homelands…..
Would you not have had a similar reaction if they were from Haifa or Eilat rather than Ashkelon?
Where in Israel could they have been based that would not have led to your observation about there being “something sick” about them?
Deir said:
then my inner hasbara-detector starts ringing.
There she goes on to
Ashkelon built on land belonging to the Arab town of al-Majdal-Asqalân whose more than 10.000 inhabitants were mostly expelled in 1948
Hypocricy. Pot kettle black.
Bob Mann
I share your exasperation.
DeirYassin sees ‘hasbara’ everywhere, and attempts to stifle anything or anyone who is not viciously critical of Israel, by pretending they are coming in through the back door.
What do you call the opposite of Hasbara? Because she indulges in it with enthusiasm, even as she pretends that anyone who is not rabidly anti Israel is a plant of some sinister organisation. See the example above. Her inner hasbara is detecting some fishy business, yet she does the same herself by bringing up Ashkelon, and al-Majdal-Asqalân.
Also watch, how Richard rises to defend her.
This is the sort of snark I find offensive & want out of these comment threads. I note also that you called Deir Yassin “anti-Israel.” This too is not acceptable because it simply isn’t true. Being anti-Zionist is not ipso facto proof of being anti-Israel (though some anti Zionists may be) & I refuse to allow you to smear others with this charge since it’s bandied about far too freely by the hasbara crowd.
Consider this a first warning.
@ Chayma
My comment on ‘my inner hasbara-detector’ and the one about al-Majdal were in fact two separate comments. Not that I expect YOU to see that, just as I don’t expect you to see the propaganda-purpose in posting a message of peace on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And I don’t expect you to see that my second comment was an answer to a comment by Richard about music and it’s political use: I have realized long ago that there’s no connection between you eyes and your brain.
I’m not a psychologist, but you seem to be obsessed about Richard taking your side in your various ‘conflicts’ on this blog.
@ Bob Mann
Last time you asked me a question, I posted a video that I wanted you to see, and asked you a question back: a question that was very important to me. You turned up on the same thread, but didn’t bother to answer, so I guess your asking questions is just automatic.
If you don’t see the difference between Ashkelon, built on the ruins of a Palestinian village, Eilat (idem) and Haifa, then I really can’t help you. And if you don’t see the kafkaesque situation then I can’t help you either.
But then I guess you know nobody who was kicked out of al-Majdal….
What was the question that you had wanted me to answer? I’m sorry that I missed it – I’d be happy to respond. Would you mind repeating or linking to the post where it can be found? Thanks!
MFA. Lieberman is the foreign minister isn’t he? and he opposes a war on Iran? His obnoxious racism aside, that he opposes a war against Iran is the relevent issue here and most probably what would have resonance with the Iranians.
If there is any exploitation here, it’s that he sees Rita ‘promoting’ his message.
Whether or not Iranians would consider him any more repugnant than what they already consider Israelis to be, would depend on what they think of ordinary Israeli’s. To them, Lieberman is just an Israeli.
Lieberman opposes an attack on Iran at least in part because his “masters” in the Kremlin tell him to.
Israeli artists have been singing about “peace” since time immemorial… as long as it falls withing the boundaries of the national consensus, that it doesn’t offend anyone, it doesn’t advocate anything and that it doesn’t provoke a change…. it’s all about the feel-good rather than substance. Little to get excited about, just like Deir Yassin says.
What a brilliant and insightful piece. Good to see you writing about music again, I might add. This is another area of expertise of yours, and I enjoy reading about this topic here, especially in this context. Your final paragraph/sentence was especially profound:
“Music that has a political consciousness can pierce the belligerence and make enemies realize that their leaders may be taking them over a cliff and that they should have a say in whether they follow them or not”
Amen to that.
There seems to be a growing Israeli-Iranian friendship movement afoot – from those Facebook groups you discussed a few months ago – to the popularity of this singer across the divide.
You posted a powerful cartoon along these lines a little while back as well. Hopefully people power will prevail over belligerent government officials.
To quote John Lennon: “All we are saying is give peace a chance!”
Thanks, Bob. I’m working on a much longer essay about Israeli music. You’ll probably disagree with some of it. But it will discuss Idan Raichel & a number of other Israeli artists I like, but of some of whom I’m critical from a political point of view.
I would love to read about your thoughts on Idan Raichel. I may have misunderstood your comment here, but is he among the Israelis artists whose politics you are critical of? I know he got some flak for performing at an Israeli settlement a few years ago. And, as the other poster alluded to above, he was protested by some members of Adalah-NY during his recent US tour with India Arie.
Under certain circumstances do you think artists like Idan Raichel and Rita ought to be boycotted/protested when they attempt to perform in the US?
I would boycott Raichel and Noa, but not Rita. Nor would I boycott Chava Alberstein, David Broza, and a number of other artists who’ve stayed strong against Occupation and have used their music to engage with anti Occupation politics.
That is interesting. So you are not a fan of Idan Raichel?
Hello to everybody an thanks to you Richard for the piece you brought on Rita.
