A group of political activists attacked pianist and conductor Daniel
Barenboim in a Jerusalem restaurant, calling him a "traitor" for performing in the
West Bank city of Ramallah last week, the Tel Aviv newspaper Ha'aretz
reports. Barenboim's wife fended off the assault by throwing
vegetables at the attackers, who were identified as activists from the rightist
Kach party. The newspaper did not indicate that anyone was hurt.
In addition, Ha'aretz says, right-wing politicians have begun calling for Barenboim to be arrested and tried for entering the occupied territories without permission. Barenboim, who had been thwarted in an attempt earlier this year to perform in Ramallah, held a master class in the city for about 100 Palestinian students on 10 September.
Amid the controversy, organizers of the Fifth International Chamber Music Festival in Jerusalem are emphasizing that Barenboim's visit to Ramallah took them by surprise, the newspaper says. Although Barenboim, an Israeli citizen, was in Jerusalem to perform at the chamber festival, his visit to Ramallah was a private matter and festival organizers had no part in helping him.
"I made a private trip to Ramallah to give a concert and meet students," Barenboim told the newspaper, responding angrily to the attacks. "What does it matter who helped me? I had planned to go there a few months ago and it didn't work out. I have ties with people in the music world in Ramallah."
Ha'aretz says that Barenboim had been making provocative comments during his stay at the festival. While rehearsing the Jerusalem quartet he said at one point: "You are pulling apart [the notes] too much here." Winking, Barenboim added: "Partition, partition. That is the slogan here." The remark was a reference to his opposition to proposals that would create a permanent barrier between Jewish- and Arab-controlled territories.
— Michael Markowitz
"Salad flies as rightists assail visiting
musician Barenboim"
Haggai Hitron - Ha'aretz [Tel Aviv] - 17 September 2002
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