Essay on Daniel Barenboim

Playing With the Enemy

A very small piece of land is being claimed by both Jewish and Muslims since the Zionist movement took control of the Palestinian territory creating the State of Israel in 1947. The idea of this extremist minority was the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.  After the increasing feeling of anti-Semitism in Europe that ended with the Holocaust killing more than six millions of Jews, in 1947 the United Nations decided to intervene. Under enormous pressure from the Zionists, the UN decided to divide the land giving 55% of the Palestinian territory to the creation of a Jewish State. Inevitably, conflict began since it meant the loss of their homes for millions of Palestinians. Both sides are unable to recognize the other side’s claims over the territory and the dispute has resulted in decades of instability and constant war in the region, becoming particularly contentious and violent in recent years. In this context, the Argentinean-Israeli musician Daniel Barenboim and the Palestinian-American scholar Edward Said, created a foundation with the aim of promoting the spirit of peace, dialogue and reconciliation, primarily through music. Barenboim’s effort to reconstruct a relationship of mutual respect and understanding between people from ethnic and religious rival groups can serve as the starting point for a peaceful solution to this conflict.

When taking actions against a conflict, surely one will find resistance and opposition, mostly from the involved parties. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) accused Daniel Barenboim of being a fervent Zionist that promotes normalization i.e. collaborating with the idea that the oppressed Palestinian people should subscribe to and cope with the reality as it is. He has been praised for Palestinian organizations as a peacemaker but at the same time, he has been accused of not recognizing the Palestinian’s rights or rejecting the Israeli colonialism and apartheid. Moreover, he faced accusations of refusing to the return of refugees to the homes they were thrown out of during the nakba ("Day of the Catastrophe" - 1948) and of being against the self-determination of peoples.

As part of the Barenboim-Said Foundation, the project of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra was conceived with the purpose of gathering Israeli and Arab musicians to provide not only musical education of the highest level, but also the experience of sharing knowledge and foster dialogue between people from rival cultures. “We are an orchestra against ignorance” Daniel Barenboim says, and he believes that the opportunity of having personal contact and the possibility to dispel their ignorance about each other, is the most meaningful way of acknowledging the dispute from different points of view and reaching to a better understanding of the conflict. The WEDO is an experiment that breaks down barriers of hatred and allows participants to get to know each other.

 In spite of his detractors, Daniel Barenboim is one of the very few who are trying to do something for the future of the region. He brought to light a problem caused by his own country, he took responsibility for it and looked for a solution. No matter what the solution is, both peoples will have to live together, and the only way to achieve this is breaking the wall that separates them. The Argentinean-Israeli musician is convinced that there cannot be a military solution to the conflict, has a very courageous view on the Palestinian question and the occupation of territory, he opposes to both the occupation and to the right wing politics that has dominated Israel for decades.

 To conclude, it is possible to say that in times of political turmoil and savage violation of human rights, there are very few people that can make a significant contribution for a pacific settlement of conflicts. The talented pianist and orchestra conductor Daniel Barenboim has interceded in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is trying to bring both nations to a peaceful agreement. He may succeed or not but I believe that the idea of an orchestra composed of musicians from contending countries might create the basis for future projects that will ultimately attain the eluding peace.

Works cited

Barenboim, D.(2009) “The Illusion of Victory”. Retrieved September 29^th from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/jan/01/israel-gaza-bombings-hamas

 Barenboim, D. Defeat of Hamas would be no victory. Retrieved September 29^th from: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/defeat-of-hamas-would-be-no-victory/article366211.ece

The Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict. Retrieved September 28^th from: http://www.ifamericansknew.org/history/

The West Eastern Divan. Fundacion Barenboim-Said. Retrieved September 27^th from: http://www.barenboim-said.org/en/proyectos/orquestaWED/