Facebook

Stanley: Your statement will be music to the ears of the propagandists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You just connected performing for their propaganda function with supporting the cause of "peace" (their favourite word ever since they managed to empty it of all meaning).

This isn't about active listening and making sure everyone's pizza topping preferences are acknowledged during the brainstorming process. People are getting murdered, tortured, and humiliated every day, and your decision and statement will give them no aid and no comfort, but their tormentors will make a meal of it.

Mr Jordan, I think the effort you have gone to to attempt to grapple with this issue is admirable. You have gone above and beyond the efforts of many of your fellow musicians in this regard. That level of responsibility should be an example to others to become informed before making critical decisions. Congratulations!

And I'm sure Andrew Wirth would be applauding Stanley Jordan's spirit of deliberation had he ultimately decided to respect the Palestinian call to boycott Israeli institutions until such time as the human rights of Palestinians were fully respected by the Israeli state.

I want to point out that the 'It's complicated' argument was used by White afrikaneers for years and years to justify the apartheid system. They said 'it's complicated, we and the black africans are culturally different'. It's complicated because 'we afrikaaners have been here for a long time and if we lose power, then we will become a minority and be driven out of Africa'. Even now former NP members admitted that they used to try and convince the UN and the US that they cannot isolate South Africa because the issue of Apartheid is complicated.

This argument is eerily similar to the ones Israel uses.

Sorry to hear of your decision Stanley. There is nothing that you will be able to do post facto to erase the historical aberration you have just consciously chosen to partake in. You have chosen to work for, and serve the interests of a fascist, racist state, and to help legitimize its brutality. You have turned away from a golden opportunity to make history on the side of justice, and instead joined the ranks of the self serving collaborator. What I am saying is not an angry insult informed by rage, it is a simple and emotion-neutral fact. You are now an active collaborator at the service of the State of Israel, and I believe you know this and are ok with that fact. Yes, your prerogative, but a critical fact to recognize nevertheless.

I have no doubt you will be happily welcomed in Israel. You will meet beautiful happy people that will make you feel like Israel is a normal place full of generosity and human warmth. You will find what you are wishing to find there. They will give you what you want...not the face of brutal institutionalized oppression, but the face of simple working class people, serving your food, setting up your equipment, driving you to the airport, celebrating your stardom...That personal reality was never what anyone said was wrong with Israel. average people ARE people, here, there, everywhere; but not all people consciously collaborate and participate in the processes necessary to maintain state sponsored terrorism and the policies of an oppressive regime. It is these people, those that intentionally and consciously do participate, that actually bear the bulk of the responsibility for what happens...In countries like Israel and the US, the barbarities of the terrorist state are so egregious that no citizen living under these regimes can honestly claim ignorance and non-involvement. We are all involved in the collective crimes. The difference is that some people actually DO have the power to do something about it and choose not to, while most others can do very little, no matter what their intentions are. You are the former. You had the power to do something about it, and chose not to.

Just like you, movie producers, musicians, writers, painters, sculptors. all simple and well-intentioned folks, I'm sure, chose to be apolitical artists under Hitler and later claimed, after the war, that they had no idea how their art was being used as a validation weapon for the terrorist Nazi state. History did not accept any such claims. You too, in similar fashion, have chosen to partake in the modern version of that type of supposedly artistically apolitical collaboration and used the same types of utterly unjustifiable self-deceptions for why you are doing it...You too will be denied your justification by history, for just like those other artists under Hitler, you did have all the necessary information to know exactly what the regime you are supporting represents and stands for and who it aims to eliminate and oppress. If not from us radical extremists, then from UN reports and resolutions. But the "multiple voices" of another perspective, those speaking to you outside of this thread, which you never identified or asked that they partake in the open process, were more convincing to you than the weight of either our organized extremism or of empirical facts substantiated by the rule of international law... My, my, these must be some pretty powerful voices you were lending your ear to...Specially since you even stated that you agreed that Israel was committing injustices against the Palestinians...

