The first Israeli-Palestinian boyband was ready to take on the world – then came 7 October
It should have been a feel-good story: six young men, plucked from obscurity to become music stars. That’s how Neta Rozenblat, a member of boyband as1one, puts it.
Pop hopefuls do not usually find themselves having to navigate fear, grief and complex political issues before the world even knows their names – but theirs is not a typical story.
As1one are billed as the first-ever Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab boyband, put together following a two-year search by US hitmakers behind acts such as Maroon 5 and Kings Of Leon.
While the band has found considerable support, including from big names – they recorded their first single with Nile Rodgers at London’s Abbey Road – as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues, they have also faced criticism and some outrage. “Wrong Direction”, reads one headline, while other critics say the concept is in poor taste.
As1one and Nile Rodgers. Pic: Andrew Berkowitz
The six members, four Israelis and two Palestinians, are early 20-somethings Nadav Philips, Niv Lin, Aseel Farah, Ohad Attia and Sadik Abu Dogosh, alongside Rozenblat.
They are hoping to become the Middle Eastern version of BTS. They say all they ever wanted to do was sing – now, they also want to spread a message of unity.
After auditions and the selection process, the young men were flown out to LA to start work on 6 October 2023. “On to the next adventure,” they posted on Instagram ahead of the flight, not knowing what was to come.
The following day, they woke up to the news of the militant group Hamas’s attack on Israel; some 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. Since Israel’s retaliation, at least 44,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Israel claims it has killed more than 17,000 militants.
“We were just having fun, fulfilling our dreams,” says singer and pianist Lin, 23, who grew up in the southern Israeli town of Sapir, near the site of the Supernova music festival, at which more than 360 people were killed. During his early days in LA, he learned a friend had died. “Suddenly the war has begun. We really didn’t know what to do.”
They contemplated returning home, he says. “Then we realised we have a big opportunity. We can show the world it’s possible to be Israeli and Palestinian together… it doesn’t matter who you are.”
‘We are just six musicians, at the end of the day’
Speaking on Zoom from LA, the band members are sitting in a tight formation, camera ready, and take turns to answer questions, with 22-year-old Rozenblat, who plays piano, guitar and violin, taking the lead. They are all boyband gloss, smiles and enthusiasm, but respond readily to questions about their critics.
Rozenblat, who served as a medic in the Israeli army, points out the band was formed before the current war broke out and was “never intended to be a political statement”. But it’s hard not to be when their marketing highlights their “Israeli-Palestinian boyband” uniqueness.
“We all give our opinions, we all take each and every one of our opinions and our emotions very seriously,” says 22-year-old Palestinian Farah, the group’s rapper and dancer, addressing the imbalance of having four Israeli and two Palestinian members, and not an equal split.
“Me and Sadik have Palestinian identity, the other four have Israeli identity… in the end, we are here for our music.”
“This combination just made more sense,” Philips interjects. They were the six who worked best together.
“In the new context that we find ourselves in [following the outbreak of the war], it’s easier to look into it and to really try to find some sort of hidden meaning,” says Rozenblat. “People will see us as four Israelis and two Palestinians, but we’re just six musicians, at the end of the day.”
In a world divided, as1one are united through friendship, brotherhood and music. Our hearts break for all the lives lost, the injured, and the grieving. We are singers and musicians. We are Israelis and Palestinians. We come from the same place. Each of us is very different – yet we are all one. This idea guides our band and we hope and pray, one day, this idea will guide the world.
The search for ‘diverse’ talent
The music executives behind as1one, Ken Levitan and James Diener, say the aim was to create a “global, state-of-the-art pop group from the Middle East region” and showcase the “incredible and undeniable talent from this area of the world on a global stage”.
They focused on Israel and its mix of cultures and heritages, says Diener over email, following the interview with the group. “Then, we set out to find a diverse group of singers, rappers, instrumentalists and dancers throughout the country.”
Farah is from a Palestinian neighbourhood in the city of Haifa. Abu Dogosh is from Rahat, an Arab Bedouin city in Israel’s Southern District.
Auditions for as1one were not held in the West Bank or Gaza due to restrictions limiting movement and travel, which were “widely known… even before the current conflict”, says Levitan.
