Foreign Ministry: Spanish festival's boycott of US Jew Matisyahu proves BDS is anti-Semitic

[grossproffit]

If you plan on going to the Sunsplash Rototom Reggae festival in Spain this week, you better not speak the Language of the Hebrewman. If you do, they might kick you out.

The festival's cancellation of a scheduled August 22 appearance by Jewish-American reggae artist Matisyahu under pressure from Boycott Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) activists unmasks the anti-Semitic nature of that movement, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Sunday.

“We always said that BDS was not connected to the Palestinian issue or the settlements but was nothing more than Jew hatred,” spokesman says after music festival drops American Jewish artist."

Matisyahu, Nachshon stressed, is not Israeli.

The 22-year-old music festival, which was founded in Italy but since 2009 takes place in Benicassim, north of Valencia, cancelled the scheduled appearance of Matisyahu following intense pressure from the BDS movement in Valencia to cancel the performance, saying the once-hassidic rapper has “participated in pro-Zionist festivals and has said that Palestine does not exist.”

Last Tuesday the festival, facing a boycott by five of the 250 artists booked for the week-long festival, wrote on its Facebook page that they contacted Matisyahu to determine his positions on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that the singer said that despite his support for Israel, he has never inserted his political positions into his shows.

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Foreign-Ministry-Spanish-festivals-boycott-of-US-Jew-Matisyahu-proves-BDS-is-anti-Semitic-412286?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

[BillZBubb]

1. They are really grasping at straws on that one.

If the singer has expressed support for the settlements, he's a legitimate target.

[shira]

14. You're surprised? n/t

[grossproffit]

5. He's right on the money. This is nothing more than Jew hatred. Period.

[leftynyc]

8. So any Jewish person

having an opinion you don't approve should be a target of BDS? I guess that would make it okay for me to trash every single person who thinks wearing a headscarf is ok because I THINK it's nothing but disgusting misogyny. That's a slippery slope you're going to regret going down. BDS just showed their ugly undies.

[MADem]

2. Matthew Paul Miller is a very talented musician.

He grew up in White Plains, NY. He goes by the stage name Matisyahu and he makes good music. He's into short hair these days, but he had a brief flirtation with the orthodox lifestyle...I think he's still on a religious journey, but I don't follow his career that closely.

He sings about stuff like peace and love.

[King_David]

3. As if any further proof were needed

The BDS movement really is shamelessly and brazenly more openly antisemitic every day.

Coming at us from the extreme right and extreme left.

[grossproffit]

6. See post #1

[leftynyc]

9. It's been disgustingly obvious

for anyone who has been paying the least bit of attention.

[shira]

19. They ban Matisyahu but welcome Capleton's anti-Gay murder music...

http://www.willitsnews.com/20101119/capleton-booking-upsets-murder-music-activists
http://gayjamaicawatch.blogspot.com/2014/06/murder-music-act-capleton-performed.html
http://gaycitynews.nyc/fight-jamaican-murder-music-steps-new-york/
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/jamaicas-anti-gay-murder-music-carries-violent-message

There's no fucking way any decent person involved with this festival could not know this.

At least it's consistent, as they also tolerate Hamas' incitement to murder Jews.

Jews, gays....what's the difference to these fascists?

The true face of BDS.

[leftynyc]

22. Doesn't surprise me even a little

Precisely why nobody with any power or real voice in this country wants anything to do with BDS. It would be the death of their reputation.

[shira]

18. Anti-Gay homophobe invited to Sunsplash despite his murder-music

And that has advocates like Britain's leading gay rights veteran Peter Tatchell up in arms. A few years ago, along with Jamaican groups, Tatchell launched the Stop Murder Music campaign, aimed at bringing the genre to heel. Tatchell has recently succeeded in convincing some of the most notoriously homophobic figures in reggae and dancehall music to stop singing violently anti-gay lyrics like Jamaica-based artist Capleton's hit "More Prophet": "Shoulda know seh Capleton bun battyman (burn gays)/ Dem same fire apply to di lesbian/ All boogaman (gays) and sodomites fi get killed."

http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1650585,00.html

What do you expect? I haven't found anyone from BDS willing to stand up for gays in Gaza when Hamas murders them, so why not invite a gay-hating homophobe who advocates murder while simultaneously banning the Jew? You've gotta admire the consistency.

