Tales of a Palestinian singer

Many of you might be rather surprised and disturbed by the difficulties we encountered in the organising of my concert in Bath last month. Without the dogged and determined efforts over several years of a local community group, Bath Friends of Palestine (Bath FoP), it almost certainly would not have happened.

The extremist Israel lobby group, UK Lawyers for Israel, surely hoped that the concert would not take place. UKLFI sent a number of letters to local venues, including several churches, which were obviously designed to intimidate. They also published an article smearing me:   https://tinyurl.com/wmt2attt

UKLFI’s attack against me and Bath Friends of Palestine focussed on social media posts and on the use of the word “genocide” to describe recent events in Gaza. Since the beginning of 2024 at the least, the idea that Israel has been committing genocide in Palestine is very much in the mainstream. Indeed, specialist bodies like the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention could not have been clearer: https://tinyurl.com/29udhka2.  In response to these charges, and rather than refuting them with evidence, Israel’s apologists simply resort to accusing their challengers of anti-Semitism. 

My posts on social media in response were ANYTHING BUT an attempt to offend Jews. Rather, they were a genuine expression of horror and repugnance that Israel, the state that constantly reminds the world of the Holocaust, might be committing dreadful crimes against men, women and children in Palestine, even (according to some reports) including theft of body parts.

UKLFI’s smears, which omitted to give any context to my posts, are a perversion of all that I stand for. Rather, their fabrications were intended to tarnish my reputation and to dissuade venue administrators from inviting me to perform on their stages. It’s not as if UKLFI had any genuine legal grounds to object.

In the event, a number of venues declined to host me, and others were no doubt scared off from even giving consideration to the idea.

For sure, friends of Israel have long sought to find a way to discourage cultural venues, festival programmers and radio presenters from giving a Palestinian a main stage or a prestigious platform. In the past, however, this effort might have been behind closed doors and more subtle; now it is a blunt tactic aimed at taking down any voice for Palestine. It is as anti-democratic and discriminatory as a McCarthyite witch-hunt. Voices for Palestine are the ultimate taboo, and yet very few have been willing to talk about it publicly.

If the Church of England played a central role in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, its leadership has shown anything but courage insofar as the Palestinians are concerned. Its relative silence over the slaughter of women, children and innocents in Gaza will surely have discouraged many parish churches from standing up for Palestinians, let alone for Palestinian artists. In the case of two churches in Bath which are without sitting ministers, that seemed to be enough to discourage the lay leadership from taking any sort of risk.

In the case of another church, the vicar was reported to have given as a reason why I should not be invited was because “Reem is Islamic” and it might even be “against canon law” for me to sing in an Anglican church!

Thankfully, the Pump Room, and its owner Bath & NE Somerset Council, decided that my concert could go ahead (albeit the change in the concert date meant that it had to go ahead as a duo, with my (Jewish) pianist Bruno Heinen, as the band was not available). They are to be applauded for shrugging off at least two interventions from UKLFI. Alas, there were several conditions, including that the organisers had to submit a list of names of all those attending by 12 noon on the day of the concert. That councillors and the local police were asked for a view rather highlighted the shenanigans which had been occasioned by UKLFI’s mischievous manoeuvrings.

That the Pump Room got such a full crowd, despite the gig being confirmed only 9 days’ prior, was impressive.

The problem we had in Bath in finding a venue willing to host a Palestinian was an echo of a much more painful experience less than two years ago. I had performed in a church in London as part of its regular music programme. That, in itself, was a big thing for me, as it was a sort of come-back gig, my first since almost being wiped out by Covid in 2020.

I managed two full sets and was rewarded with a standing ovation. In the front row sat the minister. He smiled and was attentive throughout.

A month later, we asked to record and film a band concert in the church. It was for a client, the Palestinian Museum in the West Bank, for them to broadcast subsequently. We had even agreed dates for the rehearsals and the recording.

Then came the rebuff. After a meeting of the lay leadership, we were informed that the church had withdrawn permission; they didn’t want to host an event “for the Palestinians” out of fear at the possible reactions it might generate, not least from local friends of Israel.

The decision came as a terrible blow; it also proved very costly. It led to a delay in the project of 6 months and it cost us some £5K in unbudgeted fees.

Perhaps the last word here should go to those who persevered and turned out to attend my concert in Bath: https://tinyurl.com/3ewj42fs –

“I am still reeling after your extraordinary, beautiful and passionate performance last night (together with your wonderful pianist) in Bath.“

“We saw you perform at WOMAD last year and I was blown away by the passion of your message. Your connecting with the culture of the Andalusian convivencia touched me enormously as well, as we had been to Andalusia last spring and I have recently studied a little bit Arabic calligraphy in the Andalusian style. I love how you present Palestinian culture and art, within that wider context. Thank you for coming to Bath! And for persisting….See you next time you perform I really hope”;

“Last night was such fun. What a performance, what heart.“

“I know the Pump Room wasn’t your original choice of venue but it made a spectacular backdrop to a fantastic concert. To be honest, we were unsure what to expect, but Reem didn’t disappoint. It was a rousing night and very much enjoyed by all who attended from Bath ****”.

“It was a very moving performance, hopefully more to be held around UK.”;

“You were phenomenal, Reem – and from the first song to the last, the audience loved you. I don’t think the Pump Room has ever seen anything like it.”