Boycott Movement: We only ban Zionist and pro-Israel Jews (i.e. most Jews)
Matisyahu beats BDS boycott: “Today music wins. Freedom of expression wins.”
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement suffered one of its worst public relations debacles when it pressured the Spanish Rototom SunSplash festival to ban American Jewish musician Matisyahu.
At so many levels, the incident exposed BDS for what it is – anti-freedom, anti-Jewish, anti-just about everything we hold dear. Left twisting in the wind are leading American BDS activists like Ali Abunimah, Max Blumenthal and Joe Catron who supported the ban, even as BDS leader Omar Barghouti ran for political cover and BDS author Ben Norton condemned the ban.
BDS defenders of the Matisyahu ban claim the ban was justified because Matisyahu is Zionist and pro-Israel.
If being Zionist and pro-Israel were justification for a ban, then BDS would be justified in banning the vast majority of Jews from public appearances. So tell me again how BDS is not anti-Semitic?
We mentioned yesterday that the festival organizers had apologized and reinvited Matisyahu to perform. Now the date is set, August 22, on the main stage:
On his Facebook Page, Matisyahu issued a statement:
“Today music wins. Freedom of expression wins. 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.
The incredible outpouring of worldwide support from fans and organizations who rose up as one to protest the intrusion of politics into a borderless celebration of music has been humbling. My deepest thanks to the worldwide community for rallying to the cause of musical freedom. Most of all, thank you to my incredible fans and to so many people of all faiths who refused to remain silent in the name of artistic freedom. This is your victory.” – Matis
Maybe this will be the beginning of an awakening as to what BDS really is about.
Not overly optimistic in that regard, but hopeful.
There is an upside, however, BDS unintentionally has spread Matisyahu’s message of peace to millions:
Should thank #BDS Spanish Inquisition for introducing miliions to music of @matisyahu https://t.co/U6dRvn7ihM https://t.co/yYJTzcpTdE
— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) August 21, 2015
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Comments
The “long record of supporting anti-palestinian positions” is a link on his FB to a video that tells the truth about Israel and the ME. The “anti-palestinian organizations” are the Synagogue and Israel.
Dear BDS supporter
There is a small country in the Middle East (hint: it borders the Mediterranean) where even though you were born in that country, just because you’re an Arab Palestinian, you require a special permit in order to work. Needless to say, unemployment among Arab Palestinians is rife. Even if you do get a work permit, dozens of professions are closed to you, because you are an Arab Palestinian, even though you were born in that country. You cannot be a doctor or a lawyer or a judge or an accountant or an architect. You cannot join the armed forces of that country. As an Arab Palestinian, even though you were born in that country, you are not permitted to own land or a house. You are not permitted to study at University, to be treated with others in hospitals, to enjoy social welfare benefits, even though you were born in that country, just because you are an Arab Palestinian. The mistreatment of Arab Palestinians in this country has been cited in United Nations reports. This is apartheid. If you cared about the plight of Arab Palestinians in this country, you would boycott the products of that country, you would sail with an anti-apartheid flotilla, you would hold anti-apartheid rallies against this country.
We all know the name of this small country in the Middle East which borders the Mediterranean Sea. The name of the country is………Lebanon. However, let’s be honest. You have no intention of protesting for Arab Palestinian rights in Lebanon or for their rights in any of the surrounding Arab countries such as Egypt, Syria or Jordan, where Palestinian Arabs face major discrimination. Nor will you stand up for the rights of Arab Palestinians living under the Palestinian authority in Judea and Samaria or under Hamas in Gaza, with its corruption and theft of public funds and aid, its rampant discrimination against women, gays, and Christians. A place where dissenters of these regimes are taken out and shot in the streets or dragged until their deaths chained to trucks or motorcycles.
I believe there is a reason for your not protesting apartheid discrimination against Palestinian Arabs in Lebanon and throughout the Arab Middle East. The reason is that you do not really care about the plight of Palestinian Arabs, they serve no purpose unless they can be used as a weapon to spread lies and hate against the Jewish State. Perhaps you are truly ignorant of the truth, but there is no denying how willing you are to believe and spread the false and specious libels that the Jewish State of Israel is one of “apartheid” and of “genocide”.