James Nicola and Lynn Moffat of the New York Theatre Workshop, where the play “Rachel’s Words” was to open tonight but was cancelled for reasons that are fine tuned as time goes by, were interviewed by Amy Goodman today. When asked by Goodman to respond to it, they denounced Philip Weiss’ article Too Hot for New York in the current issue of The Nation. I hope he responds, as further exchange between the three might finally shed some light on those who contributed to their decision. They certainly didn’t appear eager or willing to name names. Co-editor of the play Katharine Viner pointed out, if internet propaganda that Nicola claimed was unknown to him prior to scheduling the play was such a concern, they should have consulted her or someone else familiar with the facts.
If you watch the interview, the first break video shows an Israeli tank pulling up to a crowd of mourners at Rachel’s memorial service. That huge cloud of white smoke dispersed by the tank is tear gas. Journalist Sandra Jordan and producer Rodrigo Vasquez, who had arrived in Gaza only hours before, captured the attack in their report for Channel 4’s Dispatches and Unreported World The Killing Zone. Those in attendance were shot at as well.
One would think that after “accidentally” running over Rachel, then backing up over her broken body, the Israelis would have at least been hesitant to behave so contemptuously of law and human decency at her memorial service.
But that would require fear of condemnation for such viciousness. Had it come when Rachel was murdered, Tom Hurndall and James Miller might be alive today. All of the people killed since then, the Palestinian babies who’ve died when their mothers were forced to give birth at checkpoints, the children who’ve been killed collaterally and otherwise, the people who’ve been buried alive in the rubble of their homes, might all still be alive today. Is Uri Avnery next?
How many more have to die before something is done about this?