Charlotte Church denies antisemitism claims after singing pro-Palestinian song at concert

Welsh singer-songwriter Charlotte Church led a 100-strong choir singing “From the River to the Sea” during a pro-Palestine fundraising concert at a village hall in Caerphilly, South Wales, on Saturday. (Instagram)
Short Url
Updated 26 February 2024
Follow

Charlotte Church denies antisemitism claims after singing pro-Palestinian song at concert

  • Welsh singer-songwriter led a 100-strong choir singing “From the River to the Sea” during a pro-Palestine fundraising concert in Caerphilly, South Wales, on Saturday
  • Critics say the song calls for the destruction of Israel but pro-Palestine campaigners say it asserts “the right of all Palestinians to freedom, equality and justice”

LONDON: Welsh singer-songwriter Charlotte Church on Monday denied allegations of antisemitism after she was criticized for leading a choir singing “From the River to the Sea.”

Church led the 100-strong choir during a pro-Palestine fundraising concert at a village hall in Caerphilly, South Wales, on Saturday. The song refers to the land between the River Jordan, bordering the occupied West Bank and Israel in the east, to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism has labeled the song and its central message “antisemitic,” saying it calls for the destruction of the state of Israel.

However, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and other activists say the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” refers to “the right of all Palestinians to freedom, equality and justice.”

Church addressed what she described as the “alarmist” reports about Saturday’s event live on Instagram on Monday, in a message in which she explained she was “fighting for the liberation of all people.”

She said: “Just to clarify my intentions there, I am in no way antisemitic. I am fighting for the liberation of all people. I have a deep heart for all religions and all difference.

“It was a beautiful, beautiful event. But unfortunately the powers that be can’t have that. (They) can’t have such a powerful symbol of resistance as what we worked towards on Saturday.”

Church confirmed the event ended with a chant of the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

She said: “Clearly, if you know the history of it all, (it is) not an antisemitic chant calling for the obliteration of Israel. It is not that in any way, shape or form. It is calling for the peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians.”

Church added that “lots of other beautiful songs … of liberation and freedom” were performed during the event, including Arabic songs, Welsh songs and South African songs associated with the anti-Apartheid movement, “the lyrics of which were adapted to the situation in Palestine.”

In video footage from the concert, Church is seen standing behind a banner that reads “Let Palestine Live.” She and the members of the choir are wearing keffiyeh scarves, a symbol of solidarity among supporters of Palestine.

In November, Church posted a video message on Instagram in which she expressed support for the Palestinian cause. She urged her followers to watch footage from Gaza and the West Bank, and to amplify Palestinian voices during “this genocide that is happening in front of all of our eyes.”

The 37-year-old singer told her fans, “Do not look away,” and expressed concern about the children “caught in this geopolitical insanity.”

In the same video she said that starting on Nov. 20 she would be offering weekly singing sessions “for the liberation of Palestine and the liberation of the Palestinian people.”


Israel ‘lying’ about famine in Gaza: Geldof

Israel is “lying” about claims there is no famine in Gaza, according to rock musician Bob Geldof. (File/Reuters)
Updated 27 July 2025
Follow

Israel ‘lying’ about famine in Gaza: Geldof

  • Musician claims Israeli military ‘dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers’
  • Urges Israelis to ‘get in your cars’ and deliver aid to Gaza 

LONDON: Israel is “lying” about claims there is no famine in Gaza, according to rock musician Bob Geldof.

The former Boomtown Rats frontman told Sky News that Israel bears responsibility for mass starvation in the enclave, after Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer claimed there was “no famine caused by Israel” and “Hamas starves its own people.”

In an interview with Sky earlier this week, Mencer said: “This suffering exists because Hamas made it so. Here are the facts. Aid is flowing through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Millions of meals are being delivered directly to civilians.”

But Geldof told the “Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips” show: “(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu lies, is a liar. The IDF are lying. They’re dangling food in front of starving, panicked, exhausted mothers.

“And, while they arrive to accept the tiny amount of food that this sort of set-up pantomime outfit, the Gaza Humanitarian Front (sic), I would call it, as they dangle it, then they’re shot wantonly.

“This month, up to now, 1,000 children or 1,000 people have died of starvation. I’m really not interested in what either of these sides are saying.”

This week, authorities in Gaza said 127 people have died from malnutrition-related causes since the start of the war in October 2023, 85 of whom were children.

Mencer told Sky that aid was entering Gaza and that over 4,400 trucks carrying supplies had entered the enclave. 

The charity Doctors Without Borders, however, said that around a quarter of children and pregnant women in Gaza are malnourished, accusing Israel of “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon.”

Geldof urged Israelis to protest against the actions of their government and to take aid into Gaza themselves.

“If the newsfeeds and social feeds weren’t so censored in Israel, I imagine that the Israeli people would not permit what has been done in their name,” he said.

“Get in your cars, stock your cars full of food and drive through that border and let your own army stop you.”

