Israeli and Palestinian musicians to unite at London concert promoting hope and dialogue

Israeli and Palestinian musicians will perform alongside Jewish, Muslim and refugee artists at a London concert next month in a bid to show that dialogue and coexistence remain possible despite deep divisions.

The one-night event, Universe, will take place at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue on 9 July, bringing together the Citizens of the World Choir with guest Israeli and Palestinian musicians for an evening centred on hope, shared humanity and community.

Speaking to Jewish News, producer Andrew Leslau said the concert grew out of years spent trying to encourage Jews and Muslims to come together.

“For the last two years I’ve been trying to get Muslims and Jews to walk together,” he said.

“People were saying to me, ‘This is not the right time.’ Well, to me that means it’s exactly the right time.”

Leslau has spent recent years mentoring former offenders through his work in prison reform. One of those mentees was Rosca Onya, a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who rebuilt his life through music after serving a decade in prison. Now an Associate Artist with the Citizens of the World Choir, Onya introduced Leslau to the ensemble that inspired Universe.

Inspired by the choir’s message of bringing together refugees and local allies from more than 24 nationalities, Leslau approached its founder and director, Becky Dell, with an idea.

“I said to Becky, ‘Would you prepare to put on a concert where we can actually include Muslims and Jews and Israelis and Palestinians?’ And that’s how we’ve got to Universe,” he said.

The concert takes its name from a song co-written by Onya.

Rather than presenting a political message, Leslau said he hopes the evening will remind audiences that people from different backgrounds can still live peacefully alongside one another.

“The best I could do was show that Muslims and Jews, Israelis and Palestinians… can, and will, if given a chance, live together peacefully.”

He added: “The motto of Universe is, ‘I see you, you see me. I hear you, you hear me. We’re listening.’ Ultimately, that’s what people have to do if they’re going to sit down and make peace.”

“I hope that when they walk away, they will be inspired and leave with a sense of optimism that, if there are more concerts like this, there is hope.”

If successful, he hopes Universe will become the first in a series of concerts bringing together communities often seen as divided, using music to foster understanding and dialogue.

The evening is being creatively directed by Palestinian-Israeli singer and peace activist Mira Awad and Israeli music producer Mark Smulian.

Awad told Jewish News she immediately wanted to be involved.

“I have been a peace activist for as long as I can remember, so when Andrew approached me with this idea, it was immediately clear that I wanted to be part of it,” she said.

“In these days of deep division and polarisation, I believe we need to embrace and encourage any initiative that aspires to bridge gaps and bring communities together.”

Explaining why the collaboration matters, she said: “I see all of us as belonging to the same human family. Perhaps we are leaves on different branches, but we are part of the same tree.

“Any fool knows that you cannot water a tree through only one of its branches, yet somehow people keep trying to nurture only the branch they are standing on. That is not my way.

“I believe we face enormous challenges as a human race, and we will only overcome them by pulling together. I enjoy being with people of different backgrounds and identities. It does not diminish my own narrative; it enriches it.”

Awad said she hopes audiences leave reminded that migration, music and shared humanity connect people across borders.

“My theme for the evening is that we are all travellers passing through this life. Whether it was one of our ancestors or us, we all came from somewhere else. Migration is part of the human story, so we should have compassion for the journeys people are making today.

“If that were the only takeaway, I would be happy. But I also hope people are reminded that the language of music transcends borders and words. You can gather musicians from all over the world, and someone will start a beat or riff. Before long, harmonious music emerges. We do not need words to communicate everything we feel or want to express.”

Reflecting on why the concert’s message feels especially important today, she added: “I think many of us are engulfed in echo chambers that isolate us and divide us into walled-off silos. When that happens, it becomes very easy to demonise others.

“That is why it is more important than ever to create cracks in those walls, allowing people to glimpse the humanity in one another.”

Founded in 2017, the Citizens of the World Choir is made up equally of refugees and local allies representing more than 24 nationalities and singing in nine languages. The choir has performed at Glastonbury, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, and featured on Ed Sheeran’s album Play. Funds raised through Universe will support the choir’s community cohesion work and establish a fund to help young Israeli and Palestinian musicians develop opportunities to work and perform together.

Tickets for Universe on 9 July at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue are available here.