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
Former London’s Burning actor John Alford guilty of sexually assaulting girls aged 14 and 15
Former London’s Burning actor John Alford has been found guilty of sexually assaulting girls aged 14 and 15 at a friend’s home.
Jurors heard the 53-year-old, who rose to fame in BBC show Grange Hill, sexually assaulted the girls while they were drunk following a night out at the pub.
St Albans Crown Court was told he bought £250 worth of food, alcohol and cigarettes from a nearby petrol station in the early hours of the morning, including a bottle of vodka which the victims subsequently drank.
Alford then had sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl in the garden of the home and later in a downstairs toilet, and inappropriately touched the 15-year-old girl as she lay half asleep on the living room sofa.
He denied four counts of sexual activity with the younger girl and charges of sexual assault and assault by penetration relating to the second teenager at a property in Hertfordshire on April 9 2022.
But, after 13 hours of deliberations, he was found guilty.
As a firefighter in one of his most famous roles. File pic: PA
Alford, of Holloway, north London, who was charged under his real name John Shannon, had previously told the court the allegations were a “set-up”.
He put his head in his hand and shouted “Wrong, I didn’t do this” from the dock as the verdicts were read out in court.
‘I didn’t want sex with an old man’
During the week-long trial, Alford, who cried while giving evidence, told jurors “I never touched either of them girls”, adding there was “no DNA” evidence and that he would stand by his denial “until the day I die”.
However, the 15-year-old girl said: “We were all just like dozing off. That was when John started to touch me.”
Asked how she felt after the assault, the girl said: “Sick. I felt absolutely sick. I wasn’t going to tell anyone.”
In a video of her police interview played to the court, the 14-year-old girl said she had never had sex before the night of the alleged incidents.
“I told him to stop because I didn’t want to have sex with an old man,” she said.
Legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died aged 91 – with the worlds of fashion and showbiz paying tribute to a “giant” and a “master of his craft”.
The Italian billionaire died at home surrounded by his family on Thursday.
“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” his fashion house said.
Tributes flood in for Armani – as it happened
“Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones.
“Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects.”
A funeral chamber will be set up at Milan’s Armani Teatro for people to pay tribute between 9am and 6pm this weekend.
At the end of his autumn-winter show at Milan Fashion Week in January this year. Pic: Reuters
Armani did not appear at his runway shows in Milan for the first time ever in June as he recovered from an unknown illness.
Only a week ago, when he was interviewed by the Financial Times, he revealed he “oversaw every aspect of the show remotely via video link”.
“My greatest weakness is that I am in control of everything,” he told the newspaper. “Everything you will see has been done under my direction and carries my approval.”
‘A symbol of the best of Italy’
Italy’s President Giorgia Meloni was among the first to pay tribute.
“Giorgio Armani leaves us at 91 years old,” she wrote on X.
“With his elegance, sobriety, and creativity, he was able to bring lustre to Italian fashion and inspire the entire world. An icon, a tireless worker, a symbol of the best of Italy. Thank you for everything.”
At the Royal Academy in London in 2003. Pic: Reuters
Fellow fashion mogul Donatella Versace followed, saying: “The world has lost a giant today. He made history and will be remembered forever.”
American designer Ralph Lauren said he “always had the deepest respect and admiration” for Armani.
Dame Anna Wintour, who this year stepped down as head of American Vogue after 37 years, said the designer “understood power and attitude and elegance as well as anyone ever has in fashion”.
Julia Roberts, who famously wore Armani menswear to the Golden Globe awards in 1990, shared a picture of the pair together on Instagram with the caption: “A true friend. A Legend.”
American model Cindy Crawford called him a “master of his craft” – while the Italian football world also offered its condolences.
Juventus described him as a “timeless icon of elegance and Italian style”.
Inter Milan, who Armani supported, said he was “an icon of our city, a fashion legend who, with his creativity and elegance, knew how to tell the story of Italianness around the world”.
Legendary film director Martin Scorsese also paid tribute, heralding Armani as “more than a clothing designer”.
“He was a real artist, and a great one – people use the term ‘timeless’ quite often, but in his case it happens to be true,” said Scorsese.
Armani contributed to the wardrobe design for the director’s 1995 film Casino, creating suits for Robert De Niro’s character, Ace Rothstein.
