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Jeff Halper with American folk legend Pete Seeger in his home in New York.
(Elyse Crystal)
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Last update - 09:41 08/11/2009
Pete Seeger's role in ending Israeli house demolitions
By Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel news, Pete Seeger 
 

Anyone who owns a radio probably knows the song "Turn, Turn, Turn" (To everything there is a season) very well. A number of versions of this song have become permanent fixtures on the play lists of most popular music radio stations. Here's what the listeners don't know: every time this song is played, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions receives a few dollars, which accumulate to a "several thousand dollars every year," according to the committee's co-founder and coordinator.

The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) is a non-profit organization that uses non-violent means to oppose Israeli demolition of homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Seeger has been donating some of the song's royalties to ICAHD for ten years.
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The banjo-playing Seeger, 90, is considered one of the pioneers of American folk music. He is known for his political activism no less than for his musical achievements. In the 1930s he was involved in the establishment of worker unions, in the 1940s he opposed the war against Germany and in the 1950s he was interrogated by Senator Joe McCarthy over suspicions of belonging to the Communist Party. In recent years Seeger has been involved in efforts to clean up the Hudson River in New York and performed at U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration celebration.

The lyrics of the song "Turn, Turn, Turn" are the words of King Solomon from the book of Ecclesiastes. "All around the world, songs are being written that use old public domain material, and I think it's only fair that some of the money from the songs go to the country or place of origin, even though the composer may be long dead or unknown," Seeger said in an interview with Acoustic Guitar magazine in 2002.

"With 'Turn, Turn, Turn' I wanted to send 45 percent, because [in addition to the music] I did write six words and one more word repeated three times, so I figured I'd keep five percent of the royalties for the words. I was going to send it to London, where I am sure the committee that oversees the use of the King James version exists, and they probably could use a little cash. But then I realized, why not send it to where the words were originally written?"

ICAHD's Halper met with Seeger in New York last week and remarked that "he said he thought it was appropriate that the biblical part of the song make its way to Israel ? he doesn't want to take credit for it."

