Matisyahu performance in Spain cancelled amid pressure from BDS movement - Polidicks

[url]http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Matisyahu-performance-in-Spain-cancelled-amid-pressure-from-BDS-movement-412252[/url] [quote]The annual reggae music festival Rototom Sunsplash that takes place in Benicassim, north of Valencia, Spain cancelled its scheduled appearance by famed Jewish rapper Matisyahu, Spanish daily El Pais reported Saturday. Valencia has developed a strong BDS campaign and organizers have accused the Jewish artist of being a "Zionist" who supports the practice of "apartheid and ethnic cleansing." The Rototo organization conceded to pressures from the BDS movement, ultimately cancelling the performance after they issued Matisyahu an ultimatum to sign a statement supporting a Palestinian state, which he refused to do. Born Matthew Miller, Matisyahu has been the most visibly Jewish artist in the hip-hop world since his debut album "Shake Off the Dust... Arise" was produced by JDub Records in 2004.[/quote]

Antisemitism is running strong, bet BDS believe the jewish bankers are conspiring for world domination or some other loony conspiracy theories that could only have come from places like stormfront.

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;48471028]Antisemitism is running strong, bet BDS believe the jewish bankers are conspiring for world domination or some other loony conspiracy theories that could only have come from places like stormfront.[/QUOTE] Because if you're against Israel bombing a practically defenseless people you're an anti-semite nazi who has adolf hitler tattoed on your dick.

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;48471028]Antisemitism is running strong, bet BDS believe the jewish bankers are conspiring for world domination or some other loony conspiracy theories that could only have come from places like stormfront.[/QUOTE] BDS is great, its pretty much the only international movement bringing any sort of accountability for Israel's actions. Its pretty much a smear to associate BDS with stormfront, especially when Jews, Israelis, and even some Zionists are on board with it.

Artists shouldn't be denied performance based on their views however extreme they may be, especially if their views have nothing to do with their art to begin with.

[QUOTE=Megadave;48471120]Because if you're against Israel bombing a practically defenseless people you're an anti-semite nazi who has adolf hitler tattoed on your dick.[/QUOTE] That's absolutely retarded. The "defenseless" people have been shooting rockets at Israel and Israel tries its hardest to minimize civilian casualties. I don't understand why people think Israel wants to kill as many Palestinians as possible.

Svinnik, People think Israel is trying to kill as many Palestinians as possible is because, y'know all those firebombings from settlers, Rockets straight into UNICEF Shelters, the works.

[QUOTE=Billy-Bobfred;48471467]Svinnik, People think Israel is trying to kill as many Palestinians as possible is because, y'know all those firebombings from settlers, Rockets straight into UNICEF Shelters, the works.[/QUOTE] Rockets are being shot from right next to UN buildings. [video=youtube;pGOUXS7KPNI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGOUXS7KPNI[/video] The UN actually acknowledged that their schools were being used to store rockets. [URL="http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/unrwa-strongly-condemns-placement-rockets-school"]http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/unrwa-strongly-condemns-placement-rockets-school[/URL] About the settler thing, the Israelis hate it. Look at the example of Baruch Goldstein. After his terrorist attack, the Israels took down an entire political party. They also destroyed Goldstein's memorial. [QUOTE]The Israeli government condemned the massacre and responded by arresting followers of Meir Kahane, criminalizing the Kach movement and affiliated movements as terrorist, forbidding certain Israeli settlers from entering Palestinian towns and demanding that those settlers turn in their army-issued rifles,[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Lamar;48471121]BDS is great, its pretty much the only international movement bringing any sort of accountability for Israel's actions. Its pretty much a smear to associate BDS with stormfront, especially when Jews, Israelis, and even some Zionists are on board with it.[/QUOTE] There's nothing great in cancelling a performance just because the singer doesn't support their ideas. This festival is supposed to bring entertainment and joy but instead its being polluted with politics.

[QUOTE=Svinnik;48471460]That's absolutely retarded. The "defenseless" people have been shooting rockets at Israel and Israel tries its hardest to minimize civilian casualties. I don't understand why people think Israel wants to kill as many Palestinians as possible.[/QUOTE] Retarded is gradually taking bits and bits of a country and expecting them to just lay down.

