Israeli, Iranian singers to meet online

Diplomatic relations between Israel and Iran seem like an imaginary scenario, but singers from both countries are about to take part in a special musical collaboration – courtesy of technology.

An internet meeting will be held on August 17 between Israeli singers, who will perform songs in Persian, and famous singers from Iran, who will sing in Hebrew.

The Israeli performance will take place at the Gallery Palace, opposite the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon. It will be broadcast live on Iranian websites and maybe even on Iranian television. The Iranian performance will be broadcast in Israel through the Internet.

The Israeli singers who plan to take part in the event, which will be hosted by dancer Ido Tadmor, include Idan Raichel, Arik Sinai, Ohad Hitman, Yarona Caspi and Shahnaz Tehrani. Actress Gila Almagor has been invited to attend as well.

The Iranian side, at least according to the organizers, will be represented by singers Hamid Hami, considered a supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Lohrasbi, Mohammad Esfahani and two others.

The event was initiated by Adi Liberman, who took oriental studies and learned Persian, became an expert on Iran and now engages in Israeli PR on different media outlets, and Lital Cohen, who engages in Israeli PR on social networks.

"I have regular contact with the Iranians, including government officials," Liberman claims. "We decided to join forces between artists. Talking is not enough, we have to do things too.

"There is a vacuum in Israeli diplomacy, and we decided to fill it ahead of September and a possible declaration of a Palestinian state, and soften the hostility between the sides. The Iranian singers are supposed to perform Hebrew songs we sent to them."

Liberman believes Iranian television will broadcast the rare meeting. "I gave a live interview to Iranian TV a year and a half ago about the situation in Gaza, and have been in touch with them ever since. They promised to air the show. All our proceeds will go to help feed hungry children."

Source: Ynetnews