In 1997, Irish pop singer Sinead O’Connor had to cancel her peace concert in Jerusalem due to receiving death threats. Interestingly, the person behind the campaign against her was a young man named Itamar Ben-Gvir. Fast forward to the present day, Ben-Gvir has now ascended to become Israel’s national security minister, a position of significant authority and responsibility.
This transformation of Ben-Gvir, who was once considered a fringe Israeli extremist targeting O’Connor’s message of coexistence, highlights the remarkable surge of Israel’s far-right movement. Today, he holds a powerful position, overseeing the Israeli police force, showcasing the evolving political landscape in the country.
On Wednesday, the music world lost Sinead O’Connor, a spirited singer who gained fame in 1990 and often found herself embroiled in controversy. Her passing occurred in London. While O’Connor is best remembered for her chart-topping cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U” and the memorable incident where she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a live TV appearance, in Israel, many people recalled her open letter in which she vehemently criticized Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The letter written by O’Connor castigated Ben-Gvir, who was known for his past campaign against her peace concert in Jerusalem. The incident had taken place years before when he was a fringe Israeli extremist. Today, he holds the powerful position of Israel’s national security minister, and O’Connor’s letter remains a part of the history between them. Her passing stirred memories of the past, sparking conversations about her impactful actions and the ongoing transformation of Israel’s political landscape.
In a radio interview, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was only 21 years old at the time, boasted about successfully scaring Sinead O’Connor away from Jerusalem. Enraged by his actions, O’Connor penned a letter to The Associated Press and other news organizations to express her feelings towards him.
In the letter, she condemned Ben-Gvir’s use of terror tactics and warned him that such actions would not be rewarded by any higher power. She criticized him for bringing fear and intimidation to innocent children across the world and suggested that his soul would suffer from this wrongdoing.
The concert that O’Connor had planned to participate in was organized by Israeli and Palestinian women’s groups. Its purpose was to promote the idea of Jerusalem serving as the capital for both Israelis and Palestinians, a vision of coexistence. The event was named “Sharing Jerusalem: Two Capitals for Two States” and was scheduled to occur a few years after the signing of the Oslo Accords, which laid the groundwork for the Middle East peace process.
During that period, the topic of peace in the Holy Land was highly controversial, just as it continues to be today. Individuals like Ben-Gvir, who held hard-line views, vehemently opposed any division of Jerusalem. It’s important to note that the Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in 1967, as their capital, further adding to the complexity of the situation.
Prior to her scheduled summer concert, Sinead O’Connor faced a series of death threats, which were reported to the British and Irish embassies in Tel Aviv. In response to these threats, O’Connor decided to cancel the concert, leading to a mix of emotions among her fans and fellow peace activists. Many expressed anger, surprise, and dismay over the situation, with some even staging protests in the streets, symbolically sealing their lips with black tape in protest against Itamar Ben-Gvir and his allies.
In 1997, Ben-Gvir was associated with the Ideological Front, a group stemming from the racist Kahanist movement. This movement followed the violent anti-Arab ideology of Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose views were considered so abhorrent in the 1980s that Israel banned him from holding a seat in parliament. The United States also classified his party as a terrorist group.
While Ben-Gvir did not directly claim responsibility for the threats made against O’Connor, he openly admitted that his actions and efforts had influenced her decision to back out of the concert. He spoke on Israeli radio, stating that their pressure had caused her to cancel her appearance, viewing it as a success.
However, in the present day, as the Israeli media revisited Ben-Gvir’s past involvement in the campaign against O’Connor, his office denied any involvement in threatening her. The situation remains a significant part of the history between the two individuals and the broader context of Israel’s political landscape.
Indeed, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s office acknowledged that he had planned to protest against Sinead O’Connor’s show. However, they pointed out that the concert’s cancellation was a result of the efforts of thousands of demonstrators.
Despite his criticism of O’Connor’s conversion to Islam and her support for Palestinians, Ben-Gvir’s office stated that he would try to remember her in a somewhat positive light due to the challenging life she had led.
It’s worth noting that Ben-Gvir is a prominent member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which is considered the most right-wing and religiously conservative in Israeli history.
Recently, the coalition government managed to pass the first part of its highly contentious program aimed at weakening the Supreme Court. This plan has triggered widespread street protests and plunged the country into a significant domestic crisis.
On a separate occasion, Ben-Gvir visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, a contested hilltop compound revered by both Jews and Muslims. Although such visits are permitted under longstanding arrangements, Palestinians and Muslim countries perceived it as a provocative act, given Ben-Gvir’s history and beliefs. This visit further added to the tensions surrounding the already complex political situation in the region.
At the age of 47, Itamar Ben-Gvir has a troubled history that includes a conviction for inciting racism against Arabs during his youth. His extremist views led to him being barred from serving in the Israeli army. In the past, he even displayed a portrait of an Israeli gunman who perpetrated a deadly attack, killing 29 Palestinians in a West Bank mosque in 1994.
Since assuming the role of national security minister, Ben-Gvir has faced significant criticism for his anti-Arab rhetoric and controversial actions. He has advocated for the establishment of a national guard, raising concerns among critics that it could endanger Israel’s Palestinian minority. He has also supported harsher measures against Palestinian prisoners and increased home demolitions in Jerusalem, a city whose status remains contested.
After the cancellation of her 1997 Jerusalem concert, Sinead O’Connor’s relationship with Israel became increasingly strained. She became a supporter of the Palestinian-led campaign that advocates for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israeli businesses, cultural institutions, and universities. O’Connor responded to the campaign’s calls by canceling a concert near Tel Aviv after the 2014 Gaza war.
Despite her broader involvement in the Palestinian cause, the cancellation of her Jerusalem concert left a lasting impact in Israel, a country currently grappling with internal turmoil as Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Ben-Gvir continue to push forward their divisive far-right agenda.
In her open letter to Ben-Gvir, O’Connor expressed her distress after witnessing televised images of Israelis and Palestinians clashing in the streets of Jerusalem. She felt saddened and fearful, questioning how peace could be achieved anywhere on earth if there was no peace in Jerusalem. The same question remains relevant today as the political situation in the region remains tense and complex.