Charlotte Church SMEARED For Palestine Solidarity - She Tells Me The Truth

over 38,000 Palestinians have been killed over 14,000 of them children most of Gaza raised to the ground its medical system destroyed much of it completely uninhabitable Gaza is now a different color and texture when looked at from space now you might think those who have supported and cheered on this grave crime are would be the ones with serious questions to answer being attacked scrutinized driven from public life not so no in fact it's the people who've opposed this crime who have themselves come under attack and there's been far too few with a public platform there are exceptions one of them is speaking to me now the brilliant Charlotte Church a hugely accomplished and beloved singer and one of the all to few musicians let's just say it using their platform to speak out against the horror being Unleashed against the people of Gaza hi how you doing hi Owen I'm uh how am I uh I'm I'm a little bit um I'm a little bit wounded I think in terms of I'm not used to this this sort of press uh intrusion anymore like i i s I sort of took myself uh out and and I knew and I knew it was coming I knew it would have been coming for speaking up about um what's happening in in Palestine um uh but but I I it's still quite um it's just not nice like I deeply care about humanity and I I hate the idea that there are lots of people who genuinely think that I am anti-semitic um yeah yeah because I'll ask about the concert Because You released a statement in January saying I have my heart broken every day watching videos from palestin and in tears daily I keep bearing witness as it fuels me to keep doing all I can pushes me to do more to organize resist oppose F like a lioness for their Liberation please please to those who are silent not taking but any activism please join us better late than ever we need to now be brave and he have been brave well I'll ask you about that tell me about the concert so uh I did a call out a couple of months ago maybe um I just wanted to use what I know is an incredibly powerful tool of togetherness and transformation and emotion um which is singing so I I called together a a choir um so that we could have a big sing for Gaza and um lots of people responded so we had a choir of about maybe about 100 120 people and we had a couple of rehearsals I did it in Con in conjunction with a wonderful Welsh choir called K Kon which means the red choir they have been singing for Liberation for decades they started in the 80s um and so I did it in conjunction with them and me and Kon worked with this bigger group with this bigger choir to sing these amazing songs of Liberation songs from South Africa Arab Arabic songs Welsh songs songs that some of these women in in well some of these people in coron have been singing for decades um songs in Welsh about the Palestinian struggle like absolutely glorious um and then also I we we improvised some songs I sang um rafat alara's poem If I must die um o over the choir I mean it was so deeply moving it was in bedwas workman's Hall in the valleys which has got a great long lineage of activism and solidarity um it was built by the miners and um it was amazing it was it was an intergenerational choir all different faiths like it was just it was so beautiful it was such a beautiful event um and yeah so we'll we will we will be releasing videos and stuff from it over the next couple of weeks but we were taking our time and making it beautiful um but uh obviously like the Press have gone um uh pretty extreme on the we also improvised uh from The River To The Sea Palestine will be free the chant that's been sung a lot or chanted a lot in this country all over the world I suppose trying to turn what was actually a very humble beautiful um longing you know a a a a cry a beautiful song of a of of freedom for for Palestine and press peoples all over the world and uh trying to sort of twist it and make it into something that is toxic and terrible which which feels terrible you know it doesn't feel great but um so by which we mean so I just unpack those who support Israel's Onslaught against Gaza though those you know obviously we live in a country where po politicians of both labor and the conservatives most media Outlets have supported um or Justified rational rationalize what's happened so is that those are the sorts of people you're talking about yeah absolutely and I think it it's you know I think for a lot of us it just feels so um uh almost out of body so so bizarre that to to be calling for an end to this Slaughter of civilians um of children um that that they we are in some way um terrible humans or or anti-semitic for um suggesting that that a ceasefire is is a is a good idea um so it it it feels like a really mirrored World currently there's something so like I don't know like I I can't I can't really make head nor tail of it to be honest in a way um and so so with that from The River To The Sea Palestine will be free um which has been zoned in and focused on a lot um over the last few months of horror um what what's your understanding what does that phrase mean to you and how would you when people say that's ananti SM people say genocidal what what's what's your response in terms of what it actually means to you what it means to me in the way that I always hear it sang or chanted uh in any of the protests or any any of the events that I'm a part of um is that it's always about calling for equality it's it's about um Palestinians having uh Freedom have having the same rights um as uh as as the as as everybody else who is inhabiting um Palestine um and and yeah be essentially being allowed