Barenboïm

His project of an Israeli-Arab orchestra is marvellous. A few years ago, I was contacted by the initiator of the Birthing Together project which attempted, in the year 2000…to create a maternity that would serve both the Israeli and Arab women of a transborder region of Israel. My brother once even commented that I might start with a cemetry….and indeed all hopes were burried in the aftermaths of Intifada II and 9.11 terror attacks…

I still admire people who agree with me that we are of a kind. Samira Houcine is one of my closest friends, yet she is an Algerian and lives there. I went myself several times to teach in Sidi Bel Abbès and feel totally at home there. I recognize my roots, my past and our traditional heritage of hospitality and fraternity.

The only thing I feel a stranger too, no matter the reason, is Terrorism and the killing of innocent people who just happened to be at the wrong time and place. To those people who are coward enough to drape themselves in a flag, a bible or any religious text, my words of despise will never be strong enough.