Spanish Reggae festival boots Jewish performer

[cali]

Over the weekend, American reggae singer Matisyahu, who is Jewish, was booted from Spain's Rototom Sunsplash music festival. According to the festival's organizers, they canceled his performance because Matisyahu refused to issue a statement endorsing a Palestinian state.

That's exactly as outrageous as it sounds: The implication is that Jews are a suspect class, that all Jews are presumed responsible for the actions of Israel, and that is appropriate to demand that Jews affirmatively prove they have the "right" loyalties and beliefs.

But this is about more than just one Spanish reggae fest. The controversy speaks to a much bigger fight over the growing international campaign to boycott Israel, and if that campaign can overcome the extremists in its ranks — or whether it even wants to.

<snip>
http://www.vox.com/2015/8/18/9173239/matisyahu-bds

Btw, the festival welcomed a performer whose music is all about murdering gay people.

[ellisonz]

1. Disgusting

Matisyahu doesn't sing about division. This myopic push to force people to take a position they do not wish to hold is unsettling and it's not isolated just this instance.

You have probably heard Matisyahu before and not even known it:

[ellisonz]

106. ^^^^

PSA: You can stop reading after here and save yourself a headache.

[Behind the Aegis]

117. Yeah, should also come with a blood pressure warning.

Good to see you back.

[Quackers]

128. I haven't heard of him or his music before.

Thanks for posting it!

[malaise]

2. I condemn all the lyrics about murdering gay people or any other people

On the other hand war crimes were committed in Gaza and we should all boycott Israel. The treatment of the Palestinian people is beyond offensive - ask Jimmy Carter.

[REP]

5. One American Jewish Reggae singer has nothing to do with Gaza

He doesn't represent Israel - he's an American. Every Jew doesn't have to pass some test.

[cali]

6. wow. this is McCarthy style bullshit

Should all Jewish performers have to pass a purity test?

[WillowTree]

8. What cali said. Because it's perfectly appropriate.

Thank you.

[cali]

11. crazy to see defense of antisemitism here but

it actually happens all too frequently

[HERVEPA]

28. That user's anti-semitism has been obvious for a while

[cali]

65. sadly, it's clear as can be here.

[WillowTree]

80. Well, thank you for always being willing to take a stand for what's right.

[cali]

83. thanks.for those very kind words

[madaboutharry]

93. Thanks for being here Cali.

I don't have the energy to deal with stuff like this, so thanks for always speaking up.

[cali]

94. thank you so much, mad

[malaise]

17. Ask those who practiced apartheid in South Africa and those who remained silent

then get real about the boycotts orchestrated by your own government.

[6chars]

20. time to boycott the US

war crimes were committed in Pakistan. etc.

[Cal Carpenter]

21. He's American n/t

[cali]

23. you seem unable to distinguish between an israeli

And an American..... or something


Ugh

[malaise]

27. I remember when the Israeli government expected Serena Williams

to speak out against the ban of an Israeli tennis player at a tournament in the Middle East. I also remember an English cricketer being banned from a Caribbean country for breaking the boycott against apartheid South Africa. He was on the English team. He was not South African but he supported apartheid.

We banned our own athletes for playing on rebel tours in South Africa.

[Bluenorthwest]

36. But he is American, not Israeli, you are saying to boycott all Jews.

There is no excuse for what you are saying here at all. None. Good honest people are trying to communicate with you and not for the first time.

[6chars]

96. that would be consistent with bds

a way of putting indirect pressure on israel. in the old days when they called bds the arab boycott, they called boycotting anyone who didn't boycott israel the "secondary boycott"

[Sissyk]

49. One.More.Time!

He is an American Jew. Not a gd thing to do with Israel!

[MADem]

54. Born in Pennsylvania, raised in Westchester NY. His name is actually Matthew Paul Miller.

Matisyahu is his stage name. He used to wear Hasidic dress when he was exploring his faith. He later cut his beard/hair and got rid of the outfit. He still is religious but he isn't quite as hard core as he was in the beard days.

He is very talented. He's one of the few American reggae singers that can really deliver.

This was a bad, bad call by the event organizers, particularly when they put a homophobe who advocates violence on the rota.

[Sissyk]

55. Thanks. I knew some of that.

I definitely know how talented he is.

Really bad, bad call. Two 'isms (probably more) at one event.

[Syzygy321]

73. Oh it's good when the haters team up.

Makes the common links among judgy bigotty persons easier to see.

[nadinbrzezinski]

51. So American jews are Israeli citizens now?

The last person I expected that trope from. Thanks for clarifying that.

And yup, looks into the drawer. There is a Mexican passport. Under Mexican Law I should renew that way out of date document. And there is an American passport. Nope, not an Israeli one.

This is antisemitic thinking going back to oh the Dreyffuss Affair at least. You should read J'Acusse.

[malaise]

61. I don't know his status

but there are many American Jews with dual citizenship and there are American Jews who support the war crimes against Palestinians.

[nadinbrzezinski]

62. And this is an antisemitic trope with a LLLLOOOONGGGG tail

thanks. Now I know for sure.

