So much fearless and outspoken campaigning to do


Yesterday's Observer reports on the laudable plans of Iván Fischer and his Budapest Festival Orchestra to play in every abandoned synagogue in Hungary in memory of the expunged Jewish communities. In the article Fiona Maddocks describes Fischer as a fearless and outspoken campaigner. He is clearly on good terms with the United Arab Emirates' government; because in 2015 he took the Budapest Festival Orchestra to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and received the Abu Dhabi Festival Award - see above. So hopefully he will now use his campaigning powers to persuade the UAE to end its refusal to recognize Israel as a state; which would help the Jewish community by allowing Israeli passport-holders to legally enter the Emirates.

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