[Little Tich]

7. I'm not so sure that this is a case of anti-Semitism.

Matisyahu seems to be the only dissenting voice at a pro-Palestinian festival. Apparently, one of the requirements for being allowed to participate was to publicly voice support for a Palestinian state. It would seem logical that anyone who refuses to publicly state support for a Palestinian state wouldn't be allowed to participate, Jew or not. Matisyahu declined to endorse Palestinian statehood - therefore, his gig was cancelled.

While cancelling gigs due to the performers' political views might be questionable, this doesn't seem to me like a case of anti-Semitism. It really doesn't help that the geniuses at the Israeli Foreign Ministry invent cases of anti-Semitism.

Then again, I might be wrong about this. I just base my opinion on what I read in the news.

[oberliner]

10. Everything you have written here is incorrect

Publicly voicing support for a Palestinian state is not one of the requirements for being allowed to participate. The organizers of the festival had already invited him to participate in the festival and were well aware of who he was. BDS made it their business to get him out of the festival.

No other participant was asked to make any kind of statement, and Matisyahu was only asked to do so after pressure from BDS activists. Matthew Miller (Matisyahu) is not an Israeli citizen, but rather an American Jew who does not live in Israel.

It is noteworthy that the festival is not interested in the opinions of other participants on policies of Iran, the Islamic State, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah (and, obviously, neither is the BDS movement).

[grossproffit]

11. BDS = Judenfrei

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[Little Tich]

12. The TOI article about it strongly implies that membership in the pro-Palestinian cheerleading squad

is mandatory for being allowed to participate in the Rototom Sunsplash.

Here's a snippet from that article:

In a statement on Facebook, Rototom organizers said that the move was linked to “the festival’s sensitivity to Palestine, its people and the occupation of its territory by Israel.”

The front page of the Valencia-based festival’s website features a two-and-a-half hour video on pro-Palestinian activists holding Palestinian flags and decrying Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.

Local BDS activists welcomed the move after accusing the Jewish rapper of being a “Zionist” and “defending a state that practices apartheid and ethnic cleansing” on a link posted on his Facebook page.

Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/spanish-fest-cancels-matisyahu-gig-over-refusal-to-endorse-palestinian-state/


Then there's the article from El Pais in Spanish that the TOI article is based on, which is very informative:
http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2015/08/15/actualidad/1439672129_522951.html

My skepticism about this being a case of anti-Semitism remains.

[oberliner]

13. He was invited to perform

The organizers of the festival invited him to perform there.

After that, BDS began a campaign to get him un-invited.

The initial response to that campaign (from JPost):

Last Tuesday, the festival, facing a boycott by five of the 250 artists booked for the weeklong festival, wrote on its Facebook page that they contacted Matisyahu to determine his positions on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that the singer said that despite his support for Israel, he has never inserted his political positions into his shows.

“We have never invited anyone to the festival who intends to spread hate messages, and this criteria has been used in exactly the same way when inviting Matisyahu here. In light of the controversy, we have contacted Matisyahu to find out his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict and on Zionism,” the organizers wrote.

They said Matisyahu made clear that “he has never been a political activist and does not bring his personal views to his performances or song lyrics. The fact that he supports Israel does not in itself mean he backs their policies of violence against the Palestinians, so we did not consider it necessary to exclude him from the festival on these grounds.”

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Foreign-Ministry-Spanish-festivals-boycott-of-US-Jew-Matisyahu-proves-BDS-is-anti-Semitic-412286?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

Thus, the festival organizers who invited Matisyahu communicated with him in response to pressure from BDS - received his response with respect to his political positions - and were comfortable enough with his responses to allow him to perform.

I would again point out that this person is not Israeli, does not represent the Israeli government in any way, and does not receive any funding from Israel for his performance. He is an American Jew.

An American Jew who was invited to perform, who, under pressure from BDS, was questioned about his positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Zionism in general, and gave answers that the festival organizers found to be acceptable.

But in the face of this, BDS ramped up its campaign and managed to get him booted.

[Little Tich]

16. The JPost article isn't very clear - From what I've read in the Spanish news,

the organizers didn't know anything about about Matisyahu's statements and involvment in DYF 3.0, and invited him in good faith. It wasn't until his statements became widely known and 5 other artists threatened to skip the festival, that Matisyahu was given a choice to make a statement that would effectively repudiate his earlier statements or else be uninvited.