[QUOTE=Billy-Bobfred;48471467]Svinnik, People think Israel is trying to kill as many Palestinians as possible is because, y'know all those firebombings from settlers, Rockets straight into UNICEF Shelters, the works.[/QUOTE] If Israel was trying to kill as many Palestinians as possible: they'd all be dead already. Israel is just trying to kill as few of their own as possible, and that means hanging back and using weapons that cover long ranges and large areas, which are going to also cause collateral damage. The people who want as many dead Palestinians as they can get are Hamas because it builds propaganda, that's why they deliberately operate near or out of schools, hospitals, and UN establishments, and why they disarm the bodies of their fighters so the media will report them as civilians. Israel has been willing to allow a free and independent Palestine for decades, heck the Israeli government that established the nation was the same group who first proposed the two state solution, the reason this conflict never ends and the blood keeps rising is because of groups like Hamas who care nothing for the welfare of their people.

[QUOTE=Megadave;48471945]Retarded is gradually taking bits and bits of a country and expecting them to just lay down.[/QUOTE] There was no country there before Israel. Palestine was a territory of the British Empire

[QUOTE=asteroidrules;48471983][b]If Israel was trying to kill as many Palestinians as possible: they'd all be dead already.[/b][/QUOTE] Exactly. And then they'd be clearly seen as the perpetrators of genocide that they are. But they don't want to be labeled that, because it would hurt their international image. So they commit smaller atrocities and attacks under the guise of "defense". It'd be different if they weren't building settlements on their illegally-claimed land, or executing ambushes on rock-throwing teenagers with live ammunition, or committing the host of other offensive acts that they are doing. But to claim that they are just "defending" themselves is absolute horseshit.

[QUOTE=J$ Psychotic;48472289]Exactly. And then they'd be clearly seen as the perpetrators of genocide that they are. But they don't want to be labeled that, because it would hurt their international image. So they commit smaller atrocities and attacks under the guise of "defense". It'd be different if they weren't building settlements on their illegally-claimed land, or executing ambushes on rock-throwing teenagers with live ammunition, or committing the host of other offensive acts that they are doing. But to claim that they are just "defending" themselves is absolute horseshit.[/QUOTE] Lay off the /pol/ lol, if you think anything that is happening in Israel constitutes as "genocide" you should pick up a dictionary or better yet a history book.

[QUOTE=Sovietzek;48472390]Lay off the /pol/ lol, if you think anything that is happening in Israel constitutes as "genocide" you should pick up a dictionary or better yet a history book.[/QUOTE] Refute my point. My point is your government's offensive actions are unjust and unfairly target civilians systematically. Explain the justifications behind the settler constructions, or the ambushes, or the whole slew of offenses that the Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (link to the PDF here: [url]http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/12session/A-HRC-12-48.pdf[/url]) found. And for the record, I don't browse /pol/. I'd prefer if you kept ad hominem attacks out of this. I'd like to state, also, that I'm not anti-Israel. I don't want to see the Jews destroyed, I have no animosity towards any ethnic group, and I think Israel deserves to exist. But I have a hard time accepting what's going on.

[QUOTE=Svinnik;48472157]There was no country there before Israel. Palestine was a territory of the British Empire[/QUOTE] Does mandatory palestine not count as a country? What about when it was still ottoman?

Little update: The festival directors posted a reply regarding the story. [quote]The festival directors point of view about what happened with Matisyahu: “It was easy for many people to say that because Matisyahu was canceled, [b]it meant the Rototom was accepting the pressure of an association (which was denouncing hardly with its words and actions) which lead to a boycott of the festival.[/b] The Rototom has suffered many boycotts along its 24 years of existence, but the people of the festival have always had faith in the actions and the thoughts of the festival, which was never influenced by the extorsions of people using power. [b]We have not supported the petition of a fanatic political representative who never decided to contact us but went to the press.[/b] Sincerely, we would have liked having Matisyahu with us, to share messages of peace and universal brotherhood. The thing is, in a way, we have faced two extremisms : on one side an association which would not listen to reasonable things and which treats everything with "either you are with us or against us", and on the other side an artist who, to a simple (and legitimate) question about the war as an instrument to solve conflicts (of ALL wars), decided not to answer many times.[/quote] Full post: [url]https://www.facebook.com/rototomsunsplashofficial/posts/10153362968211743:0[/url]

[QUOTE=Megadave;48471120]Because if you're against Israel bombing a practically defenseless people you're an anti-semite nazi who has adolf hitler tattoed on your dick.[/QUOTE] No, it's when you target Jewish people who have no relation to Israel except the fact that their Jewish is when you become an anti-Semite Nazi who has Adolf Hitler tattooed on your dick, which just turns out to be happening a lot in Europe these days.

