Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumCancellation of Matisyahu’s Performance Blatantly Defies BDS
[font color = "red"]The assholes @ Mondoweiss removed this post for obvious reasons.[/font]
Jewish American rapper Matisyahu was disinvited from a music festival in Spain because he refused to express a position on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Organizers of the Rototom Sunsplash European Reggae Festival say they were pressured by members of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movementan international movement that seeks to pressure Israel to abide by international law through peaceful economic means.
The cancellation of Matisyahus performance, however, blatantly defies the most basic principles of the BDS movement.
The founders of BDS, which was called for by Palestinian intellectuals and activists, made it absolutely clear years ago: BDS targets institutions, not individuals.
more...
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Cug0nASZJxAJ:bennorton.com/cancellation-of-matisyahus-performance-blatantly-defies-bds/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
shira
(30,109 posts)In the end, the cancellation of the Matisyahu performance only serves to further perpetuate the conflation of Zionism, Judaism, and Jewishnessa conflation that is ultimately anti-Semitic.
By cutting ties with a prominent Jewish American musician because he refuses to criticize Israel, activists who claim to be members of the BDS movement are not only contradicting the movements most fundamental principles; they are furthermore giving ammunition to those who seek to demonize the peaceful, multiracial, and interreligious BDS movement, an anti-racist movement that seeks equality, liberation, and justice for all.
That takes BALLZ.
shira
(30,109 posts)Norton writes for the anti-Zionist Mondoweiss website, as well as a slew of other places on the topic of how bad Israel is. While I dont agree with most of what Norton says, he certainly is prolific and an upcoming opinion-leader in that sphere.
So when I saw Norton pen a column severely criticizing the ban on American Jewish musician Matisyahu at the behest of a Spanish branch of the BDS movement, I was, well, surprised. All the more so because leading American BDS activists like Ali Abunimah and Max Blumenthal were seeking to justify the ban because Matisyahu was too pro-Israel.
http://legalinsurrection.com/2015/08/leading-bds-writer-courageously-condemns-matisyahu-ban-then-post-disappears/
...While I disagree with some of the characterizations for example, in reality BDS does boycott individuals, and it is not a peaceful movement which seeks justice for all the overall point was pretty much the point that Zionist supporters of Matisyahu are making: Keep politics out of music, and dont single out Jews for extra political scrutiny.
Now the post, however, is gone.
Thats a shame. It was a good post.
And it stands in contrast to Nortons subsequent post at Mondoweiss, which uncritically repeats the party-line by the leader of the BDS movement, Omar Barghouti, that cancellation of Matisyahus appearance was justified because Matisyahu allegedly is a bigot (i.e., he is Zionist and supports Israel):
Norton changed his mind.
What a coward.
grossproffit
(5,591 posts)BDS has been exposed and they will continue to be exposed.
May they reap the whirlwind.
grossproffit
(5,591 posts)King_David
(14,851 posts)Mondoweiss is a hate site indeed.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)That site is a toxic mess but I understand why it's popular with some. Shit attracts all kinds of creatures.
grossproffit
(5,591 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)He's all straightened out now. Here's his newest blog post:
Omar Barghouti on Matisyahu: Perfectly Reasonable to Oppose Performance by Any Bigot
http://bennorton.com/omar-barghouti-on-matisyahu-perfectly-reasonable-to-oppose-performance-by-any-bigot/
"Matisyahu is a bigot so it was OK to boycott him" is how the Mondoweiss/Electronic Intifada crowd is spinning this.
shira
(30,109 posts)King_David
(14,851 posts)Some BDS supporters even have his avatar.
Little Tich
(6,171 posts)I can't really condemn anything the way things stand, even though it seems like someone chickened out in a very bad way.