Here's the statement about the Gaza flotilla that was considered offensive:
The moment when Matisyahu lost his cool
Source: Jewish Chronicle, June 17, 2010
(snip)

Oh boy," he says, fiddling with his grey beard and peyot. "I am blown away by the one-sided media coverage. Whether or not the ships should have been bringing aid to Gaza, those territorial waters belong to Israel - it's internationally agreed. They were warned repeatedly not to go there. But when the Israeli soldiers came onto the ships they were lynched; they were shot, stabbed, and beaten with poles. They were meant to be peace activists and they've got Molotov cocktails! Did you see the footage? It's not Israelis beating up peace activists - they're slamming the soldiers one at a time with metal poles!"

He is shouting now, and fiddling more intently with his peyot.

"Do you honestly believe that, if someone was in the English Channel, the British navy would do anything but blow the crap out of the boat, just blow it out of the water? But still people are going to think Israel behaved horribly. As it is, Israel gives tons of aid to Gaza. And they told the people on the ship to go over to dry land and they'd bring the aid with those people overseeing it. But they [the activists] wanted to instigate whatever they wanted to. It's anarchy." He stops eating for a moment, then looks down. "No other country," he says with a heavy sigh, "would put up with the crap that Israel does."

(end snip)

Source: http://www.thejc.com/arts/music/33123/the-moment-when-matisyahu-lost-his-cool


His other crime was that he participated in the 3rd annual Declare Your Freedom at Tulane University:
Matisyahu headlining pro-Zionist festival in New Orleans
Source: Southern Jewish Life Magazine

Reggae star Matisyahu is headlining this year’s DYF 3.0, a pro-Zionist festival held at Tulane University on April 12.

Joining Matisyahu on the free program will be the Rebirth Brass Band, Mystic Dad and the Ori Naftali Blues Band, the first Israeli group to reach the semi-finals of the International Blues Competition in Memphis.

Chloe Valdary of Allies for Israel at the University of New Orleans and Maor Shapira of Tulane University Students Supporting Israel are organizing the event, which will start at 2 p.m. on the LBC Quad.

There will be free food along with food trucks selling their items. Henna tattoos will be available, along with an art gallery, bazaar and a jam session for those who bring their own guitars.

Read more: http://www.sjlmag.com/2015/04/matisyahu-headlining-pro-zionist.html

NB: DYF 3.0 was endorsed by the Dersh, no less...

Here's a link to an article in Spanish that's informative, and where I got the above info:
http://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2015-08-15/el-rototom-decide-anular-el-concierto-del-hebreo-matisyahu-por-presiones_971169/

Anyway, there's enough evidence that points towards that he was booted from the festival because of his political views and statements, not because he was Jewish. I must really point out, though, that I'm not comfortable with banning artists from performing due to their political views.

[shira]

20. You give SunSplash the benefit of the doubt despite their inviting Capleton....

....whose murder-music incites hatred and violence against gays?

http://www.willitsnews.com/20101119/capleton-booking-upsets-murder-music-activists
http://gayjamaicawatch.blogspot.com/2014/06/murder-music-act-capleton-performed.html
http://gaycitynews.nyc/fight-jamaican-murder-music-steps-new-york/
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/jamaicas-anti-gay-murder-music-carries-violent-message

How much longer will Leftists keep making excuses for the rot that permeates throughout the BDS movement?

[shira]

26. I think you nailed it. n/t

[Little Tich]

27. Perhaps they invited him in good faith too, like they did with Mastiasy?

Why should he not perform, if it was wrong to boot Mastiasy? You seem to be arguing that Mastiasy never should have been invited in the first place, but that wouldn't make sense. I'm not sure I follow your reasoning here...

[grossproffit]

30. SMDH!

[shira]

37. Capleton has been known to incite hate against gays...

...for years with the lyrics contained within his murder-music while live onstage. He should've never been invited.

Matisyahu did nothing wrong whatsoever.

[shira]

15. Nah...just more proof of BDS fascism & thought control.

Why didn't these wonderful BDS humanitarians ask whether all Spanish artists support Catalan independence? Or whether Turkish artists are against Turkey's illegal occupation of Cyprus?



