Jewish-Arab duo faces criticism ahead of songfest

[oberliner]

SHMURAT HASHARON, Israel (AP) — Israel is sending a Jewish-Arab duo to represent it with a song of peace at Europe's best-known song competition at a particularly fraught moment for relations between the country's Jews and Arabs.

Not surprisingly, the choice has sparked criticism and debate with a gravity that couldn't be further from the Eurovision competition itself, a festival of flamboyant pop and unapologetic kitsch which draws some 100 million TV viewers every year.

Achinoam Nini, a regular on the world music scene known internationally as Noa, and Mira Awad, a local actress and singer, were selected by Israel's national broadcasting authority. Their selection came a day after Israel launched its Gaza offensive in December to halt rocket fire by Hamas militants.

Awad, who will be the first Arab ever to represent Israel at the competition, was roundly criticized for agreeing to go and became the subject of a petition organized by Israeli Arab artists who said sending her and Nini, a veteran peace activist, was a deliberate attempt to portray Israel as something it is not.

In an interview between rehearsals at Nini's home, the two singers said they would nonetheless appear at the contest, slated to be held in Moscow in May. They are working on four songs, each in English, Arabic and Hebrew. One will be chosen in a national broadcast next month as Israel's official entry.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcyBdO7QZxeddBfHwnwfBMJ_f8AAD96F69NG4

[LeftishBrit]

1. Good for them..

Not because they're in the Eurovision Song Contest, which is pretty crap anyway, and these days you haven't much chance of winning if you aren't from Eastern Europe due to bloc voting.

But because they are trying to break barriers.

'sending her and Nini, a veteran peace activist, was a deliberate attempt to portray Israel as something it is not.'

Perhaps, rather, an attempt to push Israel more into the direction of being something it *should* be? There is little point in continuing segregation just to prove that segregation exists.

[oberliner]

2. Yes - they rock!

Inspiring story indeed.