Geldof also said it was right that the UK should recognize a Palestinian state, but criticized the government for not doing enough to stop the conflict.

“This is a distraction thing about ‘let’s recognize the state’ — absolutely, it should have been done ages ago, but it’s not going to make any material difference.”

An Israeli security official told Sky: “Despite the false claims that are being spread, the State of Israel does not limit the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip.

“Over the past month, we have witnessed a significant decline in the collection of aid from the crossings into the Gaza Strip by international aid organizations.

“The delays in collection by the UN and international organizations harm the situation and the food security of Gaza’s residents.”

The Israeli military told Sky: “The IDF allows the American civilian organization (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) to distribute aid to Gaza residents independently and operates in proximity to the new distribution zones to enable the distribution alongside the continuation of IDF operational activities in the Gaza Strip.

“Following incidents in which harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported, thorough examinations were conducted in the Southern Command and instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned.

“The aforementioned incidents are under review by the competent authorities in the IDF.”


Lindsay Lohan brings the glam as she jets off from Dubai

Updated 27 July 2025
Follow

Lindsay Lohan brings the glam as she jets off from Dubai

DUBAI: Dubai-based Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan is making a dazzling return to the spotlight with the “Freakier Friday” press tour, flying from the UAE to Los Angeles before heading to Mexico City.

Lohan, who is married to Kuwaiti financier Bader Shammas, wowed at the world premiere in LA last week in a pink custom Miu Miu gown, featuring a sweetheart neckline, flowing skirt, and sparkling crystal embellishments. Her accessory of choice? A crystal-studded karaoke mic clutch by Judith Leiber — a playful nod to her character’s band, Pink Slip, in the original “Freaky Friday.”

She also took a moment to pose alongside “The Parent Trap” co-stars Lisa Ann Walter and Elaine Hendrix, the latter of whom even makes a cameo in the sequel.

For the next leg of the tour in Mexico City, Lohan hit the red carpet in a dramatic magenta Balmain gown from the brand’s Resort 2026 collection, featuring a strapless draped silhouette and gold chain neckline.

“Freakier Friday” is the sequel to 2003’s “Freaky Friday” starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lohan. In the follow-up film, Curtis and Lohan reprise their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman. The story picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured a swapped identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter.

As they navigate the myriad challenges that arise when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice. Nisha Ganatra directs the sequel with Kristin Burr and Andrew Gunn as producers.

Speaking to Empire, Lohan confirmed that punk-rock Anna still lives on: “The second I started with my guitar coach again, it was like we never left,” she said. “It was the same guitar, everything.”

As for Anna’s new solo? “We made it more difficult for this one,” she added. “I’m such a perfectionist — we rehearsed a lot.”

About playing a grown-up version of her character Anna, Lohan said, “The whole world looks different. Everything is about your child. But we have to remember to make time for ourselves too, live our lives, fulfill our dreams. Moms are always trying to juggle it all, and that’s what Anna’s going through in this.”
 


Razane Jammal shares behind-the-scenes look at ‘The Sandman’

Updated 26 July 2025
Follow

Razane Jammal shares behind-the-scenes look at ‘The Sandman’

DUBAI: British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal took to social media this weekend to share behind-the-scenes shots from her time filming Netflix’s “The Sandman.”

The second season of the show landed on the streaming platform in July in two parts, with the second half of the season premiering this weekend.

“Dream dangerously and beware of the kindly (not so kindly) ones,” Jammal captioned her post on Instagram.  

The carousel of photos shows Jammal in a hair and makeup studio, as well as on location in a mist-covered field.

In the role that arguably shot her to stardom, Jammal played Lyta Hall in 2022’s “The Sandman,” based on the legendary graphic novels — and she reprised her role in the latest season.

 

In season one, her character dreams of her dead husband each night, slowly realizing that he is not a figment of her imagination but is hiding out in the dream world.

It is a part that Jammal managed to play truthfully with subtlety — a subtlety for which she credited her mother in a previous interview with Arab News.

“I’ve always been extra, and my mom was far more subtle than I am. I had to fine-tune myself to vibrate on her frequency, a frequency that was very sweet and very raw, and vulnerable and nurturing. I took that from her.

“I grew up having a simple, community-based life in a place where you have 500 mothers and everyone feeds you and you feel safe — even if it’s not safe at all. At the same time we went through so many traumas, from civil wars to assassinations to losing all our money in another financial crisis.”

“The Sandman” is based on novels written by British author Neil Gaiman.

This is the final season of the series, with Netflix announcing its cancellation after Gaiman faced a civil lawsuit accusing him of rape and sexual assault earlier this year, amid more accusations of sexual misconduct.

“‘The Sandman’ series has always been focused exclusively on Dream’s story, and back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season,” showrunner Allan Heinberg said in a statement to Variety in January, indicating that the reason behind the show’s cancellation was a lack of script material.

Gaiman has denied the allegations.