Ultimately, there were no “workable scenarios” to scout talent in those areas, he says. “But our goal was to find as diverse a line-up as possible, and musicians who were part of the roughly two million Palestinian Arabs living in the state of Israel were included in our search.”
He says they sought advice from local experts, including Palestinian Arab musical experts, and ensured their efforts were “as respectful and inclusive as possible”, with the support of the families of those auditioning.
Can as1one be truly representative? And how do Palestinians in those occupied territories feel about a shiny, happy boyband spreading a message of unity, when the obstacles to peace are more complex?
The band attended the MTV Video Music Awards in New York earlier this year. Pic: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
‘We’re not politicians – we don’t have the solution’
In the interview, Rozenblat responds, saying they all only ever wanted to sing. Both Farah and Abu Dogosh have family and friends in the West Bank, they tell me.
“We’re not politicians,” says Rozenblat. “We don’t know what the solution is for the conflict. We are here to make music.” However, he acknowledges why their background has led to questions.
“We are Israelis and we are Palestinians. We experienced this firsthand… a lot of the time, people will talk about the conflict as two sides and forget there’s people [involved]. These are our families, these are our people, they are our friends. People that we personally know, they’re involved in this conflict, and we want to just remind people that we’re all human.”
They are all supported by their friends and family, says Attia, 22, a singer who plays guitar, bass and drums. “When we got here we all had thoughts to come back. We were so worried about our families and wanted to be with them because this is the hardest time of ours and their lives. But they told us they want us to stay here.”
A new four-part documentary follows the band’s creation and the work put in before their launch. More than 1,000 young men auditioned across Israel before the final 20 were whittled down in 2022, during a boot camp in Neve Shalom, a unique village in Israel where Jewish and Arab citizens live together peacefully.
After the six were picked, the cameras followed their journey to LA. Having been “raised so differently”, the six young men were all “trying to convince each other what’s right and what’s wrong” after the Hamas attacks, says Philips. “The right thing to do is to listen.”
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“You have to die a little to learn,” adds Farah. “We have different backgrounds, different opinions… in the end, we all want peace. We all want a way to move forward.”
It has been a change of lifestyle, for some more than others. “It’s very different than home,” says Abu Dogosh, the group’s quietest member, who is shown in the documentary talking of his “simple” upbringing. “We are trying to make this our new home.”
‘If it has a good heart, then it can be good’
They want to be the world’s next biggest boyband, says Philips. They have just released their second single, Stranger, ahead of their self-titled debut album, following the first single, All Eyes On Us, the song recorded with Rodgers.
Farah says he has been inspired by the cultural change brought by BTS, who “broke out K-pop into the entire world”.
Together, as1one hope to make cultural changes, too, he says. “We want the people who make groups to feel courageous to do something a little bit controversial, a little bit risky – because if it has a good heart, then it can be good.”
Following the interview, Levitan reiterates Rozenblat’s words, saying “the world is a different place” now compared with when they started their search. “We are all looking at things through a different lens”.
But music is the soundtrack to people’s lives, he adds, and people will always find connection through it.
“All of that is what’s motivating us in the as1one journey – to create the best music, unite people and offer positivity. We are proud of as1one and their music.”
As1One: The Israeli-Palestinian Pop Music Journey is out on Paramount+ from 3 December
Entertainment
Donald Trump launches attack on Rob Reiner, found stabbed to death, as director’s son is arrested
Donald Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on film director Rob Reiner, who was found stabbed to death with his wife on Sunday, as it is revealed his son has been arrested on homicide charges.
The US president said in a post on Truth Social that Reiner was “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star”.
Mr Trump said Reiner and his wife died “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS”.
“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace,” Mr Trump wrote.
Meanwhile, Reiner’s son, Nick, 32, has been “booked for murder” and is being held on $4m bail in connection with the deaths of his parents, Los Angeles Police chief Jim McDonnell said.
Rob Reiner, Michele Singer Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillanaknd Jake Reiner.
Pic: JanuaryImages/Shutterstock
Mr McDonnell said the department’s robbery and homicide division is handling the investigation.
