To H.E. Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori, Founder of the Crossroads of Civilization Museum
I have
attached my artwork showing Rembrandt-inspired cyberangels of peace on their
virtual flight from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to the Crossroads of
Civilization Museum in Dubai.
Please have
it digitally printed out on paper or canvas as a new media artwork for your
museum collection that links your museum to the Israel Museum’s Shrine of Book
that houses the oldest copies of the Bible in its original Hebrew language.
It
exemplifies your insightful article in the Jerusalem Post, “Why culture
is vital in easing the path to peace” and your statement “It is our role to
translate the peace deal into tangible outcomes through people-to-people
connections” quoted in the Jerusalem Post article highlighting the shared
history of Jews and Arabs.
My new media
artworks are in the collections of more than thirty museums throughout the
world, from Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum
of Modern Art in New York, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, to Art Museum
of The Hague in The Netherlands.
I was art professor at Columbia University and universities in Israel,
and research fellow at MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies.
Before
partaking of the Sabbath eve meal, Jewish families sing, “May your coming be
for peace, Angels of Peace, angels of the Exalted One.” The song
begins with the words shalom aleikhem (may peace be with
you). Shalom aleikhem is the traditional Hebrew
greeting when people meet. It is akin to the Arabic greeting salam
aleikum. May the Hebrew Malakh Shalom and the Arabic Malak
Salam be recognized as one and the same Angel of Peace.
I also propose
that I collaborate with a UAE artist in creating an art exhibition at both the
Crossroads of Civilization Museum and Ashdod Art Museum in Israel. I suggest calling
the exhibition “Parentheses of the Middle East: From the Gulf to the Sea.”
Dubai is the major UAE port and Ashdod is Israel’s major port city. Dr. Yehiel
Lasry, the mayor of Ashdod, is negotiating to make Ashdod and Dubai sister
cities.
Dr. Lasry is
particularly happy today that Morocco has followed the lead of UAE in
normalizing relations with Israel. He was born in Morocco and came to Ashdod
when he was six. He studied medicine at Ben-Gurion University, was
Surgeon-General of Israel’s navy, member of Knesset, and a founder of the
Andalusian Orchestra that creates a cultural bridge between Israel and Arab
countries. Its purpose is to enrich the musical and cultural dialogue
between Israeli and Arab artists. (Disclosure: Yehiel Lasry is my son-in-law.)
Respectfully
yours,
Dr. Mel
Alexenberg
Author of the highly acclaimed book Through a Bible Lens
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