[REP]

63. There are many, many more American Christians who do

Yet I don't see any libel against them.

All Jews are suspect because ... please explain.

[cali]

67. ugh. from.disgusting to more disgusting.

You really are covering yourself with ignominy

[JI7]

72. isn't that what right wingers say about muslims and terrorism ?

[Crunchy Frog]

74. I suppose you would have supported the internment of Japanese Americans

during WWII as well. Japan committed atrocities, after all.

[malaise]

76. Huh???? n/t

[Crunchy Frog]

82. What? Are you claiming Japan didn't commit atrocities?

It's the same principle.

[stevenleser]

103. I don't think you understand how antisemitic you are being but the level is very high.

The actual amount of US Jews who hold dual citizenship with Israel is very low. I live here in NYC and encounter lots of fellow Jews. NYC probably has the most Jews of any US city, and I have discussed this with many fellow Jews. I have yet to find one that has dual citizenship with Israel.

It's really not that common. I'm Jewish. I have dual citizenship with Panama and I am entitled to German citizenship and I will do that at some point. But I do not have Israeli citizenship and I am not entitled to Israeli citizenship. Most US Jews are not entitled to Israeli citizenship.

Jews of any other country than Israel are not responsible for Israeli actions and should not be subject to some perverse loyalty (or anti-loyalty) test as if they are. To do so is very antisemitic.

The suggestion of "lots of Jews having dual citizenship" and requirements of loyalty/anti-loyalty oaths is actually the continuation of an antisemitic accusation against Jews that goes back at least to the Middle Ages if not before. The accusation is that Jews are all in league with each other and have no loyalty to whatever country in which they reside.

It is a bigoted accusation and its one I hope I don't hear coming from your direction again.

[Syzygy321]

118. May I also add that Jews who are Israeli citizens

are equally not responsible for "Israeli actions". ( by which I assume you mean Israeli government actions).

I am an American. Am I responsible for the bombing of Iraq? For the displacement of native Americans? For the conditions in Detroit? Hell; I just live here.

Israelis are just people who live in Israel. What exactly are they responsible for?

If all Israelis are guilty, then we can say that all Americans are guilty. (And that's the root terrorist philosophy isn't it: kill civilians; kill anyone; they are all guilty because of race or religion or nationality - don't judge on their actions but just their identity...)

In fact if we blame citizens for what their governments do, every human being on earth is surely guilty of *something* awful.

Whole thing makes no damn sense to me.

[stevenleser]

132. That begins to muddy the waters a bit.

For instance, I wrote articles against going to war in the runup to the Iraq war. I protested it before, during and after, but as an American I do feel a sliver of responsibility for that war.

If a Democracy is a government by the people, of the people and for the people, well, you can see where I am going with that. Obviously there are different levels of responsibility, and 99.9% of it rests with the Bush administration.

[Syzygy321]

134. Agreed - we can all take a sliver if we push a point to its extreme -

But collective guilt of citizens for their government - to the degree that they should be discriminated against? (And musicians? why musicians?) That sounds a little too ISIS for me.

If the reggae guy had been Israeli, should he have been barred from performing?

Or should he have been marched up onstage and forced to publicly denounce his country and/or Jewishness as a precondition of being allowed to make music?

(I've seen that before: terrorists and totalitarian governments make their prisoners and nonconformists denounce their old ways and beg the public's forgiveness... Usually after torture, or under threat of punishment from either the secret police or the slavering mob.)

Ugly.

Word to everyone: if you belong to a group that runs around abusing musicians and artists for expressing the wrong ideology or being from the wrong side of the tracks, it's not a liberal group. Seig heil!

[Syzygy321]

77. LOL I am loving this!

BDS, come embrace this proud member of your club.

[cali]

95. And there are lots more Christian Americans who support israel

And then there are the millions of Americans who support drone attacks and American war crimes,.but you only support singling out Jews.

[840high]

110. Stop. Just stop. Foolish.

[leftynyc]

136. Defending these McCarthyite

loyalty oaths that ONLY Jewish performers (not Israeli, just Jewish) are being asked to sign or agree with while having nothing to say about artists that sing about killing gays being perfectly welcome is not the sign of a progressive. In fact, I think you're a disgrace to this entire community. Go ahead and alert, I'll wear that hide as a badge of honor.

[Oneironaut]

141. Seems like being anti-Semitic is a-ok on this website.

If you want to be a bigot, just hate the correct group of people and you'll be fine.

[Codeine]

142. Considering about fifty people called her out

on her bullshit, I would disagree.

[Crunchy Frog]

148. On the other hand

the post was alerted on, and the jury voted 6 to 1 to leave it.

This has been an eye opener for me.

[Codeine]

152. I missed that.

That's. . . disheartening.

[Crunchy Frog]

155. I alerted on it last night, and got this message back:

JURY RESULTS

Someone else already alerted on this post before you alerted on it, and only the first alert was sent to a Jury. A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of the post on Tue Aug 18, 2015, 08:08 PM, and voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT. Please note that even though your alert was not sent to a Jury, it has been forwarded to the Administrators who review all alerts.

