Elton John aside, Israelis feel growing isolation
Associated Press
20-Jun-2010 (one comment)

TEL AVIV, Israel – Pounding his piano in blue-tinted
sunglasses before nearly 50,000 screaming fans, Elton John took center
stage in a battle over Israel's image.

The legendary British rocker's concert on Thursday
night followed a string of cancellations
by artists like Elvis Costello and the Pixies. Resisting a growing wave
of calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott the Jewish state,
John gave Israelis a rare reason to smile amid their increasing sense of
international isolation.

"Ain't gonna stop me from coming here, baby," he told
the cheering crowd in Tel Aviv, saying he believed music spread peace
and brought people together: "That is what we do. We do not cherry-pick
our consciences, OK?" he added, in an apparent swipe at the artists who
have canceled concerts in Israel.

John's concert was notable precisely because Israel
seems to be losing the battle against the country's isolation worldwide.
That isolation w... >>>

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Same goes for Zionists supporters here ;-)

by IranMilitaryForum.net on Sun Jun 20, 2010 08:41 AM PDT

"John's concert was notable precisely because Israel seems to be losing the battle against the country's isolation worldwide. That isolation was exacerbated after Israel's May 31 naval raid on a flotilla trying to break the blockade of Gaza spiraled into violence that left nine Turkish activists dead in a clash with the troops.

Ecuador, South Africa and Turkey recalled their ambassadors and Nicaragua broke off diplomatic relations following the raid. Vietnam put off a visit by Israel's president, Greece suspended military exercises and Swedish dockworkers launched a weeklong boycott of Israeli ships and goods. Even the United States, Israel's closest ally, criticized the raid and forced Israel to set up a panel with two foreign observers to investigate the raid.

Many in Israel, including in the country's leadership, have concluded that the war over world opinion is lost, said Israeli commentator Ronen Bergman. He said the "siege mentality" mindset was dangerous, particularly for a nation seeking to rally world support against what Israel sees as an existential threat — Iran's nuclear program."



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