“They worked throughout the night on this case and were able to take into custody Nick Reiner, a suspect in this case,” he said, calling the deaths “a very tragic incident”.
Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner apparently died of stab wounds, US media reported.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead inside a property in the Brentwood neighbourhood, without identifying the victims. Other officials confirmed the victims were Reiner and his wife.
Rob Reiner arrives with his wife Michele and children Jake, Romy and Nick (right to left). Pic: Reuters
Nick Reiner has spoken publicly of his struggles with addiction after he had cycled in and out of treatment facilities by the age of 18, with periods of homelessness and relapses in between.
Reiner and his son explored their difficult relationship and Nick Reiner’s struggles with heroin addiction and homelessness in a 2016 film called Being Charlie, which they co-wrote.
Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene referred to Nick Reiner’s “drug addiction and other issues” in a statement on X.
“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” Ms Taylor Greene said.
“Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder.”
A police officer places tape around the investigation scene near Rob Reiner’s in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles.
Pic: AP
Reiner was a celebrated director whose work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s.
He directed such classics as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Stand By Me.
He also acted, starring in Sleepless In Seattle and The Wolf Of Wall Street among others. His most recent high-profile work was a recurring guest role in the hit show The Bear.
He met Michele Singer in 1989, while directing When Harry Met Sally. They have three children together.
Rob Reiner with Billy Crystal (left) and Meg Ryan (right). Pic: THA/Shutterstock
Michele used to work as a photographer and took the photo of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book Trump: The Art Of The Deal.
Former US president Barack Obama has led the tributes. He wrote on X that “Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen.”
Harry Shearer, who collaborated with Reiner on This Is Spinal Tap, said in a statement: “Rob was a friend and collaborator through much of my life. He was funny, he was smart, he was a mensch.”
Reiner on the set of This Is Spinal Tap. Pic: Authorized Spinal Tap LLC/Shutterstock
He said Reiner’s wife Michele was a “very good friend” to his own wife, Judith, adding: “This is unspeakable, the stuff of Greek tragedy.”
Christopher Guest, who starred in Reiner’s films This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride, and his wife Jamie Lee Curtis said in a joint statement that they were “numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michelle Singer Reiner”.
The couple said: “There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
Read more: Reiner spoke to Eric Idle about future before death
Rob Reiner on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Pic Reuters
Reiner was a champion of liberal causes and a political activist.
In the 2004 presidential election, he backed Democratic candidate John Kerry and featured in advertisements taking aim at incumbent President George W Bush.
Reiner also supported Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
“This is a devastating loss for our city and our country. Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.
Rob Reiner with Hillary Clinton. Pic: Reuters
California governor Gavin Newsom paid tribute to Reiner’s activism as he said he was “heartbroken” over the director’s death.
“Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights – from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education,” Mr Newsom said in a statement.
“He made California a better place through his good works. Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity.”
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Former House speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, said: “Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities – whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California.
“Civically, he was a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists. And professionally, he was an iconic figure in film who made us laugh, cry and think with the movies he created.”
Entertainment
US director and actor Rob Reiner and wife found dead ‘with stab wounds’ at their LA home
US director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife have been found dead at their home in Los Angeles.
Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner apparently died of stab wounds and a family member is being questioned, US media reported.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead inside a property, without identifying the victims. Reiner turned 78 in March.
Pic: AP
Detectives from the LAPD Robbery Homicide Division have been assigned to the case, the force said in a statement.
LAPD Captain Mike Bland said they were investigating an “apparent homicide”.
A large police presence gathered at the house.
Pic: AP
‘Celebrated director’
Reiner was a celebrated director whose work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s.
He directed such classics as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Stand By Me.
With Tom Cruise at the premiere of courtroom drama A Few Good Men in 1992. Pic: Reuters
He also acted, starring in Sleepless in Seattle and The Wolf of Wall Street among others. His most recent high-profile work was a recurring guest role in the hit show The Bear.
He met Michele Singer in 1989, while directing When Harry Met Sally. They have three children together.
Michele used to work as a photographer and took the photo of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book Trump: The Art Of The Deal.