Thank you.

I'm frankly astounded.

[JI7]

158. if anyone has detailed info on this please post

[smirkymonkey]

75. Seriously. It's ridiculous!

[cali]

10. this is his.beautiful response

"The festival organizers contacted me because they were getting pressure from the BDS movement. They wanted me to write a letter, or make a video, stating my positions on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to pacify the BDS people. I support peace and compassion for all people. My music speaks for itself, and I do not insert politics into my music. Music has the power to transcend the intellect, ideas, and politics, and it can unite people in the process. The festival kept insisting that I clarify my personal views; which felt like clear pressure to agree with the BDS political agenda. Honestly it was appalling and offensive, that as the one publicly Jewish-American artist scheduled for the festival they were trying to coerce me into political statements. Were any of the other artists scheduled to perform asked to make political statements in order to perform? No artist deserves to be put in such a situation simply to perform his or her art. Regardless of race, creed, country, cultural background, etc, my goal is to play music for all people. As musicians that is what we seek. - Blessed Love, Matis"

[REP]

16. That is lovely.

I do think his music speaks for itself, too.

[ellisonz]

18. ^^^^

Truth

[malaise]

24. And it is beautiful n/t

[Syzygy321]

43. That gets at the heart of a weird BDS thing:

They do seem to be aggressively angry with Israeli universities and artists/performers: BDS news most commonly involves protests against touring Israeli artists (or in this case, random American Jewish guy) or else a call from some American university for some Israeli university and its scientists to be made academically non grata.

Why go after artists and scientists?? Artists typically are the people most likely to dream a new world and unite people across boundaries; scientists and thinkers have common cause with others in their fields all over the world, with politics utterly immaterial. Neither group has anything to do with Israeli government policies.

I admit to not getting this rabid BDS stuff and finding it a little backward. Reminds me of hate-filled people smashing Buddha statues in Afghanistan because, (insert caveman noise), "Is God of my enemy! Is evil! Must destroy! Ogg!"

[Bluenorthwest]

13. I have seen you defend Buju Banton right here on this board. One of the murder singers.

Here is a hell of thread your OP in defense of a man who sings 'Boom Boom Bye Bye' about shooting gay people and throwing acid in our faces:
"Buju has issues re anti-gay lyrics but to the best of my knowledge (and hubby's), he is not a coke user. This is very strange. The view in Jamaica is that this was a set up and may have more to do with the government's refusal to extradite drug don Dudus Coke (son of the notorious Jim Brown)."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7218812


In this thread, you cast shade on a story about the murder of a gay man in Jamaica, a story that was all over the press here and there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026346712

[malaise]

15. That story was not all over the press here

Read what I said about Buju - it was related to the drug charge.

I was part of the anti-apartheid struggle - all culture, all sports, and everything apartheid South Africa was boycotted.

Gaza last year was the last straw - sorry if it upsets you. That is my position.
You are entitled to yours.

[cali]

19. sorry defending.what these organizers did to matisyahu

is defending some very ugly antisemitism

[malaise]

30. Silence re the atrocities in Gaza is some very ugly

anti-Palestinian behavior.
Peace

[cali]

41. yes but I haven't been silent about.that and

You do defend and engage in both antisemitism and homophobia.

[malaise]

60. Neither - but I do condemn that war criminal

Benjamin Netanyahu, the apartheid treatment of the Palestinian people and the looting of their land.

[nadinbrzezinski]

64. And how exactly does this tie in to an AMERICAN PERFORMER

who happens to be Jewish. By the way, by your logic my coverage of LOCAL politics, and national politics has an Israeli bent. I have no idea how San Diego and Tel Aviv tie together, but I am sure you will find a way. After all I am Jewish.

[malaise]

66. Go back and read the OP

You should know better - I actually read your articles - and my maternal grandfather was also Jewish.

[nadinbrzezinski]

69. I read it and I read the full article from that article

But that logic only makes sense if you assume that this American Jew who goes out of his way to avoid discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict, and in his few statements has hinted at generalized sympathy to Israel, must therefore be somehow abetting Israeli policies. It's a logic that is either totally incoherent or anti-Semitic or both.

It is near the end. Vox made the same exact point the rest of us have been making. This is quite antisemitic...

[cali]

68. you have completely discredited yourself.

[Crunchy Frog]

70. I'm sorry, but this is antisemitic.

I hate what Israel did in Gaza, and is doing in the West Bank as much as anyone, but singling out an American singer because he happens to be Jewish is absolutely inappropriate.

There are posters here who cry antisemitism every time someone posts critically about Israel, and posts like this only make it easy for them, and undermine the moral authority of legitimate Israel critics.

On top of that, it's just plain disgusting.

[Bluenorthwest]

26. How awful of you to claim I am upset about your boycotting over Gaza. Do you think you can speak

for me like that because I am a gay man? I think so. You defended, you made an OP to defend that fucker, and you suggested that you and your 'hubby' know him well enough to know he's not a coke user. What does that tell us?