Halper brought another message from Seeger to the Israelis: "He said that artists and cooks ? it was important for him to include cooks ? must stand up and demand a just peace. That is the duty of artists and cooks."
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  1.   Wow, you learn something every day...love this song 18:08  |  Smadar 07/11/09
  2.   Seeger, An Icon 18:19  |  Vladek 07/11/09
  3.   Pete Seeger 19:11  |  David 07/11/09
  4.   Strange to see him mentioned here 19:15  |  Mark Lincoln 07/11/09
  5.   The house demolitions are an unfortunate necessity 19:17  |  Josh 07/11/09
  6.   Sure, send it to the enemies of Solomon`s people 19:33  |  McQueen 07/11/09
  7.   Misplaced Concern 19:40  |  Ron 07/11/09
  8.   Pete Singer Could Have Chosen A Better Charitable Cause 19:48  |  Proud Israeli 07/11/09
  9.   #5 is misinformed 19:56  |  Fred Schlomka 07/11/09
  10.   re: Josh 20:17  |  faizah 07/11/09
  11.   Pete and houses 20:25  |  Harold 07/11/09
  12.   Again- out of context comment... 20:46  |  Joshua 07/11/09
  13.   #5 Ethnic cleansing a necessity? 20:59  |  John 07/11/09
  14.   #5 Josh Unfortunately house demolitions are for conquest and 21:19  |  jim the mechanic 07/11/09
  15.   we need an army of Pete Seeger 21:36  |  Tony 07/11/09
  16.   "just Peace" 21:42  |  Moses Weitzman 07/11/09
  17.   just joshing 21:43  |  Carol Scheller 07/11/09
  18.   Is Ethnic cleansing a necessity. Distortion!! 22:59  |  Moses Weitzman 07/11/09
  19.   House demolitions 23:24  |  sh 07/11/09
  20.   Selective charity 23:31  |  Eli 07/11/09
  21.   #11 think again 23:54  |  Z 07/11/09
  22.   "in the 1940s he opposed the war against Germany" 23:59  |  yaakov 07/11/09
  23.   What a wonderful person! 00:23  |  Ruth 08/11/09
  24.   Josh-Home demolitions 00:43  |  John 08/11/09
  25.   Pioneer of American folk music? Don`t think that`s quite right. 00:52  |  newageblues 08/11/09
  26.   david 3 01:03  |  potobac 08/11/09
  27.   Pete Seeger 01:05  |  JJ Gross 08/11/09
  28.   Josh #5 01:35  |  Jeff Halper 08/11/09
  29.   Josh - Strange, under Plan Dalet, whole villages were razed 02:23  |  CJ 08/11/09
  30.   Solomon was a Semite; McQueen is not 02:27  |  Justice 08/11/09
  31.   Pete prefers the home grown weed 03:11  |  Mark 08/11/09
  32.   I should have guessed 03:23  |  Mary Hughes 08/11/09
  33.   Where the royal;ties should go 04:43  |  howiej 08/11/09
  34.   Menshlichkeit 05:18  |  mark aleshnick 08/11/09
  35.   #5 stupid Josh... 06:20  |  Niva dos Santos 08/11/09
  36.   Demolitions 07:17  |  Ross 08/11/09
  37.   Pete Seeger 07:18  |  Victor 08/11/09
  38.   I`m not surprised at the responses to my post 08:36  |  Josh 08/11/09
  39.   i weep for the future of the jewish people when i see #5 josh 09:04  |  Ari 08/11/09
  40.   Josh hasn`t read the news since 2001 I guess 10:03  |  Woody 08/11/09
  41.   To Ari #22 -- I weep for the future of the Jewish people as well 10:41  |  Josh 08/11/09
  42.   To Josh- Ari et al are naive dreamers 11:12  |  shtarka 08/11/09
  43.   The problem no one wants to talk about 12:18  |  Bruce M 08/11/09
  44.   # 39, shtarka 13:05  |  sarah 08/11/09
  45.   Good work for Peace. 14 - Mr Weitzman you have a point. A wall is 13:07  |  Tcherkessi 08/11/09
  46.   Pete Seeger and global politics 13:27  |  Sarah 08/11/09
  47.   Wonderful musician and person! 16:37  |  Norwegian 08/11/09
  48.   the neo con right backed facsism and Hitler in the 30`s! 16:38  |  jim the mechanic 08/11/09
  49.   Pete Seeger`s role questionable 17:21  |  Joe Sittizen 08/11/09
  50.   House demolitions = Destruction of the Palestinian society 17:26  |  Claire 08/11/09
  51.   #5 Very many reasons for House Demolitions 17:51  |  Joe 08/11/09
  52.   Pete Seeger`s Gift 18:06  |  Steve Giuliano 08/11/09
  53.   WWII 18:12  |  Mr Mel 08/11/09
  54.   House Demolitions 20:10  |  Janice 08/11/09
  55.   Joe Sittizen 20:20  |  Janice 08/11/09
  56.   Jewish houses demolished in Jerusalem 20:52  |  Rachel 08/11/09
  57.   Mike Seeger was better 21:17  |  anonymous 08/11/09
  58.   On house demolitions and Israeli "ethnic cleansing" 21:20  |  Josh 08/11/09
  59.   to Claire in Paris 21:23  |  yona 08/11/09
  60.   josh, i`,m with you, but...take the ICAHD tour. it`s an eye opene 21:43  |  michelle 08/11/09
  61.   Excellent--Seeger`s "Building the Road to Eilat" 22:59  |  Dolphin 08/11/09
  62.   Josh on the Palestinian Arabs 23:12  |  Janice 08/11/09
  63.   Michelle and house permits 23:15  |  Janice 08/11/09
  64.   to Dolphin, #61 23:29  |  yona 08/11/09
  65.   help spare Palestinian "little boxes" from Isaeli destruction 01:20  |  susie 09/11/09
  66.   Pete Seeger and House Demolitions 05:41  |  Jenny Kastner 09/11/09
  67.   Dear Pete 09:29  |  The Posner Family 09/11/09
  68.   Answer to Janice 20:41  |  Bruce 09/11/09
  69.   Pete Seeger: Correct Cause 23:01  |  vladek 09/11/09
  70.   Pete Seeger`s Donations 23:02  |  Ilan Blatt 09/11/09
  71.   Pete Seeger An Ultra Decent Person - Intelligent - And InComplete 15:53  |  icons are great 12/12/09
  72.   To #49 23:58  |  Doris Kelly 26/01/10
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