Israeli and Iranian musicians unite for Tel Aviv concert
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli rocker Aviv Geffen broke into “The Hope Song,” a signature hit he wrote after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin that is often referred to as the Israeli version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
But his peace anthem took on new meaning when his on-stage partner sang along in Farsi — the language of Israel’s archenemy Iran.
In a rare collaboration, Geffen has teamed up with Iranian dissident musician Shahin Najafi in what they describe as an effort to prove that despite bitter enmity between their countries, ordinary people can find common ground. As they performed the rare Hebrew-Farsi fusion Thursday night, the standing-room-only audience of 6,000 gave a rousing applause.
“I think it is a great opportunity to show the world that Iran and Israel can stand together on the same stage and respect each other,” said Geffen, 43. “People can talk, people can make music together and it’s all fine. We’ve got no problem at all.”