RAMALLAH, West Bank – The Canadian rocker Bryan Adams will headline concerts for peace in the West Bank and Israel next week, with his performances relayed by satellite to London, Ottawa and Washington, organizers said Sunday.
The New York-based One Voice peace movement said the concerts were aimed at bolstering its campaign to collect one million signatures of ordinary Israelis and Palestinians demanding that their leaders sit down and finalize an agreement on a Palestinian state living at peace with Israel.
The head of One Voice's Ramallah office, Fathi Darwish, said Adams would launch the West Bank event at a football stadium in the ancient town of Jericho, then head to Tel Aviv to perform.
"Our goal is to send a message to the world, that the Palestinian people love life, and hope for life and liberation," Darwish said.
Adams, 47, had a series of multi-platinum albums during the 1980s and mid-1990s and was nominated for an Academy Award for "Everything I Do," the theme for the 1991 Kevin Costner film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".
Some celebrities associated with the group planned on sending a message to the concerts via videolink, organizers said. One Voice's Hollywood supporters include Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Rhea Perlman, Danny Devito and Jason Alexander.
One Voice said last month it had just over half a million signatories to its initiative — split about equally between Israelis and Palestinians — and was aiming to reach the one million target by the end of the year.
Entry to the Oct. 18 events will be free, but concertgoers must sign the One Voice petition to gain entrance, the movement's Web site said.
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