Clapton and Palestine

WE ATTENDED the eric Clapton show in Liverpool on May 11 as a treat for my 51st birthday.

I was really looking forward to it. We flew specially to england, travelled by train to Liverpool and had an amazing vacation until we got to the concert.

My wife and I left after only three songs. Mr Clapton arrived on stage with a guitar painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag. everything on stage was in those colours: the backing singers, his necklace.

I was so excited that at first I didn’t notice. Then in the third song, some video art of Gaza, the separation fence and refugee camps was played on all the screens, to accompany a song with clear words about what he thinks of us Israelis.

We got up and left, knowing we wouldn’t be able to look at ourselves in the mirror tomorrow if we stayed. I also returned the show shirt.

What’s upsetting is not that he holds a different opinion from mine but that I bought tickets to a music show, not a political show.

I found myself thrown back into reality. I was sitting there thinking about the daughter of my neighbour and friend eyal eshel, Roni, who was murdered on October 7. about another neighbour, adi Shani, who was killed in Gaza; and the daughter of a friend who was murdered at the Nova music festival. My wife and I stopped talking to each other in Hebrew, as we feared being attacked.

We contacted the production to get a refund but, of course, they refused.

If I receive any refund from them, it will be donated to the victims of the Nova festival.

ILAn MAsARAno, address supplied.