Tributes pour in as Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani dies at 69

Updated 26 July 2025
Follow

Tributes pour in as Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani dies at 69

DUBAI: Lebanese musician and playwright Ziad Rahbani, who was the son of iconic singer Fayrouz, died on Saturday at the age of 69.

Rahbani, who was born on Jan. 1, 1956, began composing for Fayrouz as a teenager and is the mind behind legendary songs including “Kifak Inta” and “Bala Wala Shi.” His father, composer Assi Rahbani, was a musical icon in his own right.

Considered one of the most influential voices in Lebanese music, Rahbani was also a fierce political commentator and was known for his biting political satire and political theater. Notable plays by Rahbani include “Nazl Al-Sourour,” “A Long American Film,” and “Bema Inno.” 

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute to Rahbani in a post on X, calling him “an exceptional creative artist and a free voice who remained loyal to the values of justice and dignity.

“Ziad embodied a deep commitment to human and national causes,” Salam added. 

“On stage, through music and words, he said what many did not dare to say, and for decades, he touched the hopes and pains of the Lebanese people. With his piercing honesty, he planted a new awareness in the conscience of national culture.”


For one filmmaker, telling Pakistan’s untold stories has become a path to healing

Updated 26 July 2025
Follow

For one filmmaker, telling Pakistan’s untold stories has become a path to healing

  • Insulting remark pushed Athar Abbas to leave corporate job, find healing in the stories of strangers
  • Abbas’s social media documentaries spotlight working-class lives, mental health stigma in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Mobile phones, data cables and memory cards sprawl across the editing table in Athar Abbas’s modest Islamabad apartment.

It’s an organized chaos the 38-year-old filmmaker fully embraces — a far cry from the mental turmoil that once engulfed him.

Abbas, a former commercial producer, now documents the lives of ordinary Pakistanis in short, emotionally charged videos he publishes on social media. His mini-documentaries — raw, personal and deliberately unpolished — have attracted tens of thousands of followers across platforms, racking up over a million views in the past year.

But Abbas’s foray into digital storytelling wasn’t born of ambition. It was a survival tactic.

He began filming after quitting his job at a construction company, where a senior colleague dismissed his work as “pathetic.”

The insult gnawed at his confidence and spiraled into a depressive episode. Eventually, Abbas turned to the one outlet that had always brought him calm — the camera.

“I picked up my camera and started making stories,” Abbas told Arab News. “And unintentionally, I realized that maybe for an artist, there’s no therapy greater than his art.”

Pakistani filmmaker and content creator Athar Abbas speaks during an interview with Arab News in Islamabad on July 18, 2025. (AN Photo)

Pakistan, a country of over 240 million people, faces a chronic shortage of mental health services.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 24 million people in Pakistan are in need of psychiatric support. Yet the country has only around 500 trained psychologists and 400 psychiatrists, roughly one mental health professional for every 260,000 people.

The stigma around mental illness remains deeply entrenched, especially for men. Talking about emotional vulnerability is often seen as weakness, a perception Abbas says is reinforced in professional environments.

“He feels that his manly personality will be affected,” he said, referring to why many Pakistani men hesitated to express emotions, especially those that communicated perceived weakness.

“So he doesn’t even share that he has a problem with something.”

In Pakistan’s corporate sector, long working hours, harsh managerial practices and lack of mental health policies have contributed to high stress levels.

A 2024 review by the Pakistan Society of Human Resource Management found that most companies lacked formal emotional wellness programs.

Creative professionals, Abbas said, often bore the brunt of toxic leadership.

“If you talk to anyone in the creative field, they will tell you they are distressed because of senior management’s behavior,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it greatly affects mental health.”

A separate 2025 study in the Pakistan Social Sciences Review noted that while some younger professionals are more aware of mental health issues, institutional support remains weak, leaving them vulnerable to burnout and depression.

‘UNTOLD PAKISTAN’

For Abbas, the path to stability came through storytelling.

He launched a series titled Untold Pakistan, filming everything from a street vendor’s hustle to a single mother’s struggle for dignity. In one video, a man named Kamran Ali cycles from Germany to Layyah, Punjab, only to learn of his mother’s death upon arrival.

“Storytelling became a way to survive,” Abbas said.

This combination of screenshots, taken on July 26, 2025, shows stills from short videos by Pakistani filmmaker and content creator Athar Abbas. (Courtesy: Instagram/@athar.abbass_)

His films resist sensationalism. There are no stunts or celebrity cameos. Instead, they dwell in moments often overlooked: fatigue, memory, longing, resilience. The comment sections on his pages are peppered with viewers opening up about their own traumas, some for the first time.

Abbas recalls a message from a young man in Lahore who said one of the videos gave him the courage to speak to his father about something he’d been avoiding for a long time.

“That one message made all the late nights worth it,” Abbas said.

After 15 years of directing ads, music videos and corporate content, Abbas has no interest in going back. His priorities have shifted.

“I didn’t set out to become an influencer,” he said. “I just needed to breathe.”