[QUOTE=Svinnik;48471460]That's absolutely retarded. The "defenseless" people have been shooting rockets at Israel and Israel tries its hardest to minimize civilian casualties. I don't understand why people think Israel wants to kill as many Palestinians as possible.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;48471028]Antisemitism is running strong, bet BDS believe the jewish bankers are conspiring for world domination or some other loony conspiracy theories that could only have come from places like stormfront.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=TornadoAP;48479335]No, it's when you target Jewish people who have no relation to Israel except the fact that their Jewish is when you become an anti-Semite Nazi who has Adolf Hitler tattooed on your dick, which just turns out to be happening a lot in Europe these days.[/QUOTE] I feel the need to point out that antizionist does not equal antisemite. You can be very supportive of jewish people and still be against what Israel is doing. Does me being against the Guantanamo prison facilities make me an anti-american? No. Israel has launched military attacks on Palestine. Some people in Palestine have launched attacks on Israel, no debate there. I, and many others believe that Israel has every right to defend themselves, even with military force if needed. The problem I and others have is that Israels retaliation is completely proportional and ridiculously extreme. Israel has caused far more problems for the peaceful Palestinian community than vice versa, by bombing to extreme amounts (and hitting many innocents in the process) and by expanding into territories they aren't supposed. Israel even jails and silences Jewish people who are vocally against this. THAT'S where I have problems. To be frank, I believe that Israels current approach just creates more terrorism than it gets rid of. And if you wish to debate this, do so head on, not by dancing around with a bunch of rhetoric.

[QUOTE=RzDat;48478971]Little update: The festival directors posted a reply regarding the story. Full post: [URL]https://www.facebook.com/rototomsunsplashofficial/posts/10153362968211743:0[/URL][/QUOTE] This is important: [QUOTE]The thing is, in a way, we have faced [B]two extremisms[/B] : on one side an association which would not listen to reasonable things and which treats everything with "either you are with us or against us", and on the other side an artist who, to a simple (and legitimate) question about the war as an instrument to solve conflicts (of ALL wars), decided not to answer many times.[/QUOTE] So one extremism is BDS's "either you are with us or against us", and the other is a Jewish (not even Israeli!) artist's refusal to take a side (and not even, say, have the wrong opinion on the issue). Did they survey all the other participating artists with "simple and legitimate" questions to make sure they're on the right side of everything to do with global politics?

Update: The Rototom [URL="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/spanish-reggae-fest-invites-matisyahu-back-after-govt-condemnation-20150819"]apologized to Matisyahu[/URL] and invited him to return. [QUOTE]However, on Wednesday, Rototom organizers issued a statement admitting that they had made a "mistake" and offered Matisyahu his August 22nd slot back. "Rototom Sunsplash rejects anti-Semitism and any form of discrimination towards the Jewish community; we respect both their culture as religious beliefs and we sincerely apologize for what has occurred," the statement read. "Rototom Sunsplash would like to publicly apologize to Matisyahu for having canceled his concert and invite him to perform at the festival next Saturday 22 August, as was initially programmed in the lineup."[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Other artists at Rototom Sunsplash threatened to back out of the fest since they felt Matisyahu was "seen to represent Israel," and the festival replaced the performer with reggae artist Etana. But organizers later admitted their wrongdoing, noting that they "made a mistake due to the boycott and [B]the campaign of pressure, coercion and threats employed by the BDS País Valencià[/B] because it was perceived that the normal functioning of the festival could be threatened. All of which prevented the organization from reasoning clearly as to how to deal with the situation properly."[/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/matisyahu-agrees-to-play-at-controversial-spanish-reggae-fest-20150821"]Matisyahu accepted the apology[/URL] and ended up playing in the festival. [QUOTE]"Today, music wins," he wrote on Facebook. "Spain, this Saturday Aug 22nd. 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.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]"I support peace and compassion for all people," Matisyahu told Rolling Stone of the controversy. "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.[/QUOTE]

The Israeli government's done some shady shit and it's horrible that no Western countries seem to actually try calling them out, but saying they're trying to commit genocide against Palestinians is pushing it way too far.

[QUOTE=Jamsponge;48521768]The Israeli government's done some shady shit and it's horrible that no Western countries seem to actually try calling them out, but saying they're trying to commit genocide against Palestinians is pushing it way too far.[/QUOTE] What has any of that got to do with Matisyahu?

[QUOTE=ScumBunny;48521791]What has any of that got to do with Matisyahu?[/QUOTE] Talking about the earlier bullshit in the thread. I'm glad he got back on; I hadn't quite noticed that the earlier posts are a fair few days old.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QY8Ya9BQVQ[/media] Once again the BDS show their true faces.