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6/18
1999

90

Detroit Jewish News

Israelis disappointed 35 years ago
when the government barred the
For a long-ago denizen of a galaxy
Beatles from performing there had an
far, far away, one of the new Star Wars
opportunity to find some closure this
characters has run into a decidedly
month.
contemporary American problem.
Sir George Martin, the legendary
The pint-sized, hook-
record producer who fostered the
nosed, flying junk dealer
Beatles' career, conducted the
from planet Tatooine
Israel Philharmonic in tributes
has been labeled anti-
to the Fab Four in Jerusalem
Semitic.
and Tel Aviv.
Calls have
The collaboration with
reached Anti-
the Israel Philharmonic is
Defamation League
the first stop on an inter-
offices across the
national tour in which Sir
country, complain-
George will conduct well-
ing that the Watto
known orchestras in rendi-
character in Episode
tions of Beatles songs.
I.. The Phantom
Sir George said he was
Menace is a Jewish
unaware of the objections
stereotype in the vein of
raised by the government in
The Merchant of Venice.
1964, when the Beatles were des-
In the film, the unsa-
ignated personae non grata out of
Watto: A Jewish
vory Watto — a com-
stereotype?
concern their music would cor-
puter-generated image
rupt the country's youth.
— drives a hard bargain
"The government today is dif-
over spaceship parts, and balks at
ferent from the one then," he said
keeping a deal to release child-slave
diplomatically.
Anakin Skywalker. Some interpret
The idea for the concert tour grew
Watto's dialect as Yiddish-sounding.
out of Sir George's last studio work, In
"Even in a galaxy far away, the Jews
My Lifi, which brought together such
are apparently behind the slave trade,
stars as Celine Dion, Goldie Hawn
gripes Bruce Gottlieb of the on-line
and Robin Williams.
magazine Slate, who also thinks pro-
More recently, he has focused on
ducer George Lucas — who has
composing, orchestrating, lecturing
labored to attach a social conscious-
and philanthropic work.
ness to the series — mocks West
Indians and demonizes Japanese.
The ADL has decided not to force
the issue.
"[Watto] arguably has certain char-
acteristics of anti-Semitic or anti-Arab
stereotypes," says national director
Abraham Foxman. "However, it would
be a stretch to identify the creature as
a mean-spirited Jewish caricature.
Watto is one of many inventively con-
ceived villains who populate the Star
Wars universe."
A spokeswoman for Lucas, Lynne
Hale, said it was "absurd" to read an
ethnic meaning into the characters.
"There is nothing in Star Wars that
is racially motivated," said Hale in a
statement. "[It] is a fantasy movie set
in a galaxy far, far away. To dissect
this movie as if it has a direct refer-
ence to the world that we know
today is absurd."
— Adam Dikter
Sir George Martin with the Beatles in
1963: No longer banned.
New York Jewish Week

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