the the same right um that that there should it's just a call for equality essentially um for for all inhabitants of Palestine and Israel and there should be um I yeah I I just don't understand why there would be or or why people will interpret it in in any sort of different way I I just haven't at all uh ever interpreted it as as having any sort of genocidal intent towards Israelis or that that that was ever encompassed in that sentiment it's just never been my understanding of of how that phrase has ever been used how do you feel be being in in the middle of a storm about that phrase when for example in the founding chart of lud the ruling party of Israel it talks about one state Israel between the river and the Sea the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom Zippy hotelli has also said one state between the river and the Sea and what they mean in practice is one state where the Palestinians obviously of the West Bank Gaza East Jerusalem will have no equal rights at all by definition so that is just a part so we know what that means in practice you don't get a firestorm about that but if you and you just explain what you mean equal rights pal whether people are Palestinian Israeli the basis of equality and justice but you're in the middle of a firestorm even though the people actually in charge of Israel and sending their ambassadors to Britain use the phrase to mean what can only be interpreted as a paride yes yeah this is what I mean by it there there's there's so much going on which just feels feel so mirrored almost um so I mean I mean all all I'm all I'm trying to do as a as a human being is to um create more Unity create healing through what I know um which is you know singing and Community Building um and understanding really um and and calling and and really trying like really just like diligently um trying to make help everybody to understand that a Liberation for all is this is It's utopian it's utopian it's possible um it isn't threatening it doesn't mean that you know this this person or this group of people are going to be any worse off like for for for some of us to be free and some of us to not be free or for some of us to be oppressed it really in a more deeply spiritual sense you know we are all interconnected really and so um a crime against one is a crime against all so really like the to to not trying to get too to sort of deeply philosophical on it but the liberation of all really means that the liberation of all like truly the like we aren't free in in the in the UK um people who are living uh in Israel with what is happening currently with what their extremist government is enacting in Gaza they aren't free like until everybody on Earth can uh can enjoy very basic human rights uh it it deeply affects the whole of us we really are an interconnected ecosystem and so I I feel so passionate about trying to do my bit to help people understand that that this isn't something that is that is that is trying to be oppositional even in a way it's it's a about unity and it's about understanding that um a crime against one is a crime against all like it's self harm what's happening like it's it's what we're doing and what well what the what the IDF are doing it's it's self harm for for all humans on Earth because we are all deeply connected not to get to philosophic I mean what you're making there is is a statement in support of humanity and common shared human and how humanity is corrupted by oppression and just a couple of final things I mean you know it was interesting the the piece that what you tweeted out I thought was very diplomatic you said please please please to those who are silent not taking part in an activism please join us better now than ever we need you now be brave that was over a month ago you wrote that a lot more people have been killed since then Israel is on trial for alleged genocide at the highest court on Earth yeah I can't help but feel a little bit angry about it if I'm honest Charlotte about people who would have a public platform who know what's happening is horrific there's people like yourself I've seen Paloma Faith brilliant wonderful musician speaking out as well there is a history of obviously musicians speaking out you mentioned South Africa against the parde Paul Ron the great left wing um African-American singer who came to Wales and sang with the miners great history is there but there's not that many of you and I I kind of feel a bit like what the hell's going on there why aren't people speaking out are they basically just scared and I suppose they can see the punishment beating you just been dealt so maybe is that part of it I think so I think that people are um feel like there's too much to lose you know they feel like for whatever that might be it might be good favor it might be money it might be um influence what whatever it is I think people feel that there's too much to lose that it's just you know it's just too much of a hot potato I suppose but it isn't it is literally the spiritual ual quest of our times like I I I I cannot think of something that has that has nothing has affected me more in terms of what anything that I've seen in in my in my sort of life as an activist um but but also just as a human being on Earth there is there is something that is so um it just it feels like a a hinge point in time more than anything that I've ever experienced and so I feel the same way as you ow in I feel frustrated that there aren't more people speaking out that that there aren't more people with more influence with more power with more of a platform um and you know and I understand that there's this this differentiation here people are