Perhaps your convictions about this were too weak to begin with, and so your ears were ready to hear what you wanted to hear so as to play it safe and protect your personal self interests; even if the arguments as to why you should play were outnumbered a thousand to one, or diminished by the facts and truths you were presented here. This was not too different than a kangaroo court. What resulted here, just as in such courts, is what the self serving dominant actor in the process wanted to result. Irregardless of evidence or facts presented in the case. It is the testimony or the circumstantial evidence presented by the one witness , but which serves the interests of the court that decides its verdict, not the factual testimony of the other 100 witnesses which challenge that interest.

In other words, It would appear to me that you found a few voices that could bring into doubt everything you were educated about here, and you thus empowered them in your mind to become the dominant voices informing you decision. Why? I believe because those voices facilitated the advancement of your own self interests.

In closing, to turn away from the oppressed and to serve the interests of the oppressor for no real significant reason other than the loss of a shit gig seems incomplete. Your statement to us answers nothing. It reflects zero understanding of what was shared with you about the supremacist, privileged attitude that constitutes the construct of "help". No one needs your neo colonialist self serving help brother, the Palestinians, just like all other people in struggle and resistance, dont need help! They need our unconditional solidarity, and in this case the Palestinian people asked you to do one simple thing to show your solidarity, which you were not able to give them.

The intellectual weakness and self serving nature of this decision is not in question for me at this point. It is my opinion that both these factors were key in informing your decision to collaborate with a brutally oppressive and racist regime. This might be something that perhaps your inner circle will protect you from, help you deny it, justify it, discredit me and others as obtuse, simple minded, orthodox ideologues....and maybe even anti semitic, I have no idea, but something will be said so that you can be at peace with the poor decision you made. But it wont be something that history will forget. In essence, you will play Sun City, and the world will forever know you did this knowing exactly what Sun City was and represented...

Given the way this discussion has developed, there can surely be few here who are surprised at Stanley's decision. We saw this coming for a long time. The question is, who has been whispering in his ear offstage? Who has been belittling our arguments, and possibly smearing our names, without giving us the chance to respond? Was Stanley's mind made up from the start, and he has been cynically using this, and exploiting our efforts, so that he can pretend that he has gone through a period of soul-searching to reach his "difficult" decision, and has withstood pressure from boycott activists? The effect of the hasbara avoidance of this discussion is that it appears as though only one side has been applying pressure, and that this is an honest decision unaffected by Zionist propaganda. Excuse me if I disbelieve this. In fact, I am angry at this waste of our time as a result of cynical manoeuvrings.

From the beginning Stanley had No intention of pulling out.. It was obvious. At least now; he can never play the ignorant card. He knows fully what he is doing and what is going on, its just such a shame that people like him are not part of paving the way forward to put an end to this like Apartheid was..... Stanley duped a lot of people here, wasted their efforts for nothing... That's a crime on its own. Shame on you Stanley :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46SIEPKnNJc
Nor·mal·i·za·tion: a "colonization of the mind" whereby the oppressed subject comes to believe that the oppressor's reality is the only "normal" reality...and that the oppression is a fact of life that must be coped with.
Those who engage in normalization either ignore this oppression, or accept it as the status quo that can be lived with.
In an attempt to whitewash its violations of international law and human rights, Israel attempts to re-brand itself or present itself as "normal" -- even "enlightened" -- through an intricate array of relations and activities encompassing hi-tech, cultural, legal, LGBT and other realms.
Normalization applies to relationships that convey a misleading or deceptive image of normalcy, symmetry, or parity despite a patently abnormal and asymmetric relationship of colonial oppression and apartheid.
For more information on cultural and academic boycott in the US, please visit: http://www.usacbi.org/

I want to wish everyone a happy new year. I'll post more comments tomorrow.

Stanley Jordan will be playing in - 01/12 Fort Lauderdale, FL (USA) Miniaci Performing Arts Center and 01/15 Dortmund, (Germany)Domicil Jazz Club if you would like to deliver your message to him in person.

Utterly disappointing.

i was just wondering if any of you have read this book that the guy recommended...