I was personally banned from South Africa as was my work as an artist. Later Nelson revoked that ban and thanked me personally. So what does that have to do with this? Nothing. It is just your evasion of the facts at hand.

Your ethics are at best situational. You want to be treated as unrelated to your own culture's worst elements and yet you claim all Jews are responsible for a country they don't even live in .

[Bluenorthwest]

35. I read that story in The Gleaner which said it was hugely discussed. Denial, it's what you do.

You don't want to talk about facts, so you say 'the media is perfect and I did not see it'.

I was disturbed that you told DU that you and your hubby know that Buju guy and he's not a coke user, you know this you said. How do you know a hate monger so well that you can speak of his assured innocence? Why would you brag of such associations on DU? And if you don't know him, why would you rush to offer your testimony of his purity? He's a hate monger. If he had said those lyrics about Muslims you would be furious with him. But he talks of killing people you see as less than human. You and hubby.

[malaise]

37. I did say he was not a coke user

I never defended his homophobic lyrics. On the other hand all kinds of hate speech is defended on DU and defenders always speak about the First amendment.

[Bluenorthwest]

39. You dismissed his murder lyrics as 'anti gay' and claimed to know his personal habits.

"Buju has issues re anti-gay lyrics but to the best of my knowledge (and hubby's),
he is not a coke user."


On what basis did you claim to know he's not a coke user? Sounds to me like you are friendly with this man who encourages people to murder LGBT people. Is that the case? If not then were you and hubby just making shit up to defend that man? If so, why did you do that?
Please respond to these specific questions. If you can't, then everyone should note that fact and consider what is indicated by it.

[malaise]

40. How does "Buju has issues re anti-gay lyrics..." become

dismissed - what does 'has issues' mean???

[Bluenorthwest]

42. 'anti gay' is a soft description of music about violent attack and murder.

If it was music about killing another group of people, you would not say 'sure he says to kill blacks but.....'. Is that clear enough for you? 'The KKK, they have issues with anti minority sentiment, but....'

I asked you several questions. You made an OP asserting that Buju Banton was not a coke user, you said this was based on your own knowledge of the man's personal habits.
Why do you know the drug habits of a man who sings about killing gay people? Answer that.

[cali]

53. you condemn anti-gay lyrics but defend those who spew

this hateful stuff.

[malaise]

56. I defend those who fight for the rights of the Palestinian people

It's that simple

[REP]

58. How is making an American Jew swear an oath a fight for Palestenian rights?

That's absurd.

[cali]

59. alas, you are not doing.that.in this.thread

You are engaging in antisemitism and homophobia.

It's that simple.

And it's very sad and very, very ugly. Do you get that person after person on this thread is telling.you that? And many of us are pro-Palestinian.

[JI7]

81. that's like saying discriminating against american muslims is fighting agsinst ISIS

[cali]

86. exactly

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. I am sorry, but as an American Jew I have nada to do with

the Middle East. I am sure many American Jamaicans would tell you the same... about Jamaica... this is antisemitism on the rise.

Trust me, we are far less powerful than people imagine we are.

[villager]

32. I, too, am stumped as to how I remain such a poor, struggling member of the global media conspiracy

When do I get invited to the secret meetings?

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. Hey, at least I can honestly say I am part of the media

hell, I actually GASP own a paper!!!! RUN!!!!

[villager]

45. And I'm a journalist and author!

But somehow, the bounty of riches from all those secret cabals has eluded me!

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. We shall share in our not getting to share in the riches

I guess we were never told the secret hand shake

And the sad part is that somebody here will actually believe the secret handshake part.

[villager]

48. Exactly!

[Codeine]

89. Israel's war crimes have exactly FUCK ALL to do

with this guy. He was born in the US, raised in the US, and is not a political performer.

Fuck singling him out because he's Jewish, and fuck anybody with the temerity to defend that action, especially while the organizers accept vicious homophobes of the nastiest and most blatant sort.

Disgusting.

[leftynyc]

135. So ALL Jewish people

should be made to answer for the actions of Israel - even the ones who are not Israeli? That's what you're saying. This artist was the ONLY one asked the question and it was because he's Jewish. That's antisemitism. That you don't recognize that is entirely your problem.

[Marr]

3. Wow. That is unbelievable. /nt

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. Yes, BDS is just like OWS and BLM.

It includes people and groups with varying ideas of what is 'far enough' or 'too far'. That happens with every large, loosely organized group.

[cali]

7. this is.just blatant.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. So what do you say about having 'Murder Music' at this festival, which promotes violence against

LGBT by singing about murdering us while people dance to the good time beat? What does them accepting that while booting another artist for being Jewish add up to? It's both things. They say they have principles, so they ban the Jews, but they allow anti gay hate mongers.
That's nothing like OWS or BLM and is sure as fuck is not like ACT UP. It's like the Reich, the Third one.