Rob Reiner on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Pic Reuters
A spokesperson for the Reiner family said: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said Reiner’s death was a devastating loss for the city.
“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” she said.
“An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”
‘Creative, funny, and beloved’
Reiner was a champion of liberal causes and a political activist.
In the 2004 presidential election, he backed Democratic candidate John Kerry and featured in advertisements taking aim at incumbent President George W Bush.
Reiner also supported Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
Rob Reiner with Hillary Clinton. Pic: Reuters
Former US president Barack Obama has led the tributes. He wrote on X that “Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen.”
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “It’s hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavour they pursued.
“Rob was creative, funny, and beloved. And in all of their endeavours, Michelle was his indispensable partner, intellectual resource, and loving wife.
“Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities – whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California.
“Civically, he was a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists. And professionally, he was an iconic figure in film who made us laugh, cry and think with the movies he created.”
Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner. Pic: AP
Actress Kathy Bates, who starred in Reiner’s film Misery, told NBC News: “I’m horrified hearing this terrible news. Absolutely devastated. I loved Rob.
“He was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He also fought courageously for his political beliefs.
“He changed the course of my life. Michele was a gifted photographer. She shot my beautiful photos for the Misery campaign. My heart breaks for them both. My thoughts are with their family.”
Sir Cliff Richard has revealed he has been treated for prostate cancer during the past year.
The 85-year-old singer said his cancer had “gone at the moment” and backed calls for a national screening test for men.
In an interview with Good Morning Britain, he said: “I was about to embark on a tour… I was going to Australia and New Zealand, and the promoter said ‘well we need your insurance, so you’ll need to be checked up for something’.
“They found I had a prostate with cancer, but the good fortune was, it was not very old. And the other thing is that it had not metastasized. It hadn’t moved into bones or anything like that.
“And the cancer’s gone at the moment, I don’t know whether it’s going to come back. I mean you can’t tell with those sort of things, but we need to absolutely, I’m convinced, get there, get tested, get checked.
“I think we as men… we’ve got to be seen as human beings who may die of this thing.”
Sir Cliff made the revelation in conversation with former Sky News presenter, Dermot Murnaghan, who has himself been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.
Former Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan
Mr Murnaghan asked the singer whether he backed calls for a national prostate cancer screening programme, given that the disease is “the most prevalent cancer amongst men”.
Lending his support, Sir Cliff replied: “We have governments to look after our country and those who live in that country. We all deserve to have the same ability to have a test and then start the treatments really early.
“It’s only been one year now I’ve been in touch with cancer, but in point of fact, every time I’ve talked with anybody, this has come up, and so I think our government must listen to us.”
It comes after King Charles revealed he had reached a “milestone” in his own fight with cancer, and would be able to reduce his schedule of treatment in the new year.
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His message on Friday was broadcast at 8pm in support of Stand Up To Cancer, a joint campaign by Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
He credited the “personal blessing” to early diagnosis when he announced the news on Friday.
He said: “Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives.
“Now, I have heard this message repeatedly during my visits to cancer centres across the country. I know too what a difference it has made in my own case, enabling me to continue leading a full and active life, even while undergoing treatment.
“Today, I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders’, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year.”
He continued: “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50% of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”
Read more:
King ‘deeply touched’ by reaction to cancer ‘good news’
NHS to offer same-day prostate cancer diagnosis
Buckingham Palace has not revealed what kind of cancer the king has, though it is confirmed not to be prostate cancer.
Mr Murnaghan asked Sir Cliff whether his own charitable efforts could be co-ordinated with the king’s on the issue of early screening.
Cliff Richard. File pic: PA
The pop icon replied: “I’m sure! I mean, why not? I’ve been involved with many charities over the years, and if the king is happy to front it for us, I’m sure loads of people… I certainly would join him, I’m sure you would.
“If the king is listening, then I’m sure most of us would say, yeah, we’re available.”
Last month the UK National Screening Committee decided not to recommend mass screening for prostate cancer, saying the measure was “likely to cause more harm than good”.
Instead, it proposes a targeted screening programme every two years for men with specific genetic mutations, known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, between the ages of 45 and 61.
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