The Argentinian-born conductor is the first Israeli to be granted citizenship by the Palestinian Authority.
By APDANIEL BARENBOIM 88 224(photo credit: AP)Barenboim gets Palestinian citizenship
The conductor Daniel Barenboim, already a contentious figure among fellow Israelis for championing Palestinians' rights and the works of Wagner, Hitler's favorite composer, has accepted honorary Palestinian citizenship. Barenboim was given citizenship a year ago, but the move didn't become public until this weekend, when a Palestinian lawmaker mentioned it after Barenboim held a performance in Ramallah.
The Argentinian-born conductor is the first Israeli to be granted citizenship by the Palestinian Authority. Lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti said he lobbied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to make Barenboim a citizen.
Barenboim deserved a Palestinian passport, Barghouti said, because the conductor had shown "solidarity with Palestinians under the most difficult circumstances."
"It was a nice gesture," Barenboim said in a telephone interview from Berlin.
