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Depeche Mode to kick off next world tour in Israel
Two years after disappointing local fans by canceling its concert due to the Second Lebanon War, British pop trio Depeche Mode will kick off next year's world tour with a May date in Israel.
Tomorrow, the group is set to convene a press conference at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin to officially announce its 2009 tour schedule.
Marek Lieberberg, the band's promoter in Germany, told a German fan Web site in August that the trio would kick off their 2009 world tour in Israel, and word soon spread across Israeli fan forums.Likewise, keyboardist Andrew Fletcher said during his solo D.J. performance at Tel Aviv's "Theater Club" last year that the band and its managers were interested in compensating fans for the 2006 cancellation.
Sources in the entertainment industry say that Israeli impresario Shuki Weiss, who was slated to produce the 2006 performance and reportedly lost millions with its cancellation, will be involved in next year's show, which will likely be held at either Ramat Gan National Stadium or Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park.
In 2006, promoters insisted the concert would go ahead as planned until just two days prior, when they announced that members of the technical staff were refusing to make the trip. Some 45,000 tickets had already been sold, a similar turnout to last week's Paul McCartney performance.
In a recent interview with TheMarker, Weiss said that the concert was not covered by insurance and that he was forced to compensate production staff and fans from his own pocket. Tickets for that performance cost about NIS 300.
Depeche Mode, founded in 1977 in Basildon, Essex by Fletcher, vocalist Dave Gahan and keyboardist Martin Gore, was one of the most successful and influential groups to have emerged from the 1980s New Wave era of electronic music. The group has sold over 72 million albums worldwide.
The group's local fan base is one of the widest in Israel, including several thousand admirers who meet regularly for band-related events. Yifal Bistri, 30, is a Depeche Mode fan from Tel Aviv. In his apartment hangs the promotional poster of the show that never was.
"The music itself is simple, but it shows sophistication and development between the albums.
"For almost 30 years, the band was able to renew itself," says Bistri, one of 200 Israeli fans who traveled to Turkey in 2001 to catch a glimpse of the trio.
"As for many other people, the concert that was supposed to be held seemed like a ray of light for me during the war, something to look forward to," he said, describing its later cancellation as a "tragedy."
Bistri is optimistic that this time around things will be different. "Fingers crossed," he said. Two years after disappointing local fans by canceling its concert due to the Second Lebanon War, British pop trio Depeche Mode will ki... more -
Paul McCartney's First Concert in Israel (photos)
Photographs from Paul McCarntney's "Friendship First" concert at Park Hayarkon in Tel Aviv, Israel on Thursday, September 25, 2008 and the set-up on Tuesday, September 23, 2008. This concert is significant because The Beatles were banned from performing in Israel in 1965 due to fear that their music would corrupt young minds. Photographs from Paul McCarntney's "Friendship First" concert at Park Hayarkon in Tel Aviv, Israel on Thursday, Septemb... more
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Bomb scare on Paris-Tel Aviv flight
Fighter planes from three countries escorted a Paris passenger flight to Tel Aviv suspected of carrying a bomb.
Israeli officials later said there was no bomb on the El Al Boeing 767.
The plane and passengers landed safely in Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday evening, and the aircraft was searched after those on board were evacuated. Officials ultimately concluded there was no bomb, reported the Israeli Channel Two television network.
"Nothing was found there," Israeli police spokesman, Mickey Rosenfeld, told reporters after the search.
Reports said a threat supposedly linked to al-Qaeda was passed on to authorities after the flight took off from Paris.
During intervals of its trajectory, which included Greek territory, the El Al was escorted by fighter jets from Greece, Israel, and France, said Reuters, citing Israel's Channel Two report. Fighter planes from three countries escorted a Paris passenger flight to Tel Aviv suspected of carrying a bomb. ... more -
Sir Paul McCartney gets more protection than George W Bush
The vast security for Sir Paul McCartney’s Tel Aviv concert tonight even dwarfs the protection given to President Bush when he visited Israel.
A 5,000-strong security team will ensure Macca, 66, is watched around the clock in the wake of death threats from Islamic fanatics.
One security source said: “No one is taking anything for granted.
“The level of security is unlike anything we’ve seen. Everything is being done to ensure that this passes peacefully and without incident.”
A massive security army guarding Macca includes 20 agents from Israel’s elite Mossad intelligence organisation as well as officers from Britain’s MI6.
But the bulk will be made up of Israeli police officers who will throw a cordon around the Tel Aviv park where 70,000 fans will watch the ex-Beatle.
