Berlin drag show 'Together' seeks to address Middle East grief

For seven years, an Israeli drag queen and Syrian belly dancer had hosted a joint monthly show at Berlin LGBT clubs, celebrating their coexistence in an extravagant party resembling a Middle Eastern wedding.

But when Hamas gunmen carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel in October, triggering an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, their relationship was tested.

"We spent long days talking. I was really insecure about where our relationship was going," said the Syrian belly dancer, who uses the stage name The Darvish.

The artists also had to agree on the future of their show, "Yalla Hafla," which means "Let's Party" in Arabic - an approach that no longer seemed appropriate at a time of grief in Berlin's Arab and Israeli communities.

Out of that grief, a new show, "Together", was born.

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