Word: gaza
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...With its message of peace and reconciliation, the song is an unlikely choice so soon after Israel's deadly war in Gaza. But the subject matter is not the only thing remarkable about the ballad - so too are its composers and performers, Mira Awad and Noa. Awad is a Christian Arab Israeli, and her pairing with the Jewish Noa marks the first time an Arab has been chosen to sing for Israel in the most global of music events. (See pictures of heartbreak in the Middle East...
...majority of Israel's 1.6 million Arab citizens enjoy equal rights but rarely full integration into Israeli society. So the announcement of Awad's part in the duo - made during Israel's incursion into Gaza in December - is seen by many as a welcome symbol of coexistence at a time when relations between Arabs and Jews are especially strained. (See pictures of Israeli soldiers in Gaza...
...pairing of Noa and Awad is a watershed event for both Israel's sagging peace movement and its Arab minority, which represents 20% of the population. In the wake of the war in Gaza and Israel's recent election of a right-wing government, the duet is a melodious reminder that Israelis from all sides "have no other option but to continue our dialogue towards peace," says Awad, a rising stage and television star born to an Arab-Israeli father and a Bulgarian mother...
...accompany her to Moscow. The move provoked almost immediate attack from both Israeli Jewish and Arab groups. Awad, who is originally from Israel's northern Galilee region, was criticized by Arab-Israeli cultural figures for agreeing to sing on Israel's behalf at the height of its offensive in Gaza. The usually dovish Noa, meanwhile, came under fire for calling upon Gazans to rid their coastal territory of Hamas control. "I understood the feeling behind these critics, but there was no way I would step down," says Awad. "Eurovision is a chance for me as a Palestinian citizen of Israel...
...Hamas commanders in Gaza are more pragmatic. Several press reports had Hamas' military commander, Ahmed Jabri, whose men hold Shalit, joining the Cairo talks. The Gaza leaders believe Shalit's release could speed up the opening of the border-crossings into Gaza, allowing in materials to rebuild the enclave. Also, confided one Hamas official, "We're getting tired of holding Shalit. The Israeis haven't stopped trying to release him by force...