[JI7]

78. i think BDS is mostly antisemitic

[Syzygy321]

84. In part - but it also appeals to college kids who

want a noble cause that is faraway, costs them nothing to support, involves a bamdwagon, and seem kinda
lefty.

Now when caring Americans start giving their money and property back to the native American tribes who had it violently stolen, I will be definitely moved amd impressed.

Oops - none of these activists wanna do that though!

Much more convenient to point hypocritical little fingers at a faroff country (and why that one, i wonder idly!) on the other side of the world where DIFFERENT natives are stuck on the reservation.

Makes them feel quite proud of their righteousness.

[nadinbrzezinski]

88. Well I was going BRAVO the other day when a US Senator was chased off a reservation

but I agree with you in many ways.

Kids want to do something great, well... there are multiple causes in the states. Or for god sakes they could take on their government for social justice, and there are many kids from the hood and colleges that are doing that... but we need more.

Of course, these kids would not know lefty if it slap them in the face.

There are so many differences between BDS and the South African divestment that it is not even funny.

[Syzygy321]

90. Yeah -- I just find it amusing when people standing on

stolen land, enjoying it, never thinking twice about it, have the hilarious gall to shriek: "Look at those foreigners who stole land from those other foreigners!"

Never mind that the whole, "who stole whose land" question is far muddier out by the Jordan than it is in the US.

[nadinbrzezinski]

92. Not that I knew it when parents bought home

but I sit on Kumeyaii, Ipai land.

I had to think about it. The border is the river outside my window, between Tipai and Ipai.

[nadinbrzezinski]

85. I am not sure if it is mostly

distributive, cloud based movements are hard at times to define. But it gives good cover for actual antisemites.

This would be a good project for a journalist to undertake, sadly, as a Jew I cannot do that. Even if I denounced Israel with all my heart... a la Noam Chomsky, I would still be suspect. Why? Like him I am a tad critical of large portions of the movement. And I do agree that it does give cover.

Now under the buss with Chomsky... here some Chomsky on BDS... I guess he is not after all... critical of Israel (which has denied entry a few times in the recent past) becuase he dares be critical of them.

Though Chomsky seems to suggest that the right of return is a good thing. But he dismisses a one-state outcome as no less implausible than his view that there should be no states at all: The only slim hope for realizing (3) in more than token numbers is if longer-term developments lead to the erosion of the imperial borders imposed by France and Britain after World War I, which, like similar borders, have no legitimacy. This could lead to a “no-state solution”—the optimal one, in my view, and in the real world no less plausible than the “one-state solution” that is commonly, but mistakenly, discussed as an alternative to the international consensus.

-

See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/chomsky-bds-consensus#sthash.CLLmH8UA.dpuf

And Mondoweiss is pretty liberal, progressive and gasp, well never mind.

And then there is this piece in The Nation

http://www.thenation.com/article/israel-palestine-and-bds-chomsky-replies/

[U4ikLefty]

116. Bullshit. nt

[ecstatic]

98. We do this all the time here

We take one thing someone says or doesn't say (usually out of context), and if the person's background fits a certain narrative, we make assumptions about their motives and we demand that s/he gets fired / cancelled / boycotted / removed from a show.

In this case, some vocal members of BDS assumed that Matisyahu was anti-Palestinian because he's Jewish and they perceived some statements he's made to be pro-Israel. Based on the article, Matisyahu generally avoids taking sides in the conflict--so BDS basically tried to force him to choose a side and he wouldn't. BDS raised hell and the concert organizers folded to the pressure.

[Yavin4]

9. OT, a Spanish Reggae festival in Spain sounds awesome!

Simply awesome.

[Octafish]

12. The Spanish gave Fascism a Home

Loyalty Oaths are SOP since the Inquisition.

Going from Don Q, I'd say most of the 99% are decent folk -- a good chunk of the 1%, too.

[Agnosticsherbet]

22. So, according to the promoters, it is wrong to be Jewish but killing Gays is Cool.

Now that is quite a satatement.

[cali]

25. it's more about buckling to the pressure from bds

but yeah.

[Agnosticsherbet]

33. The singer was not Israeli, only Jewish.

Once a group takes that step from Boycotting a nation to boycotting Jews, it is no longer about BDS, in my opinion.

But, yes, I see what you mean.

[The Straight Story]

79. Maybe it's one of those #Xlivesmatter things that only focuses on one group.

And maybe the guy who wanted to perform they saw as a bernie sanders type, not doing enough in their eyes so they harassed him off stage to get attention.

Looks like it worked.

[cali]

87. not even close

[Agnosticsherbet]

97. Or the promoters are antisemitism who don't like gays.

Somethings are not about the election.

[The Straight Story]

99. I can understand that, but it is about 'value judgments'

I think they were wrong to not let him perform. I also think other groups are wrong in certain things.

If I point out one issue I apparently don't care about AA's. People claiming that, and calling me/others a white liberal supremacist are now in a similar position. They aren't Palestinians, etc and so on.

The core IDEA is that you can't have a valid opinion on something unless you are part of it.

