Palestinians urge Rolling Stones: Don't play in Israel

A Palestinian arts organization is urging the Rolling Stones not to play in Israel anytime soon. There are unconfirmed reports about the Stones hitting Tel Aviv in September, but the Palestinian Campaign For The Academic And Cultural Boycott Of Israel (PACBI) wants them to stay away until the political and social conditions have changed. According to the Israeli website ynetnews.com, the Stones' management and Jewish leaders around the world were sent a letter asking the band to stay away until "(Israel) ends its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and respects fundamental human rights as well as the relevant precepts of international law concerning Palestinian rights to freedom, self-determination, and equality."

The letter reads, in part:

"The Palestinian arts community received in disbelief media reports of your upcoming performance in Israel, at a time when Israel continues unabated with its colonial and apartheid designs to further dispossess, oppress, and ultimately ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their homeland."

Former Pink Floyd singer-bassist Roger Waters was similarly contacted last year by another Palestinian arts group, and he decided to move his Tel Aviv concert to the town of Neveh Shalom, which is made up of both Israelis and Palestinians with Israeli citizenship living in peaceful co-existence. Neveh Shalom translates as "village of peace." Waters opposes Israel's construction of a security fence, but he thought it was unfair to cancel the show and penalize Israeli fans over a governmental decision, so he came up with a compromise.
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