The cost of the operation is said to be £1.5million. The bill will be split between the show’s promoters and the Israeli government.
Macca’s team have hired three floors of Tel Aviv’s five star Dan Hotel. Twenty-one suites have been taken up at a cost of £70,000 to ensure no one gets near Macca, who is staying in the Royal Suite with partner Nancy Shevell.
The source said: “Only security and a handful of Macca’s entourage will be near him. Everything is tailored to ensure he is 100 per cent safe.”
Macca landed in Israel early yesterday. He was almost swamped by security as he passed through the VIP lounge to a convoy of cars waiting to take him to the hotel. The vast security for Sir Paul McCartney’s Tel Aviv concert tonight even dwarfs the protection given to President Bush when he visited... more -
Sir Paul McCartney visits Palestinian site during Israel visit
During a lightning visit to the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, Sir Paul got a mixed reaction.
Among local Palestinians there was mostly bafflement at his status. Mohammed Itmaizi, a 26-year-old policeman guarding the ancient Byzantine basilica, said he had never heard of the Beatles or Sir Paul.
But among Western tourists visiting the church, Sir Paul's visit was welcomed with gusto.
A group of Spanish women sang "Yellow Submarine" in their own tongue outside the tiny stone doorway to the church and queued for photographs and autographs.
Sir Paul, who will perform in front of a 40,000-strong crowd in Tel Aviv on Thursday night modestly shunned their cries of "you're the best".
"No, you are the best, you are better than me," he said.
The doorway into the basilica, one of the oldest places of worship in Christendom, is famously small, forcing all visitors to stoop.
"I am feeling humble," he said, as he bent down and entered the main body of the church, where the walls still carry murals painted during the Crusades.
An austere bearded Greek orthodox monk handed Sir Paul a candle before he descended into the Grotto, the subterranean chamber where Mary is believed to have delivered Jesus.
It was noticeably hotter and more sweaty in the chamber, not helped by the crush of security guards, press officers, advisers and diplomats surrounding Sir Paul, but for a brief moment they composed themselves to allow him to light the candle.
"This candle is for peace for all people all around the world, especially in Israel and Palestine," he said after lighting the taper following a brief moment of contemplation.
His American girlfriend, Nancy Shevell, wearing tight white jeans, a white sleeveless top decorated with a single large black synthetic flower, rubbed him affectionately on the shoulder before they both climbed back up to ground level.
Throughout his 15-minute tour of the holy site, Sir Paul was given a commentary from a local tour guide but he kept being interrupted by international tourists aware they had a pop star in their midst.
He handled it all graciously, posing for photographs, shaking hands and trying to say hello in their languages.
He managed it in Spanish and Italian but was flummoxed by Russian and Ukrainian and at one point while surrounded by posing Spaniards sang "come on baby light my fire".
Wearing an open-top pink shirt, cargo trousers and tennis shoes Sir Paul, who only arrived in Israel by private jet with his band in the early hours, said he was "enjoying his visit greatly" to Palestine.
When asked his attitude to those Palestinian leaders who have criticised him for agreeing to perform in Israel, breaking their call for a cultural boycott of Israel, he said he respected their view but disagreed.
"I have come here to Bethlehem deliberately to see Palestine with my own eyes," he said.
"Anyone who knows me knows I support peace for all people.
"This visit is meant to counter those that criticise me for going to Israel."
Continued....... During a lightning visit to the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, Sir Paul got a mixed ... more -
Paul McCartney lands in Israel
He’s here. Paul McCartney’s private plane landed at the Ben Gurion International Airport at 2 am, on Wednesday morning.
McCartney, who was accompanied by his entourage, passed through the VIP lounge at the airport and headed directly to a black vehicle which took him to Tel Aviv’s Dan Hotel, where he will reside during his stay in Israel.
McCartney arrived at the hotel with a swarm of police and security guards at his side. There, they applied a shrewd diversion tactic, causing some of photographers waiting for him to believe that he traveled in a white vehicle.
The former Beatle, in a striped sky blue shirt, gray pants and tennis shoes, was led into the hotel via the back entrance.
He was received by hotel staff and immediately went up to his suite while his associates tended to his belongings.
Wednesday afternoon will see McCartney hold a short press conference in which he will allow for an opportunity to get a closer look at the star a day before he performs.
McCartney, Ynet has learned, is not planning on touring Israel during his stay and that he most likely will remain in the general area of his hotel and in Tel Aviv.