The question is, how does that apply here? And are people who have a differing opinion somehow bigoted?

[Agnosticsherbet]

100. Matisyahu is a Jewish American not Israeli

"According to the festival's organizers, they canceled his performance because Matisyahu refused to issue a statement endorsing a Palestinian state."

It us clear that just being Jewish was sufficient to require a statement of support for a Palestinian state as if we Jewsomehow carry some kind of individual contagious because Israel is Jewish.

That is racism, and, specifically, antisemitism, and heterosexism.

A man who writes and sings about murdering gays is just music.

Heterosexism is a system of attitudes,bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that other people areheterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm[2] and therefore superior.

[The Straight Story]

101. Good, that is a start. Here is what I mean (based on what you said)

It us clear that just being Jewish was sufficient to require a statement of support for a Palestinian state as if we Jewsomehow carry some kind of individual contagious because Israel is Jewish.

It is clear to some that just being white in the US requires some things from some posters.

Sucks when people don't judge you based on you, but on how you were born.

[Agnosticsherbet]

102. This thread is not about white privilege, so that is off topic.

I would be happy to discuss that form of unconscious but real racism elsewhere.

[The Straight Story]

104. What this thread is about is principles:

When you take out certain ideals and apply them elsewhere.

What we have in the OP is, on a basic level, what we see elsewhere.

The players are different, the stage is as well, but there are core ideals and values that transcend it all.

If you believe X is true/right and then later reject those same ideals in different situations.......well, you may not actually believe in X.

Read what some have said on the blm/sanders thing and how getting attention was important to a cause (as but one example). Read further how some will judge others here based on race, and then see how they suddenly run from that in this case.

It's called consistency of values. Sometimes it sucks when someone else acts the same way, but when you give some a pass you might also be giving others a pass.

Food for thought.

[Agnosticsherbet]

109. I support BLM'S protests.

I have not been quiet about that.
I oppose belittling them because they brought up their issues with what many thought was the wrong candidate.
I oppose antisemitism, which is what happened in this case. This was not an Israeli citizen or business. An Israeli citizen would have been fair game if this were a protest.
Rejecting a singer simply because he is Jewish is racism.
I oppose advocating the murder af gays and wonder why that was not an issue.
Now, had I been in a position of power, they would both sing, even if I don't like the music.

[Syzygy321]

119. Every time someone makes a big point of the fact that he

wasn't Israeli, it implies that if he were Israeli this would have been fine and proper behavior.

Yeah, I don't get that. The guy's a singer. Where he was born is an accident of fate. If he had been born in Israel - same guy, same music - people think it would be right to do this??

I am baffled. How is birthplace-based discrimination any more acceptable than religion-based discrimination?

Example: The leader of North Korea is a psychopath. I don't blame NK citizens for his existence. Many of them probably hate him violently (like many Israelis hate the current government). I wouldn't be proud of silencing an artist because, " ooooh! you're from that bad country that I am taught to hate."

That's what passes for a protest movement: the silencing of artists?

Nope. Don't get it.

[Agnosticsherbet]

144. I support the right to protest, even if I don't agree with the protest.

and I don't agree with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement.

I think Israel is an acceptable target for a BDS protest, just as politicians are all an acceptable target for a #Blacklivesmatter protest. I extend that to companies, and even Israeli nationals. They share responsibility for the acts of their government even when they don't agree with their government.

I think targeting a Jew who is not a citizen of Israel slides in anti-Semitism.
I am Jewish, myself, but an American Citizen. I share the responsibility of what my government does in my name, even if I don't agree with it. For me, that is how citizenship works.

Now, do I think a music festival should protest in that way? No, it should be about the art. I said elsewhere that had I been in charge I would have let all the artists sing.

[Crunchy Frog]

156. Some historical context on cultural boycotts.

HUGE controversy when Paul Simon performed with black South African musicians in the 1980s, thereby violating a cultural boycott then in place against the Apartheid regime. I happen to think that Paul Simon was right, but a majority in the progressive artistic community at the time apparently did not.

Paul Simon's Graceland: the acclaim and the outrage

[Syzygy321]

157. Artists trying to silence artists is even more

bizarre to me than activists trying to silence artists.

I guess everyone loves a bandwagon, and a double-heaping of officious piety?

When musicians get hounded for not bowing down to a "liberal" group's demand for ideological correctness, the left has devoured its own young.

[stevenleser]

105. This person is an apolitical singer who readily admits he doesn't follow politics.

He is not a politician or activist and he has no interest in politics.

[The Straight Story]

107. Interesting

So you are critical of the actions this group took I take it?

That's good. And it's ok.

Now imagine someone labels you anti-palestinian over it, claims you hate them, that you think you are superior to them because you didn't agree with their tactics?

How is it we can discuss this incident and issue when most of us aren't from Palestine or Israel and not be labeled over it?

Is it possible one can have an intelligent (or not) view on an issue and not be racist and, furthermore, can we even be allowed to participate in the discussion using our own minds/experiences/ideals/etc when we don't belong directly to either group?

