Letter to the Editor

For dialogue. For peace. For two states living together side by side

1967-2007: 40 years, 480 months, 14,610 days have passed since the occupation began.
We - musicians and musicologists, composers, performers and music teachers - protest the ongoing occupation which corrupts the image of our state.
The ongoing control of the occupied territories and their Palestinian residents is morally unjust.
The continuation of the occupation does not grant us security and keeps us from freeing ourselves to deal with our country's burning internal problems. We would rather live safely in the State of Israel, diminished in territory, but in peace with its neighbors.
We call on the government of Israel to adopt the saying "Peace is done with one's enemies" not only as a cover-up for political procrastinations but as a foundation for a realistic action plan. Striving towards responsible negotiations with Hizbullah, the PLO, Hamas, Lebanon and Syria is the only positive option.
We therefore call on the prime minister and his partners to initiate immediate negotiations with the Palestinian leadership, as well as with the leadership of the neighboring countries, and to persist in negotiations with the same determination, courage and creativity that characterized the IDF soldiers in Israel's wars. We demand that you cease sending us, our children and our grandchildren to wars of choice, and open a real offensive of peace.

This letter, sent to the PIJ, was signed by 85 leading composers, musicians and musicologists. Among them are:

Dr. Daniel Openheimer, composer and researcher
Prof. Avner Itai, conductor
Dr. Avner Bahat, musicologist
Prof. Shay Bourstein, musicologist
Yuval Ben-Ozer, conductor
Prof. Harry Golumb, musicologist
Prof. David Halperin, musicologist
Prof. Mira Zacai, musicologist
Dr. Hagar Kadima, composer
Maya Shavit, conductor
Prof. Arik Shapira, composer