On Thursday, he will finally arrive at the Yarkon Park to perform for an estimated 50,000 people. He’s here. Paul McCartney’s private plane landed at the Ben Gurion International Airport at 2 am, on Wednesday morning. ... more -
Israeli city uses DNA to fight dog poop
An Israeli city is using DNA analysis of dog droppings to reward and punish pet owners.
Under a six-month trial program launched this week, the city of Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv, is asking dog owners to take their animal to a municipal veterinarian, who then swabs its mouth and collects DNA.
The city will use the DNA database it is building to match feces to a registered dog and identify its owner.
Owners who scoop up their dogs' droppings and place them in specially marked bins on Petah Tikva's streets will be eligible for rewards of pet food coupons and dog toys.
But droppings found underfoot in the street and matched through the DNA database to a registered pet could earn its owner a municipal fine.
Tika Bar-On, the city's chief veterinarian who came up with the idea for the DNA experiment.
Bar-On said the DNA database could also help veterinarians research genetic diseases in dogs, investigate canine pedigree and identify stray animals, replacing the need for electronic chip identification.
"The sky is the limit on how far we can take this," she said.
So far, Bar-On said, residents have "reacted positively to the program and are cooperating because they want their neighborhood to be clean".
She said Petah Tikva would consider making it mandatory for pet owners to provide DNA samples from their dogs if the trial program is successful. An Israeli city is using DNA analysis of dog droppings to reward and punish pet owners. ... more -
Israele; Minacce morte a Paul McCartney per concerto a Tel Aviv
Minacce di morte per Paul McCartney. Le ha lanciate attraverso un sito internet Omar Bakri, un predicatore islamico siriano, 48 anni, affermando che l'ex beatle potrebbe essere l'obiettivo di un kamikaze se non cancellerà il concerto, previsto per il 25 settembre prossimo a Tel Aviv, in occasione delle celebrazioni per i 60 anni di Israele. Lo riferisce il quotidiano britannico Sunday Express.
Secondo il messaggio diffuso sulla rete dal predicatore, McCartney, accettando di partecipare alle feste per la fondazione dello Stato ebraico "è diventato un nemico del mondo islamico". Il baronetto "si appresta a celebrare le atrocità commesse dagli occupanti" e per questo va punito, ha scritto Bakri. Fonti vicine all'artista inglese hanno riferito che McCartney è spaventato ma non ha intenzione di piegarsi alle minacce e il 25 settembre terrà comunque il concerto a Tel Aviv Minacce di morte per Paul McCartney. Le ha lanciate attraverso un sito internet Omar Bakri, un predicatore islamico siriano, 48 anni, ... more -
Muslim leader threatens to kill Paul McCartney over Israel gig
An Islamic militant leader warned that former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney could be the target of suicide bombers unless he cancels his first concert in Israel, reported the British Sunday Express.
The celebrated rock star plans to arrive in Israel as part of a world tour, and give a single concert at Tel Aviv's Park Hayarkon on September 25.
Omar Bakri, an Islamic preacher, said McCartney's decision to perform as part of Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations made him the enemy of Muslims worldwide.
"If he values his life, Mr. McCartney must not come to Israel," Bakri was quoted as saying. "He will not be safe there. The sacrifice operatives will be waiting for him."
Bakri added, "Instead of supporting the people of Palestine in their suffering, McCartney is celebrating the atrocities of the occupiers," Bakri was quoted as saying. "The one who is under occupation is supposed to be getting the help."
McCartney was also been pressured by pro-Palestinian groups to cancel the show, but has resisted.
"I was approached by different groups and political bodies who asked me not to come here. I refused. I do what I think, and I have many friends who support Israel," McCartney said in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth.
Pro-Palestinian groups have frequently called on international academics and prominent cultural figures to boycott Israel over its occupation of the West Bank and blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. An Islamic militant leader warned that former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney could be the target of suicide bombers unless he cancels his f... more -
Israel says woman raped by British is war vet
Israel's defense ministry yesterday said it would recognize a Jewish underground activist, who says she was raped by her British captors 60 years ago, as a disabled war veteran.
Israel Radio said the unnamed woman was 14 when she was caught by British forces in Tel Aviv distributing flyers for the Stern Gang, known in Israel as the LEHI militia, which fought British rule in Palestine until the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948.
It said the British beat her legs and interrogated her about hideouts, radio transmitters and arms dumps used by the Stern Gang, which was named after its founder, Avraham Stern.