[stevenleser]

113. Nope, doesn't work, unless Bernie and his supporters are tennis fans and not running for

President and not supporting someone who runs for President. Then the analogy would work.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Well killing gays is ok, and antisemitism is ok

according to the organizers... how ahem lovely... NOT

[Bluenorthwest]

38. Also according to some DU posters.

nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. Yup. I have been saying for a while

that antisemitism was going to become more open. Sadly, hate of the gay has not been hidden, it's bee open.

[Sissyk]

52. I just need to drop you this post.

You may think that nobody pays attention, or that you haven't done a good job, of showing an overwhelming amount of hypocrisy on this site in the past month. Not just on this subject, but on several.

You have. You have opened my eyes on more than one subject, and I appreciate it.

Please, keep up the good work! More people will notice.

[Bluenorthwest]

91. Thanks.

It's just amazing what people get by with. I've been shaken badly by it. So thanks!

[Aerows]

114. You have been a stone

my friend - an edifice. If you've been shaken, my foundations have been nearly cracked by some of the things I've seen here lately.

[Aerows]

112. It's messed up

It's sad how bigots seem to flourish and those tired from fighting bigotry can barely have breakfast before they need to fight against the bigotry yet again.

[seveneyes]

44. The organizers need to be boycotted

I could not find where the organizers of this bullshit were identified. Any idea who the scumbags are?

[Sissyk]

50. Apparently, this is okay...

because.....ISRAEL!!

[ghostsinthemachine]

57. Oh man, Matisyahu is so cool tooo

So sad that politics has to figure into an event that can inspire unity and brotherhood and has instead turned into a whatever you wanna call it....

[JI7]

71. that's fucked up .too many bigots hide behind concern for palestinians

[Aerows]

111. Sad to see that bigoted

assholes are everywhere.

[Behind the Aegis]

115. Thank you cali for posting this.

It is "interesting" to watch the mental gymnastics some engage in when discussing anti-Semitism, or, in this case, how it isn't really anti-Semitism. So many non-Jewish people love to dictate to Jews what is and isn't anti-Semitism and who is and isn't anti-Semitic, usually while re-defining the word (i.e. "Palestinians are Semites, too." and "Jews can't be anti-Semites.&quot . It seems, as is with homophobia (Lindsey Graham), sometimes bigotry is "OK" depending on the target. Also, though not strictly related, but certainly in the same vein, I eagerly await the scads of threads accusing Menendez of being "more loyal to Israel", "a dual citizen", a "traitor", being the "D-Tel Aviv", and "looking for his 30 pieces of silver". Oh wait...he's Roman Catholic.

This type of anti-Semitism is foul, but more common than many want to accept or even believe. It doesn't help when there are false accusations or stretching of the truth, but then again, it is similar to cases of rape and sexual assault; there is always someone who comes along as says "see...SEE....this person lied about it (made a false accusation), therefore all cases are suspect!!"

To paraphrase President Obama:

"Anti-Semitism— we are not cured of it. And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say 'kike' in public. That's not the measure of whether anti-Semitism still exists or not. It's not just a matter of overt discrimination. Societies don't, overnight, completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior."

His original statement, about racism, is, IMO, one of the most profound things he has said in regards to race. Sadly, it applies here too, just for different reasons. It literally could be said about a variety of different groups, and that is just a pathetic and sad statement on our times.

[cali]

129. thanks A. I wouldn't say I'm beginning to regret it

but I wish it weren't so hard for some people to get.

[Behind the Aegis]

122. Bring in the Nuns!

What is interesting is Spain finally "apologized" for the expulsion of Jews not too long ago, and one town "Kill the Jews" (Matajudios), Spain changed their name, much to the chagrin of a few "liberals".

[Behind the Aegis]

124. No, it didn't go that route, it went the more predictable one....

"...but, but, but....what about X!? What somebody think about X!!" You know how it is, the topic is anti-Semitism, but everything else under the sun must be discussed first.

[Behind the Aegis]

126. I know, but what can one expect.

Spanish village drops 'kill Jews' name came not too long after Spain apologized for throwing out Jews 'back in the day.'

[oberliner]

130. It is not because he is Jewish

It is because he recently performed at a pro-Zionist music festival organized by Chloe Valdary and expressed insensitive opinions about Palestinians in a few interviews.

Had he been a Jewish performer who spoke out against Israeli war crimes and in support of the Palestinians, I don't think there would've been any issue from the BDS movement regarding his participation in the festival.

I certainly do not agree with his being booted, but I don't think it's fair to suggest that he was asked to issue a statement endorsing a Palestinian state just because he is Jewish.

[stevenleser]

131. It's because he is Jewish. He performs lots of places. He is apolitical

He tries to avoid talking about politics at all because it doesn't interest him.

The few statements he made were because people cornered him and he admitted he really didn't know much about the situation, he was repeating what he had heard basically.