Why not ask all these artists to condemn & then boycott fascists (like Hamas) who represent everything the anti-Imperialist BDS Left pretends to be against? In fact, anyone offering apologetics for fascist dictatorship & tyranny (as BDS'ers often do...Gaddafi, Putin, Hamas, Castro) should be tossed out.

=================

Agree?

[leftynyc]

24. Keep making excuses

for an organization that is CLEARLY antisemitic and now known to be anti-gay as well. And the far left wonders why their reputation is in complete tatters. Could it be the repulsive hypocrisy?

[Little Tich]

28. You can be angry about this fake case of anti-Semitism if you want.

I reserve my anger for the genuine cases of anti-Semitism, which are common enough, unfortunately.

[Little Tich]

31. So his political views are Jewish now?

For me it seems as if anyone with similar views on Palestinians would have been booted from the festival, Jewish or not.

[Little Tich]

33. Please, don't misunderstand me - I think Matisyahu should have been allowed to perform.

I just don't think this is a case of anti-Semitism.

[leftynyc]

35. So you expect the Jewish

man to sign a McCarthyite loyalty oath? And you don't have a problem with that? That's pretty fucking appalling.

[leftynyc]

34. Fake?

This guy is NOT Israeli - he's merely Jewish and they still booted him. BDS CLAIMS they're boycotting Israeli and Israeli products. This "fake" story CLEARLY shows what bullshit BDS is and you still defend them. Un-fucking-believable.

[leftynyc]

36. To make things clear

You don't think it's outrageous they want a Jew to sign a loyalty oath (and don't think it's antisemitic - all evidence to the contrary), and you have nothing to say about BDS allowing a singer who sings about killing gays to play. And this is the organization you support. Do I have that right? You still support BDS?

[Little Tich]

38. Do you think a non-Jewish artist with the same anti-Palestinian views would have been allowed

to play?

I think that a non-Jewish artist with the same views would have been told to repudiate them in the same way as Mastiyahu. therefore, I can't say that this is a case of anti-Semitism.

When it comes to BDS, I don't buy products made in the settlements, nor do I deal with with some companies that do business in the settlements. I buy Israeli products regularly, as they're not related to BDS. I frankly don't give a damn about the self proclaimed leaders of BDS. They don't reflect my views, simply because I'm not an idiot.

[leftynyc]

39. I don't think a non-Jewish artist

would even have been ASKED the question and unless you have evidence to the contrary - that every single person performing was asked about their feelings about the I/P issue (and I do mean every single person performing - singers and their bandmates) - it most certainly IS antisemitic to ONLY ask the Jewish artist. That you don't recognize that is entirely your problem.

[shira]

17. Sunsplash bans Matisyahu, but happy to host gay-bashing homophobe...

https://twitter.com/sunsplash_es/status/578604641136422913

Rototom Sunsplash es
?@sunsplash_es
Human rights & justice for all rise an neva fall, fireburn for KING SHANGO @capletonmusic confirmed! #WaitingRototom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capleton

Capleton has faced criticism for anti-gay lyrics in some of his songs though homosexuality remains illegal in his native Jamaica.[16] His manager has argued that some of the controversial lyrics have been mistranslated and do not actually refer to gays.[1] Capleton himself has admitted that through his Rastafari faith he believes that a homosexual lifestyle is not right, but has insisted that terms such as "burn" and "fire" are not to be understood in the literal sense "to go out and burn and kill people", but as a metaphor for "purification" and cleansing.[1] As part of an agreement to end the Stop Murder Music campaign, Capleton and other artists allegedly signed the Reggae Compassionate Act (RCA) in 2007.[17][18]

However, Capleton has continued to sing songs that some claim violate the RCA, causing the cancellation of a concert in Switzerland in 2008 and a United States tour in 2010,[19][20]

[shira]

21. Matisyahu Banned - But 'Burn the Gays' Singer Allowed

Music festival accused of anti-Semitism says it pulled Jewish artist over 'human rights' - so why is a violently homophobic singer allowed?

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/199591

[Mosby]

23. Spain is the most antisemitic country in europe

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2020/spain-anti-semitic

[leftynyc]

40. The festival has re-invited Matisyahu

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