Charlotte Church defends use of pro-Palestinian ‘River To The Sea’ chant at show
26.02.2024 - 21:24
/ nme.com
Charlotte Church has defended her actions after receiving criticism for leading a controversial pro-Palestinian chant at a recent charity live event.On Saturday (February 24), Church played at Bedwas Workmen’s Hall in Caerphilly at a concert to raise money for the Middle East Children’s Alliance, which supports children in Gaza. To end the show, she led a choir of 100 singers in a chant of “from the river to the sea”.That phrase is politically charged, with some, including the Campaign Against Antisemitism, believing that it calls for the destruction of the state of Israel.
It refers to the land between the River Jordan, which borders the occupied West Bank and Israel to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.Others, such as the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, believe that the phrase represents “the right of all Palestinians to freedom, equality and justice”.With @charlottechurch and some of the best people in the world at #TheBigSing for #Palestine in Bedwas Workingmen's Hall today. Wonderful harmonies, beautiful songs.
pic.twitter.com/yU5SVKJnrY— pippa bartolotti (@pippabartolotti) February 24, 2024Addressing the backlash, Church livestreamed her response on Instagram, stating: “Just to clarify my intentions there, I am in no way anti-Semitic. I am fighting for the liberation of all people.
I have a deep heart for all religions and all difference.”“It was a beautiful, beautiful event. But unfortunately, the powers that be can’t have that.
[They] can’t have such a powerful symbol of resistance as what we worked towards on Saturday.”Addressing the chant specifically, she added: “Clearly, if you know the history of it all, [it is] not an antisemitic chant calling for the obliteration of Israel. It is not that in
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