doing people are doing their activism in different ways for some people it's deep prayer for some people it's getting out on those streets for some people it's like really being as politically Savvy um as they possibly can to um try and affect the outcome um for me it's it's as much as I can possibly do like every day I'm thinking to myself what can I do today what can I do that's more what ideas do I have what time can I can I give to to Gaza this week um and and and how and how can I be most effective how you know and I suppose being reflective in that process as well like am I creating more division like how how how can I how can I be um I suppose the the most effective and ergonomic but also understand that this is complex and there is deep deep deep healing deep healing that needs to be a part of this whole process and so um yes I'm frustrated with other people not speaking out for me personally sure it's a risk sure being in this position today is is not comfortable I don't I hate the idea of people thinking that I'm anti-semitic I am deeply invested in all humans you know every Creed color you know sexuality gender all of it um and however what I also do deeply understand is that this is deeply political and the the powers that be have a lot to lose at this moment in time and so I know I'm on the right track you know just just just finally on that just in terms of you know we talking about basically the World Turns Upside Down where you can be someone with a public platform in you know Politics the media who supports what is a horrific Slaughter where you have Israeli leaders army officers Etc saying averly genocidal things Israeli soldiers just posting war crimes on Tik Tok for Comic amusement that that people the people who don't speak out about that will try and jump on you for saying something which you perfectly have explained you mean as equality for all um whether that be people of Israeli or Palestinian in historic Palestine I mean just because what it does is it shifts it's a way of deflecting from those people the actual horror that people of palestin are suffering isn't it it becomes instead they're like no no no we're not the real extremists even though we support this horrific carage which killed over 14,000 k children the real extremists are the musician Charlotte Church for doing a peace uh um concert in which he calls for equal civil rights for everybody yeah of course I mean it's it's a it's a classic look over there isn't it um it's a complete distraction tactic um and so all we can do against that is just as lovingly and as openheartedly um diligently keep working to diligently keep you know open w w with an with an open heart and an open mind um with with trying trying our best well this is at least for me to not be um divisive or oppositional um to to work towards Liberation and uh yeah it is it is quite uh it's quite Topsy Turvy right now but I will never ever stop and and I did for a while as an activist I did get a little bit scared into or beat into submission somewhat um because uh uh because it because it was difficult and also I had a baby and life moved in a different way in a way and so and I just started sort of saying um oh I you know I'm just going to do Grassroots things because I set set up a free to attend Democratic school I set up an amazing amazing um Retreat Center healing retreat center and so that was sort of like I'm going to actually make something Grassroots where I'm building Community um but Gaza has absolutely um absolutely like completely taken my heart and and I will literally never ever stop again in terms of um just raising my voice doing whatever I can to until the people of Palestine can live in their own country uh without oppression and apartheid and uh and I will do everything in my power to keep calling for a ceasefire um for for what can only be described as a hell on Earth that these poor people and specifically children are having to live through and afterwards afterwards When The War is Over which it will be then as many of us thinkers and designers and you know the the most Brilliant Minds in the world we need to come together to rebuild a heaven on Earth for those people who have experienced a hell a hell on Earth and and create a Utopia you know and and and and that is what I'm holding like right at the center of everything that that I'm doing when I feel when I feel completely deflated when I feel absolutely brokenhearted as a mother seeing these images that are coming out of Gaza that is what I hold strong to I just think the the what the place that will be co-created um will I I hope be the the most Heavenly utopian place on Earth amen well I think your Humanity really shines through there and I'm glad you've you've made it clear you're not going to give an inch to McCarthyism it is McCarthyism and the answer to mcarthism isn't you give an inch because the whole point is they're they're not seeking to acts in good faith um that they're seeking to crush anyone who speaks out against what is one of the great crimes of our age so thank you for your courage I hope other people follow um in your steps and realize that you shouldn't be silent or cow you should speak out against oppression whoever is responsible um so do share this video get the message out um what Charlotte said so beautifully and wonderfully from the heart uh please like subscribe Charlotte thank you so much and well done thank you so much ow lovely to speak to you you too

Channel: Owen Jones

Views: 151,827

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Id: xaAAeArvAmY

Length: 20min 59sec (1259 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 26 2024