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Israeli Arab Singer Mira Awad Slams Rogers Waters for BDS Support
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Noa (L) and Mira Awad of Israel perform during dress rehearsals for the Eurovision Song Contest, in Moscow, Russia, May 11, 2009. Photo: Reuters / Sergei Karpukhin.
Israeli Arab singer and actress Mira Awad recently criticized former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters for his support of the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.
During a podcast interview with the non-profit group Creative Community for Peace, Awad urged Waters — an avid BDS activist — to have the “courage” and “the balls” to visit Israel, perform in the country and share his thoughts while in Israel rather than oppose dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis.
“I would love to have a conversation with Roger Waters about what he’s done…if he would only speak to me. Roger Waters, call me!” Awad said, before passionately adding, “Don’t sit there in London or wherever it is. I love you Roger Waters. I admire your work. But don’t sit your ass there and tell me what to do with my Palestinianism and my Israeli-ism, OK? Don’t tell me how to act…in this complex situation. You do not teach me what to do and how to act. I am trying to build bridges in order to build a future and you just want to talk from there. Big talk. It doesn’t help me.”
Awad starred in the Israeli Opera production of “My Fair Lady” in 2002. She represented Israel at the Eurovision Contest in 2009 together with Israeli Jewish singer Noa, and that same year both musicians received the Haviva Reik Peace Award for their efforts to promote peace and Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Awad also sits on the board of the Abraham Fund Initiatives, a major Arab-Jewish NGO in Israel promoting shared society and equality.
Awad further said about the BDS movement, “The boycott movement — you’re cutting the conversation. I’m trying to work a conversation and you’re cutting the conversation. You’re deciding for me that I shouldn’t have a conversation? That’s rude…Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just don’t like when that opinion means that the other opinion cannot exist.”