I'm wondering if Agnes has read all the links that have been provided in this thread? I'm wondering if she's even read this thread, because, yes, I've read the book. I even commented on it.

Agnes: The book and its author have been discussed at great length in this thread.

a new meme: Asks people on the thread if they've read the book. Doesn't actually read the thread where it's clear people have actually read the book.

Implies that those who have not read the book have no legitimate voice in the discussion. Ignores the fact that one does not have to have read the book to be able to discuss the theme of this discussion.

Ignores the fact that one can read the book cover to cover and memorise it and still not be able to discuss the theme of this discussion.

Ignores the fact that there's really nothing new in the book. Just say "love and light" after you've totally dismissed the pain and suffering of others when you are specifically and uniquely in a position to act on their behalf or benefit from their misery.

Stanley Jordan I want to say something about the thread. It's really great that you asked us to all "keep it clean and respectful", but I feel there is something filthy and disrespectful, here. If I were a Palestinian friend of mine (who gave me permission to use his story, the more illustrative parts are direct quotes), I'd tell you the following:

3 years ago I was held in Israel's administrative detention (that's prison without trial) for 1 year. I spent it in a meter by meter cell with a toilet bowl, a thin mattress and a dirty blanket. I couldn't even straighten my legs to sleep. For a whole year, I couldn't tell if it was day or night, because my cell had no window. I wasn't permitted to shower or shave. When I was finally taken to a shower, wearing the same dirty clothes, it was like a tomb. A tiny room that permitted me to lift my hands, in order to use the soup, in one direction, but not the other. I was in solitary confinement the whole year. Every day, for a year, I would be led from my cell to an interrogation room, where I was tied to a chair, confined in inhuman positions, beaten, and on top of the physical torture, psychologically tortured. For a whole year alone, the only people I met were my captives and they would play cruel mind games on me, while putting my body under physical duress. I never got one night's sleep, because every night, in the middle of the night my cell was searched. I was searched.

When I was finally tried by Israel's military court [specifically made for Palestinans. Israeli settlers, living on my friends land, who beat up his children on their way to school and burn his olive groves, aren't tried at all, let alone in this court], it was a kangaroo court, in which Israeli secret service brought in "secret documents" charging me with all sorts of "espionage" and "contact with the states' enemy" charges. When I was arrested, I was told it was for SPEAKING on behalf of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. The court decided to release me, but confined me to Ramallah city, an hour and a half drive's away from my village. I wasn't allowed to go home for a year, and I'm still not allowed to participate in political activity.

You ask me to keep it clean. You ask me to be respectful. But where is your respect to me? I worked in Tel Aviv (Tel al Rabia') for 10 years. It's 20 minutes away from my village in the occupied West Bank. Because of my political activity, I am now prohibited. You, on the other hand, can do as you please. You can go wherever you like, on land that is denied to me, which is my indigenous birthright. You unknowingly decided to participate in an event which is complicit with my deniers and perpetuates their control on me. Including their prison systems, where on average 5500 Palestinians are imprisoned every month. Now you have been made aware, and you ever so politely give me a big "fuck you". You can say it as pretty as you like, Stanley. But at the end of the day, you said "fuck you".

If I were Palestinian, Stanley, I wouldn't trust you to be raising awareness for my cause. In fact, as black and white as it may seem, I'd consider you my enemy. I'd consider the premiss of this conversation extremely abusive. Because if I were Palestinian, I'd be wondering right about now, about why I have to beg all these "deep, spiritual" artists to give a fuck about anybody else but themselves. You can choose Stanley. They can't. It comes down to this. Make the right choice. It's not a huge choice, it's one gig for you. It's a big victory for the Palestinian liberation movement.

Dear Stanley-- Thank you for taking the time to consider the ramifications of playing in Israel. Israel is an apartheid state that flouts international law. The economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel is necessary in order to bring international attention to Israel's 64 years of human rights abuses. Like South Africa, Israel should be treated as a pariah state until it grants equality and justice to non-Jewish members of the State, including right of return to its refugees. These are fundamental and basic human rights of indigenous that have yet to be respected. For that reason, it is important that artists see Israel for the pariah state it has become. Thank you for your time.