The pair came together again for The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), where Armani this time suited up Leonardo DiCaprio.
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‘Colossus’ Armani ‘brought gravitas’ to the fashion industry
‘King Giorgio’
Born in the small northern Italian town of Piacenza in July 1934, Armani originally wanted to be a doctor but changed his mind after a part-time job as a window dresser at a Milan store exposed him to fashion for the first time.
As one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, he is often credited with spearheading red carpet fashion and was planning a major event during Milan Fashion Week this month to mark 50 years of his brand.
He put Italian ready-to-wear style on the map in the late 1970s with his signature ‘Armani suit’ before adapting its classic style for women with the launch of the female ‘power suit’ in the 1980s.
He also dressed Hollywood and music stars, including Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, and Lady Gaga.
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From Gere to Gaga: Armani’s best celebrity looks
With actors Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton in 2003. Pic: Reuters
With Robert De Niro in Milan in 2000. Pic: Reuters
With singer Beyonce in 2003. Pic: Reuters
With David Beckham in Milan in 2009. Pic: Reuters
Armani, or Re Giorgio (King Giorgio) as he was widely known, worked on more than 200 films, most notably earlier in his career on American Gigolo with Richard Gere in 1980.
He was awarded both the French Legion of Honour and Italian Order of Merit for Labour for his contributions to the fashion industry.
With an empire of more than £7.44bn at the time of his death, his work expanded beyond clothes to home furnishings, perfumes, books, flowers, bars, clubs, and restaurants.
He also owned the basketball team EA7 Armani Milan, better known as Olympia Milano.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Armani sparked controversy in 2015 for comments he made about fashion choices among gay men – and previously in 2009 when his company was forced to settle with the Italian tax authorities over its offshore subsidiaries.
Entertainment
‘Ketamine Queen’ Jasveen Sangha pleads guilty to supplying fatal dose that killed Friends star Matthew Perry
A woman known as the “Ketamine Queen” has officially pleaded guilty to selling Friends star Matthew Perry the drug that killed him.
Jasveen Sangha initially denied the charges but agreed to change her plea in a signed statement in August, just a few weeks before she had been due to stand trial.
The 42-year-old , a dual citizen of the US and the UK, has now appeared in a federal court in Los Angeles to plead guilty to five charges, including supplying the ketamine that led to Perry‘s death.
She faces up to 65 years in prison after admitting one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
Prosecutors agreed to drop three other counts related to the distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine that was unrelated to the Perry case.
In a brief statement when the plea deal was announced, her lawyer Mark Geragos said she was “taking responsibility for her actions”.
The judge is not bound to follow any terms of the plea agreement, but prosecutors have said they will ask for less than the maximum possible sentence.
Perry died aged 54 in October 2023. He had struggled with addiction for years, but released a memoir a year before his death during a period of being clean.
He had been using ketamine through his regular doctor as a legal, but off-label, treatment for depression, but in the weeks before his death had also started to seek more of the drug illegally.
Perry bought large amounts of ketamine from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 (£4,458) in cash four days before his death, prosecutors said.
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What Perry’s death says about Hollywood
Sangha, described by prosecutors as the “Ketamine Queen of North Hollywood”, is now the fifth and final person to plead guilty to charges connected to the supply of drugs to the Friends star.
The actor’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, an acquaintance Erik Fleming, and a physician, Mark Chavez, all agreed to plead guilty when the charges were announced in August 2024.
Another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, initially pleaded not guilty and had been due to face trial alongside Sangha, but changed his plea in July.
Sangha and Plasencia had been the primary targets of the investigation.
The three other defendants: Chavez, Iwamasa and Fleming pleaded guilty in exchange for their co-operation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia.
Perry had bought ketamine from Sangha after he was led to her by Fleming, prosecutors said.
On the day of Perry’s death, Sangha told Fleming they should delete all the messages they had sent each other, according to Sangha’s indictment.
Sangha is due to be sentenced on 10 December.
The other four defendants are also still awaiting sentencing.
Perry was one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing in Friends – which ran on NBC between 1994 and 2004.
He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for all 10 seasons of the show.
The Friends stars were among around 20 mourners who attended his funeral in November 2023, according to TMZ.
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