June 09, 2013

Why #CloserToIsrael wasn't a Song and Dance Affair

I can't find this article in the Jewish Chronicle online so here it is copied out from Simon Rocker's Diary section from the print edition:
The Diary
Simon Rocker

A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION.....

Outsiders who witnessed Sunday's Closer to Israel rally must have wondered at the apparent belief of British Jews that speeches are a form of entertainment.

For an event billed as a celebration, it must have been strange to have just a lone musical act.  Even the Israeli Dance Institute, whose members danced on the parade, were unable to perform on the Trafalgar Square stage. 

Here's the reason: the gathering was classified by the authorities as a rally, rather than a cultural event, and therefore restricted in its scope for performances.

A cultural event would have enjoyed greater licence, but it takes longer to get approval and the Israel rally was planned too late for that.
They planned Israel's 65th anniversary too late to get approval for a cultural event?  Did they not expect Israel to be around that long?

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