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Pink Floyd's Roger Waters could repeat Berlin Wall gig in Israel

Star wants West Bank wall/fence taken down

Ex-Pink Floyd man Roger Waters has offered to mirror his Berlin Wall concert in Israel if the West Bank part-wall, part-fence in the country is taken down.

On a visit to the Ayda Refugee Camp in the West Bank yesterday (June 2), Waters spoke out against the controversial barrier, which was erected in 2002.

"This is a bad thing. This is wrong. This is not helping anybody, this thing," Waters said of the wall, which stretches for roughly 670km (420 miles), and is eight metres high in some places.

"If they take this thing down," he continued, "I would be delighted to come and do a concert here. In fact, I would insist on it."

Waters last performed in Israel in 2006, though he expressed his disappointment at how little things seem to have changed since then, reports BBC 6Music.

"It's actually very, pretty depressing, coming back here three years later and seeing that the political situation has changed very little - there are more settlements, there has been more grabbing of land," he said.

In 1990, shortly after the Berlin Wall came down, Waters played Pink Floyd's classic 1979 album 'The Wall' in its entirety at the site.
 

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theeggman_thewalrus 

Jun 3, 2009

Or, Roger, how about you play a concert when Hamas stop sending rockets and suicide bombers into Israel, which made the wall seem like a good idea in the first place? Or, failing that, don't talk about things you don't understand, we've got enough ill-informed, sanctimonious rockstars as it is...

Number Johnny Five 

Jun 4, 2009

My dear Eggman, please do not assert that this is simply about Arabs with rockets and suicide bombers. Do do so whilst attempting to chastise and deride another for ignorance is most absurd.Surely you must understand there are two sides to every story? To ignore the historical context gives no justice to anyone suffering in the region. Do not ignore the 1939 White Paper, The Peel Commission, Haganah, Etzel, Lehi, Operation Agatha, UNSCOP, Irgun the 1947-48 Civil War, Palmach, Ben-Gurion etc etc etc... They are all still relevent to the cause and effect in the region yet completely ignored my contemporary news reports.To sum up 60 years of conflict as the actions of the last remainders of one side playing trapped in endgame limbo is ignorance of the highest order.I'd recommend a history book before getting sanctimonious with the sanctimonious rockstars.Peace.

ed2005 

Jun 4, 2009

Waters has been to Israel. I spent five months there in 1995-6 and went back in 1998 for two weeks. The Israeli treatment of the Palestinians is appalling, and on every occasion on leaving Israel I was actually asked 'Have you spoken with any Arabs?' When I said yes, I nearly got strip-searched. There are many people working for peace there, from many backgrounds. But what is going on in Israel, which I have seen for myself first-hand is nothing less than Apartheid being carried out by the Israeli government and absolutely nothing on earth can justify this. The heavy-handed security checks carried out by many countries now are nothing compared to what the Israelis were doing fifteen years ago. The national airline, El-Al make everyone feel like a terrorist. There are two peoples on quest for a homeland, and unacceptable actions carried out by both sides. Like I say, I have been there and seen it for myself, and have studied the history not just of the last sixty years but the last 3,000 years.

theeggman_thewalrus 

Jun 4, 2009

Well I guess after that devastating historical assault I'll just give up my History degree then, but given that Roger Waters ONLY mentioned Israel I thought I'd redress the balance slightly. Also, I was talking about the reason the wall is there in the first place, not 'a list of things that have happened since the Balfour Declaration'. Thanks though.

theeggman_thewalrus 

Jun 4, 2009

ed2005: You may have been to see Israel first-hand (though like Roger Waters, I'm not convinced that makes you an expert), but you clearly never saw Apartheid-era South Africa, or you wouldn't make that analogy, which is highly disingenuous at best, and hopelessly ignorant at worst. The sad fact is, since 1948, Israelis have felt themselves to be under attack from all sides, and its neighbours have invariably been only too willing to prove them right. When Ahmedinijad say he's going to 'wipe Israel off the face of the earth', and Arab leaders consistently refuse to recognise Israel's right to exist, it's hardly surprising that the Israelis step up their security in the way you describe. Of course the Palestinians deserve a state of their own, and obviously they have endured a great deal of suffering, but laying the blame solely at the door of Israel, like Waters does, completely misses the point.

ed2005 

Jun 5, 2009

Eggman: for your information (being as on the evdience of what you have written), no I haven't been to Apartheid-era South Africa. But if we have not seen something for ourselves, does that mean that people shouldn't criticise something? Many people would feel uncomfortable going on holiday to South Africa during Apartheid or to Spain during Franco's time. If I did not experience the atrocities of Nazi Germany first hand, does that mean i should not criticise them? As for the Apartheid comparisons, these have come to me first hand from the South Africans I met travelling there, who were appalled by what they saw. The blame does not lie solely with Israel, but there is a difference between security measures and racism. 'Did you speak with any Arabs?' is a racist question, PURE AND SIMPLE.

jimbat10 

Jun 5, 2009

Roger Waters is a rock star/artist. Your posted comments would lead one to believe he was a president, who had said something important. Pay attention to the people in charge, whose words have meaning, Roger is a jingle writer. It amaze's me that people with college degrees get worked up over a comment from a old head like Roger Waters. Also i don't believe there is enough room in Israel for the stage it would take to preform the Wall concert.

bhoke 

Jun 10, 2009

Eggman, Ed and the other bloggers:The truth is that both sides are to blame for the ongoing situation. I have been to the West Bank and the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians is outrageous. The response of the Palestinians is also contributing the problem. The true source of the problem once again is the enormous influence of the Jewish community in the United States and the government of the United States who blindly supports the Israelis. I support Roger's decision to perform The Wall, if and when this wall is brought down. Let's face it when humans start to build barriers to separate themselves from one another, both sides are to blame and if torn down, it would be a celebration of diversity and the ability of both sides to coexist. The Jewish treatment of Palestinians is not the way to take strides necessary to create a lasting peace, however, the Palestinians voted Hamas into power. This action supports a militant-war minded political structure.IF BROUGHT DOWN: WHY NOT CELEBRATE!!!!!!

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One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend will come courtesy of Pink Floyd's Roger Waters. The band's bassist and lyricist will be performing as part of his worldwide 'Dark Side Of The Moon Live' tour, which began in Rio in 2006 and sees him play Pink Floyd's seminal 1973 album in its entirety.

Pic: PA Photos

One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend will come courtesy of Pink Floyd's...

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