[oberliner]

133. It's not

I get what you are saying, but if he were a Jewish person who espoused the ideals of the BDS movement, they would not have targeted him. Similarly, if he was not Jewish but made comments that appeared to be insensitive towards Palestinians and was the headline performer at an explicitly pro-Zionist festival (as he was in April), the BDS-ers probably would have still tried to get him booted.

Again, I want to reiterate that I do not support his being removed from the festival, but I think it is important to characterize the BDS movement's position in this fairly so that the argument against their actions can be made on its own merits. I think they are crossing a dangerous line from boycotting Israeli institutions to boycotting people just because they may be Zionists. The precedent being set here has potentially disturbing consequences (one that would disproportionately impact Jewish people).

[Syzygy321]

137. Beloved followers: In our bright new society

fhere is no room for hatred or divisiveness. You must all have the correct ideology, which will be told to you by us - your beloved revolutionary leaders. People who disturb society with destructive ideas will henceforth be sent to the countryside for a program of re-education.

[Bluenorthwest]

138. And yet this festival is happy to present 'artists' who advocate the murder of gay people. How

do you manage to present that as the action of some highly principled guardian of minority rights? Their position is 'No Jews but gay haters are our friends'. How is that ok with you? Why does their embrace of murder music dedicated to hating one minority group not enter into your stretch to defend what they have done, which is ban a Jew and invite anti gay hate mongers?

Capleton, the horrific bigot this festival is promoting as some sort of genius, openly calls for the murder of LGBT people in lyrics like this:
"Shoulda know seh Capleton bun battyman [burn gays]/ Dem same fire apply to di lesbian/ All boogaman [gays] and sodomites fi get killed."
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/jamaicas-anti-gay-murder-music-carries-violent-message

[oberliner]

139. I just wrote that I oppose his being booted from the festival

My only point was that BDS targeted him because of their perception of his views on Israel and Zionism and his insensitive remarks about Palestinians, not because he was Jewish.

It is, of course, pathetic that the festival would force him to make a political statement under threat of removing him from the festival if he refused and required no such actions from any of the other performers, including the anti-gay performer that you mention.

This was a direct result of relentless pressure from BDS-ers who can be extremely efficient at achieving their single-minded goals.

Had a group like BDS (but in support of LGBT rights) pressured the festival to remove that other performer for his comments about gay people, perhaps the result would have been the same.

In any case, I think it is important to criticize the BDS movement as well as the festival organizers for their actions without muddying the waters by implying or outright asserting that said actions were based solely on the performer being Jewish.

[Bluenorthwest]

151. You see my actual assertion is that the promoters are just wildly bigoted people who don't mind

open prejudice and in fact celebrate it in song. Their actions were based on them being bigotry friendly.

[cali]

143. the point is that it's McCarthy tactics to demand a non-Israeli Jew

Swear he supports the Palestinian cause.

[oberliner]

145. Agreed

But do you think it is simply the fact of his being Jewish that made him a target of BDS? I personally do not (and I am no fan of the BDS-ers).

[JI7]

159. that would be like saying Obama's birth place is in question because of where his father was born

not because he is black. also many who support bds are anti jewish. i don't just mean a few either. it seems more are than aren't.

[leftynyc]

140. Thank you for posting this story, Cali

I saw it on the I/P board also but that doesn't get nearly the exposure. While some of the posts have quite literally made me nauseous, it's been very enlightening.

[leftynyc]

146. The festival has re-invited Matisyahu

Not sure if Cali can edit the OP at this late time but they have apparently changed their mind.

http://www.vox.com/2015/8/18/9173239/matisyahu-bds

Update: The Rototom festival has reversed itself, reinstating Matisyahu's invitation to perform. Also, the Valencia BDS chapter issued a statement defending its decision but stating that it had acted outside the cultural boycott guidelines outlined by the larger BDS movement.

[Liberal_in_LA]

154. good

[leftynyc]

147. A link with more meat on it about the re-invite

https://www.yahoo.com/music/s/world-jewish-group-sends-pm-letter-over-concert-083347575.html

[randome]

149. How did they know he was Jewish?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[oberliner]

150. Do you know Matisyahu?

His Jewish-ness is central to his life and his public personae.

[Codeine]

153. He's pretty stealthy about it.

[oberliner]

160. Matisyahu to Perform at Spanish Festival After All

The hip-hop artist Matisyahu has decided to perform at the Rototom Sunsplash reggae music festival in Spain following days of negotiations with organizers who had dropped him as part of an effort to boycott Israel.

Festival organizers announced August 15 they had canceled Matisyahu’s August 22 performance after he refused to sign a statement or make a video endorsing a Palestinian state. Days later, after outcries from the Jewish and international music communities, the organizers changed their tune and again invited him to perform.

“Today music wins,” Matisyahu said Friday on Facebook, while confirming that he will perform. “I have always believed in the power of music to unite all people, regardless of religion, politics or geography. This was an excruciating decision, as I felt that my core, essential being was being used as a pawn for political convenience. It is my deep conviction however that acceptance and the ability for rebirth allow us to move forward.”

http://www.newsweek.com/matisyahu-perform-spanish-festival-after-all-364934