Background:

On 4 December, Richard Watts, ‘Labour’ politician and leader of the impoverished Islington Council, rapidly acquiesced to a request from Martin Rankoff, director of Likud-Herut UK, that I be removed from the Blockheads’ Christmas concert at the Islington Assembly Hall. It seems Cllr Watts bought into the absurd idea that Jews would be upset by my sax playing. I was vaguely amused by Watt’s ludicrous decision. Until recently, we would have thought that it was down to musicians to make the choices with regard to their music. Clearly this is not the case in Islington in 2018. Our Labour leaders seem inspired by the USSR 1970s model or even Germany in 1938. I naively believed that Watts and his ‘Labour’ council might change their decision once they realised they had been manipulated by an ultra right wing pro Israel activist who has displayed gruesome and contemptuous views of the Labour party.

Obviously, I was wrong. The dysfunctional Labour Council and their leader fell into every trap, as we will learn in more detail in the new year. By 17 December, I realised that I had to prepare a saxophonist and one at least as sexy as I, to perform the extended solo feature in Clever Trevor. Due to the Christmas theme, I decided that Santa Claus was the perfect candidate for the job.

This is where we started:

Santa was a quick learner. He figured out how to bend the notes, Atzmon style. He learned my runs and twists. He even learned how to shake his legs against the beat as the solo progressed towards the peak. At a certain stage, I was a bit miffed, it seemed Santa was actually slightly better than me in being me.

Santa’s performance at the Assembly Hall was first-rate, but the Jewish pressure groups remain upset. They are convinced that Santa was Atzmon in disguise. Sussex Friends of Israel reported that “Last night some friends went to the Blockheads gig in Islington. They went confident in the knowledge that antisemite Gilad Atzmon would not be appearing as advised by Islington Council. Sadly that was not the case! Atzmon dressed as Santa is still Atzmon!”

Is Santa about to be subject to an identity theft inquiry? Nothing surprises me anymore. The Islington Labour Council banned pork in the schools two years ago. The same Council interfered with the last remaining working class band in Britain in order to appease the UK’s Likud Director. We can expect Cllr Watts to demand that Santa be subjected to DNA screening before they enter the Borough so as not to interfere with community relations. It is predictable that a Cllr caught in bed with UK’s Likud Director will adopt elementary Likud discriminatory policies of the kind evidenced in occupied Palestine.

Being a scientifically oriented character, I suggest Sussex Friends of Israel and the Labour Council engage in a methodical study of the situation. Since the final ‘rationale’ used to prevent me from performing was that my playing the sax could interfere with “community relations between Jews and others,” we should monitor this volatile frontline. If deterioration is detected in the next 48 hours, it would indicate that I was Santa in disguise and I should be punished for blowing the sax under false pretenses. But if relationships remain unchanged, it suggests that Cllr Watts and his Council have opened a can of worms for no reason. They breeched the moral code of a civilised society simply to appease a hard core Israel campaigner.

To sign a petition in support of Gilad click here

Lodge a formal complaint with Islington Council: https://www.islington.gov.uk/contact-us/comments-and-complaints?status=inprogress

Email: assemblyhall@islington.gov.uk

Contact the Council: +4420 7527 2000

To support Gilad’s legal battles: https://donorbox.org/gilad-needs-additional-support