'Songs Of Zion' Heard At Seaside Concert In Jewish Gaza
Thousands of concertgoers flocked to the Gush Katif community of N'vei Dekalim Monday evening for a Tu B'Av seaside performance by some of Israel's leading musicians.
The concert was free of charge and was held on a large grassy lawn near N'vei Dekalim's resort hotel, which has been closed since the outbreak of the Oslo War.
Local bands from communities and academies throughout Gush Katif were the opening acts, during which many took advantage of the pristine beaches five minutes away from the stage to take a dip and catch the sun setting over the Mediterranean.
In between musical sets, Katif leaders and a senior IDF commander addressed the crowd, praising their bravery and thanking them for safeguarding such a beautiful part of the Land of Israel.
Legendary Israeli singer Ariel Zilber took the stage together with original "Redemption-Rock" sensation Aharon Raz'el for a custom version of the latter's song "Shir Tzion" - Song of Zion - featuring specially-added verses about the beauty and history of Gush Katif.
"It was awesome to see one of the legends of the Israeli music scene, whose songs reverberate throughout Tel Aviv, together on the stage with someone who sings and plays on the hilltops of Judea, Samaria and Gaza," said Ari Abramowitz, a new immigrant from Jerusalem. "It was a glimpse of the harmony that emerges when we sing together rather than argue," he told INN's Ezra HaLevi.
All around were vendors selling carnival food, cotton candy, corn on the cob and grilled Mediterranean-spiced meats. Artisans from Gush Katif, as well as Judea and Samaria, sold their wares, from hand-carved mezuzot (covers for a parchment with prescribed Biblical verses affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes, in accordance with Jewish Law) to Gush Katif t-shirts, hats and flags.
The evening ended with an extravagant fireworks display. Though the loud booms are standard fare in Gush Katif, which has been hit with nearly 4,500 rockets since the beginning of the Oslo War, the fireworks elicited cheers as the band sang about the strength of the nation of Israel.
This is the 18th year that the annual concert took place, and organizers say that this year's turnout was the best ever. Pictures of the event can be viewed here.
Thousands of concertgoers flocked to the Gush Katif community of N'vei Dekalim Monday evening for a Tu B'Av seaside performance by some of Israel's leading musicians.
The concert was free of charge and was held on a large grassy lawn near N'vei Dekalim's resort hotel, which has been closed since the outbreak of the Oslo War.
Local bands from communities and academies throughout Gush Katif were the opening acts, during which many took advantage of the pristine beaches five minutes away from the stage to take a dip and catch the sun setting over the Mediterranean.
In between musical sets, Katif leaders and a senior IDF commander addressed the crowd, praising their bravery and thanking them for safeguarding such a beautiful part of the Land of Israel.
Legendary Israeli singer Ariel Zilber took the stage together with original "Redemption-Rock" sensation Aharon Raz'el for a custom version of the latter's song "Shir Tzion" - Song of Zion - featuring specially-added verses about the beauty and history of Gush Katif.
"It was awesome to see one of the legends of the Israeli music scene, whose songs reverberate throughout Tel Aviv, together on the stage with someone who sings and plays on the hilltops of Judea, Samaria and Gaza," said Ari Abramowitz, a new immigrant from Jerusalem. "It was a glimpse of the harmony that emerges when we sing together rather than argue," he told INN's Ezra HaLevi.
All around were vendors selling carnival food, cotton candy, corn on the cob and grilled Mediterranean-spiced meats. Artisans from Gush Katif, as well as Judea and Samaria, sold their wares, from hand-carved mezuzot (covers for a parchment with prescribed Biblical verses affixed to the doorpost of Jewish homes, in accordance with Jewish Law) to Gush Katif t-shirts, hats and flags.
The evening ended with an extravagant fireworks display. Though the loud booms are standard fare in Gush Katif, which has been hit with nearly 4,500 rockets since the beginning of the Oslo War, the fireworks elicited cheers as the band sang about the strength of the nation of Israel.
This is the 18th year that the annual concert took place, and organizers say that this year's turnout was the best ever. Pictures of the event can be viewed here.