Brian Eno sounds off on Israeli offensive in Gaza

Well, it's certainly made the rounds. Brian Eno, the man of a thousand influential production credits, has some thoughts on the latest cycle of tragedies in the Mideast.

His opening paragraph for a CounterPunch.org editorial entitled "Stealing Gaza":

It's a tragedy that the Israelis - a people who must understand better than almost anybody the horrors of oppression - are now acting as oppressors. As the great Jewish writer Primo Levi once remarked "Everybody has their Jews, and for the Israelis it's the Palestinians". By creating a middle Eastern version of the Warsaw ghetto they are recapitulating their own history as though they've forgotten it. And by trying to paint an equivalence between the Palestinians - with their homemade rockets and stone-throwing teenagers - and themselves - with one of the most sophisticated military machines in the world - they sacrifice all credibility.

The Daily Swarm has video with more remarks.

For a man who has made his fame sitting silently behind the production boards, all of this political fury comes a bit unexpectedly. Indeed, this is the sort of thing one would anticipate from Eno's artistic partner David Byrne, who has never been adverse to political commentary. Clearly, Eno was moved to speak out.

While his is certainly one of the most famous, Eno's is but one of many voices in this ever-expanding and deeply divisive debate over the legitimacy of the Israeli army's latest campaign. And amidst the continued din of bombs and mortar fire, a potential ceasefire plan has invited cautious optimism.

Those who have followed this narrative long enough, however, know a painful road still lies ahead for both sides. There will be many more speeches made and editorials written before the troubled days in Gaza end.

Related links:
EnoWeb.co.uk
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Review: David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

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