Peter Lenkov

Twenty-five years ago, John Ondrasik stood on that stage and sang "Superman" for the first responders of 9/11. This week, he stood there again. Some promises don't fade with time. We Will Never Forget. 🇺🇸 Thank you, @johnondrasik, for honoring our heroes then and now.

At a recent Coldplay concert in London, two Israeli fans were invited on stage. When they revealed their nationality, the crowd had a mixed reaction and singer Chris Martin paused to say: “I’m very grateful that you’re here as humans… treating you as equal humans on earth, regardless of where you come from.” He then added a welcome to Palestinians. This was likely an effort to do something symbolic for peace in a time of war. However, the delivery was clumsy and it became a painful moment for many Israelis. The two fans didn't need to be told that they're, “equal humans.” The ones who needed to be reminded of their humanity were the people who shamefully booed the mere presence of Israelis on stage. This takes place in a broader context of unprecedented hostility, harassment, and violence targeting Israelis and Jews solely on the basis of their identity. Those who have a major platform, like Coldplay, should model what it means to treat people with dignity and respect, without conditions or qualifiers. And they should urge their fans to do better.