At the conclusion of a concert he conducted on Sept. 11, Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov made a short, impassioned address to the audience. “I come from Israel and live there. I love it, it’s my home. But what’s happening is atrocious and horrific on a scale that’s unimaginable,” he said.
Volkov called on people to act: “I ask you all to do whatever is in your power to stop this madness. Every little action counts while governments hesitate and wait. We cannot let this go on any longer, every moment that passes puts the safety of millions at risk.”
In an interview after the concert, Volkov announced that he will not work in Israel at the present time. “The phrase ‘not in my name’ is not always helpful,” he says. “But this war is happening in my name, and I’m going to fight against it. We have to make a stand. We have to think creatively about what we can do. I believe that now all non-violent ways of trying to influence the situation are crucial.”
Peace will not come from inside Israel, he said. “We Israelis alone—Palestinians and the small minority of Jews standing against it all—won’t be able to stop Netanyahu’s government. We need the support of the whole world to make this massacre end.”