Tow points are of importance here relating to politics and culture and to the politics of culture.
The first relates to the political situation in Israel and its relations in the Middle East. Many Jews outside of Israel and many inside it, tend to ignore the presence of Jews from Arab countries in Israel (now their second and third generation progeny). Many disregard the influence and power with which this aspect shapes Israeli politics, culture and society. This inclination and perception is an Ashkenazi centered mode of analysis and politics.
In complete congruence with this Israeli Ashkenazi position of dismissal are many Arabs and Palestinians who tend to “forget” the historical fact that many of Israeli Jews are Arab-Jews who were forced out of their countries in the Middle East, not only by the Israeli effort of “Zionist Aliya” (immigration), but also was aided and encouraged by Arab politicians in many Middle eastern countries in mid 20th century and even before. This, neglect, is a convenient omission. The ways in which this “neglect” complicates the discussions of “refugees”, “return” and “compensation” are bound to be “too” much for a clear sighted analysis focused on “good” and “bad” guys. Hastily, I would add that I’m not speaking about an equivalence between Palestinian refugees and Jews who came from Arab countries. Such a simplistic portrayal will benefit the hegemonic Ashkenazi group in Israel, will consolidate and legitimize its assets at the expense of Palestinian Arabs and Jews who fled Arab countries alike. In the past I suggested to Richard to write on the ethnic division of labor in Israel, not only on the national division and politics. He said he might. I’m still waiting.
The second point is related to Rita’s music. In1994 she published a record that was of great success in Israel. It was called: Great Love. Indeed it is a great album. In it, there is one song that she wrote its lyrics. It seems that it is devoted to her father. It is called “White Wings”. She sang on the aspects of tears, trauma and pain related to immigration. She is not a foreigner to pain and hope. She is, like many of us, a daughter to a father who left his middle eastern and Arabic civilization behind. The number of Israeli Jews whose roots and hopes are of Middle Eastern origins should not be forgotten by anyone – Israeli Jews, Palestinian Arabs, or Iranians and North American Jews.
Here is the link to the song – White Wings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3boTQOuUE4
Meir Amor
Meir Amor:
Thank you for the link to White Wings
Deir
And I don’t expect you to see that my second comment was an answer to a comment by Richard about music and it’s political use: I have realized long ago that there’s no connection between you eyes and your brain.
Just because I can discern your duplicitous agenda doesn’t mean you can pretend there is no ‘connection between my eyes and my brain’. There is a clear connection.
I see that your second comment was an excuse to spew your usual anti Israel bile. This wouldn’t be a problem, if you did not object when pro israel commenters do the same. You scream ‘Hasbara’ then, and pretend that a crime has been in comitted and that they ‘divert’ the thread or ‘take it off subject’. Yet when you do the same yourself by playing the anti Israel card, you expect everyone to ‘understand’ your version of anti Hasbara (fill this with whatever you call it)
Do you deny that you have nothing positive to say about Israel? Do you deny that you only want bad news about Israel publicised here? You are here with an agenda and you accuse others of being Habarists, so you can pretend to be a victim.
I’m not a psychologist, but you seem to be obsessed about Richard taking your side in your various ‘conflicts’ on this blog.
I don’t want him to take my side. Again you create a straw man, and lie.
I want to know why Richard never takes you to task for your anti Israel sentiment, when he is quick to censor the pro Israel commenter.
Seeing as the site mission is to promote
‘Israeli democracy’, this is a perfectly reasonable question, as one would expect anti Israel commenters who pretend theere is some grand conspiracy to be nipped in the bud when they do their version of ‘hasbara’ or when they lead the thread off topic by pretending that it is justified, because your comment was response to another comment, and it has no connection with the first.
Your first comment implied some kind of ‘hasbara’ was going on by Israel, and the second comment showed how sick it is that instrumentalists live on land belonging to exiles. So of course, they are connected. The connecting factor as always is ANTI ISRAEL BILE.
Don’t waste your time on me, Chayma.
At least if people ever doubted what your mostly totally insignificant comments are about – apart from boot licking – now they know that when you write “our cause” it has nothing to do with the cause, Mary is defending here.
Deir
now they know that when you write “our cause” it has nothing to do with the cause
You got that right, there is no ’cause’ of yours i’d support, and when I said ‘we’, you flatter yourself, if you thought I had you in mind.
You need to do something about your ego, you’re a petty mean minded anti Israel bigot.
Wow, how dishonest can one just be ? My sentence that you cut off in order to manipulate the content clearly states: “When you write “our cause” it has nothing to do with the cause, MARY IS DEFENDING HERE”
You were the Chayma who wrote to Mary that you had a common cause, weren’t you ? Or there’s another Chayma here ?
As I said: no connection between your eyes and your brain.
I think you should take a pill, and go to bed….
If one needs more info on the power of culture to penetrate walls of alienation, here is one more piece of music that does exactly that. For the people of Syria.
Miriam Tukan Feat. SAZ – We Are Young (Arabic Version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFnGza5Eab8