Jenin, West Bank – Palestinian authorities have disbanded a youth orchestra from a West Bank refugee camp and barred the conductor from the camp after she directed a concert for a group of Holocaust survivors in Israel.
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Adnan Hindi of the Jenin camp called the Holocaust a “political issue” and accused orchestra’s conductor of unfairly dragging the children into a political dispute.
He added that conductor Wafa Younis, an Israeli Arab living in Israel, has been banned from the camp, and the apartment where she taught the 13-member Strings of Freedom orchestra has been boarded up.
“She exploited the children,” said Hindi, the head of the camp’s “popular committee,” which takes on municipal duties. “She will be forbidden from doing any activities … We have to protect our children and our community.”
The move highlights the sensitivity of many Palestinians over acknowledging Jewish suffering, fearing it would weaken their own historical grievances against Israel.
Ignorance and even denial of the Holocaust is widespread in Palestinian society.
“The Holocaust happened, but we are facing a similar massacre by the Jews themselves,” Hindi said. “We lost our land, and we were forced to flee and we’ve lived in refugee camps for the past 50 years.”
Kaynan Rabino, director of “Ruach Tova,” or “Good Spirit,” the charity that organized the event, said he was disappointed to hear about the reaction in Jenin.
“They approached us and volunteered to play. Wafa knew the orchestra would play before Holocaust survivors,” he said. “We wanted to bring people’s hearts closer together and if they are against that then that’s a real shame.”
The orchestra’s musicians, who range in age from 11 to 18, performed for elderly survivors in the Israeli town of Holon.
Hindi said the children’s parents were not aware that the orchestra would play for Holocaust survivors.
Younis was not immediately available for comment Sunday. But as the controversy erupted over the weekend, she said Saturday that her intention was purely to perform music. “We didn’t do anything wrong,” she said.
At the performance, most of the Holocaust survivors did not know the youths were Palestinians from the West Bank, a rare sight in Israel these days. And the youths had no idea they were performing for people who lived through Nazi genocide — or even what the Holocaust was.
What a shame! They will all be dead by next week! Killed by the idiots who fashion themselves after the Charedi Vaad Hatznius.
What would we do if they had played for holocaust deniers we would shut them down as well what’s the difference we all are the same just on the other side of the fence
I hope the liberals get a good look at who they are supporting, but I’m saddened to say they won’t get it.
the elderly were Not aware that the Palestinian youths were from the West Bank? Who was in charge of Security, and cleared them- they could have blown themselves up!
The U.N. criticized Israel for boarding up terrorists homes. Where is the U.N. when they board the home of a peace promoter? I guess they are busy shutting their lights for an hour to save the world.
one is intimidation the other is foolishness
The AP is so abominably twisted, you have to be insane to ever think they are objective news reporters.
‘The move highlights the sensitivity of palestinians towards recognizing Jewish suffering’….the only thing this move highlights is the utter foolishness of ever thinking that peace is a possibility with people who are so soaked in hatred towards you,the hate seeping out thru their very pores; that they cannot even entertain a civil thought towards you
#12and other…did occur to you that #2 is a hanas or suppotor of them ..thats probably it
This article mitigates what has happened here making it look as if it was a legitimate concern. The AP is very biased.