If someone tells me that an issue is 'complicated', I know that either they think I'm thick or they're hiding something. What do YOU think, Stanley Jordan?

Thank you to all the articulate voices that have put your time, effort, and passion into this discussion. I have learned so much from all the posters on this thread and the last one and my only regret is that I didn't find out about this sooner.
Stanley, I used to look up to you, and study your music as an aspiring jazz guitarist. I appreciate that you opened a space for dialogue here. That is something most artists do not do. And perhaps we did not do enough to explain to you the relationship between the 'inner/spiritual' and 'outside/material' dimensions of this situation.
At the same time, as a BLACK man from Chicago, you should know what systemic racism look and feels like. And you should know how it masks itself behind "liberal" and "progressive" packaging. That is what the Israeli government is going to do with you and your artistry: use it to cover up all the violence and oppression that is is dispensing on a daily basis.
I used to look up to you, but now I have to wonder how much blood money you're being paid by the Israeli government in exchange for your complicity in whitewashing and 'normalizing' the image of that murderous and criminal regime.

SHAME ON YOU for crossing the picket line organized by one of the most oppressed people in the world.
Don't be an Uncle Tom for apartheid!

dear Stanley and all, i cannot unfortunately stay online at the moment to read through this discussion but in caseit hhasn't been mentioned would like to stress one point : Israel is not a Jewish state by religion, most ethnic Jews who live here are secular (and vehemently oppose certain Jewishvvalues) and most Jews live abroad and not in this land. The so called Jewish democratic state of Israel is only Jewish in the ethnic supremacist sense, from the very foundation of the state and before - as opposed to previous form of apartheid in SA which transformed into a supremacist entity, here we're talking about a supremacist state that was built that way. All its state apparatus are fundumentaly about that. There's no clash of civilizations and never was. no religious conflict. These ONLY serve as distractions from the all too simple facts.

even though you seem to have made your mind on this issue, and against the request of Palestinian civil society, i hope you'll eventually come to senses. there is no conflict here in Palestine more than there was a conflict between whites and blacks in SA. there was racism, supremacy and terror between the oppressor and the oppressed. there are also some differences - mainly that SA apartheid didn't receive so much support from every corner of the world. but the support for Israeli apartheid is eroding at a great pace, i hope you will eventually choose to stand on the right side of history.
more from me here : http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/12/2012121493851318854.html

There is nothing specifically Jewish (or even particularly original) about Zionism. It is just yet another minor variation on the standard colonialist/racist ideology that can be found in just about every country in which colonial invaders have robbed and displaced the indigenous population. Everything from the "land without a people" canard to the "making the desert bloom" and "villa in the jungle" canard has been done before.

Zionism is merely an extension of the same western settler colonialist justifications that were essential in the establishment of any settler colonialist entity, including South Africa. The answer to western Anti-jewish racism, is opposing all racism. The answer to setter-colonialism is likewise, opposing all racism.

In a previous comment on this thread, I erroneously stated that along with Macy Gray, Pete Seeger and Richard Montoya, that Leonard Cohen had also expressed regret for crossing the BDS picket line. I have since edited that comment and I apologize for the error.

I added to that comment that Denise Jannah has also expressed similar regrets.

It's the Palestinian struggle and they have asked the International community to Boycott Israeli Apartheid. Therefore that is what we must do. We do not decide (to raise funds for the cause) the Palestinians decide how their struggle must be fought. Non violent BDS is the way to go. Nelson Mandela has said South Africa cannot be free until Palestine is free. Apartheid was bad for South Africa it is Bad for Palestine. Please do not cross the global picket line

THankyou Stanley Gordon for taking a stand against apartheid and Israel's brutal occupation of the Palestinians. As Tom Pessah writes in above comments, boycott is one of the few effective methods the decent world has to attempt to change the awful situation in the occupied territories. Thankyou so much again!