The woman's daughter, Navah, told the radio station that when her mother refused to give information, British officers raped her.
She said her mother kept the experience a secret until blurting it out while watching a TV programme on rape in 1993.
"She suddenly said, 'I went through the same thing.' I was in total shock," the daughter said, adding that her mother had always been remote, afraid to leave the house and had suffered leg pains. Today, the mother is confined to a wheelchair. Israel's defense ministry yesterday said it would recognize a Jewish underground activist, who says she was raped by her British ... more -
Gay tourists 'unsettle' religious pilgrims
An increasing number of gay tourists are discovering Tel Aviv with its good weather, cosmopolitan feel and great nightlife. While Israel's economy welcomes the millions of 'pink dollars' brought in by thousands of gay tourists, religious pilgrims coming to the country to seek a spiritual experience are not amused.
According to Ministry of Tourism statistics, some 44 percent of the 2.3 million tourists who came to Israel last year were religious Christians of different denominations. The rise in gay tourism could easily unsettle these visitors who come to Israel to experience the 'land of the Bible'.
If the government does not want to alienate either group of tourists (and source of income), it has to proceed carefully: "Dealing with gay tourism has to be done in an intelligent and sensitive way," says Yaniv Poria, a tourism professor and an expert on the subject. "It is wanted – it's just tricky. Like so many things in Israel."
The government's solution to such problems has led them to take their support for gay tourism into the closet. "[Like] other religious countries trying to attract gay tourism, like Spain, the government has turned over marketing to the local level or taken it underground," says Poria. This means that cities can market themselves as they see fit, while the country, officially, continues to market a far more traditional set of attractions.
Meanwhile, any official marketing to the gay community is done in a subtle, even unconventional way. "You will not find [Israeli Foreign Minister] Zippi Livni talking about this – but you will see promotional spots for such tourism, supported by the ministry, but not attributed to them, on, say YouTube," says Poria. An increasing number of gay tourists are discovering Tel Aviv with its good weather, cosmopolitan feel and great nightlife. While Isra... more -
"Home Alone" at Israel Airport
An Israeli couple going on a European vacation remembered to take their duty-free shopping and their 18 suitcases, but forgot their 3-year-old daughter at the airport, police said Monday. An Israeli couple going on a European vacation remembered to take their duty-free shopping and their 18 suitcases, but forgot their 3-... more
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Gunshot starts panic as Sarkozy leaves Israel
Bodyguards rushed Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and the visiting French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to safety yesterday after an Israeli police officer shot himself in the head during a departure ceremony at Tel Aviv airport. Bodyguards rushed Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and the visiting French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to safety yesterday a... more
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Largest Dance by Couples set by Israel
over 1,000 individuals gathered at Sportek Park in Tel Aviv, Israel, to participate in setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest dance by couples. The attempt, which was part of a larger event to commemorate the 60th year of Israel’s independence, could not have taken place on a better day: the sun was shining and people were happy to participate in an attempt that demonstrated the spirit of the community.
The organisers of the event, Eddy Hassid and Gadi Bitton, had spent over six months planning and preparing this large-scale event. It was essential that all individuals were versed in the specific steps of the Israeli folk dances that they would be performing, as Guinness World Records adjudicator Mariamarta Ruano-Graham would be checking to see that all couples adhered to them. over 1,000 individuals gathered at Sportek Park in Tel Aviv, Israel, to participate in setting a new Guinness World Record for the lar... more -
Travel in Israel
a three dimensional travel poster for Israel..focusing on Jerusalem and the cool things you can find there.
Music by Israeli hip hop band HaDag Nachash. a three dimensional travel poster for Israel..focusing on Jerusalem and the cool things you can find there. ... more -
Tel Aviv Bombing: April 17th, 2006
A Palestinian suicide bomber killed nine people and wounded 60 others in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on April 17th, 2006, in the first attack since Ehud Olmert took over for Ariel Sharon. A Palestinian suicide bomber killed nine people and wounded 60 others in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on April 17th, 2006, in the firs... more
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Coming Home to Tel Aviv
Neir Nelik give us a first hand account of the situation in Israel during a recent visit to relatives in Tel Aviv.
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Culture of Martyrdom
Adrian Baschuk looks at why young men choose to blow themselves up for a cause.
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Tel Aviv Super Bowl
American expats gather at a bar in Tel Aviv, Israel to watch the Super Bowl. Kickoff time? 1:25 a.m.
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