BOYCOTT JOLTS ISRAEL
Artists pull out of music festival after pressure from Palestinian activists
Israel’s Meteor Festival was meant to bring together indie groups from around the world in what organizers billed as a Woodstock-like “cutting-edge musical journey that surpasses borders and distorts time and space.” Instead, some 20 acts, including headliner Lana Del Rey, withdrew at the last minute amid apparent pressure from a Palestinian-led international boycott campaign. The cancellations turned the festival, slated to be held last weekend in the bucolic setting of an Israeli kibbutz, into the latest battleground between Israel and the boycott movement that says it seeks to end Israeli rule over Palestinians. Campaign organizers claimed success, saying it reflects growing opposition to Israeli government policies among international millennials.
“The fact that these artists are cancelling is showing just how different the younger generation is viewing Israel,” said Diana Buttu, a Palestinian analyst who supports the movement known as BDS. The campaign, founded in 2005, calls for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israeli businesses, cultural institutions and universities.
BDS says it seeks to end Israel’s occupation of lands captured in the 1967 Mideast war and what it describes as discrimination against Israel’s Arab minority. It calls for the “right of return” for millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to homes their ancestors fled or were expelled from in the 1948 war over Israel’s creation. The campaign compares itself to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, and its nonviolent message has resonated with audiences around the world. Israel says the campaign masks a deeper aim of delegitimizing or even destroying the country. Although BDS says it’s pushed some companies and investment funds to curtail their activities in Israel, its economic impact appears to be modest. Israel’s hightech economy is humming along, making it an attractive base for corporate giants like Google, Apple, Microsoft and others. World leaders visit regularly to promote business ties.
Culture and academia have been easier targets. Nearly any artist who plans to perform in Israel these days can expect to come under pressure on social media to cancel.
A growing list of performers, including Israeli-U.S. actress Natalie Portman and singer Lorde, have cancelled appearances in Israel in recent months out of concern over Israeli policies.
Del Rey joined that list Aug. 31 when she announced she was withdrawing from the Meteor Festival after an intense BDS lobbying campaign. In a statement on Twitter, the Grammy-nominated singer said she was “postponing” until she could perform for both Israeli and Palestinian audiences. Other no-shows included the indie band named of Montreal, a popular group that had previously performed in Israel.
“Now is not the time for escapism and celebrations,” it said on Facebook. “Now is the time for activism and protests against Israeli apartheid, Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the human rights atrocities being carried out every day in Gaza by Israeli forces.” It is difficult to quantify the impact of BDS pressure.
Del Rey did not explicitly endorse the boycott message, and Portman said outright that she does not support BDS. Del Rey and several artists who skipped the Meteor Festival did not respond to interview requests. Meanwhile, numerous A-listers, including Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber, have performed in Israel in recent years. Later this month some of the world’s top DJs are expected to converge on Tel Aviv for the DGTL festival. Last year, Australian musician Nick Cave accused the boycott movement of trying to “bully” artists who played in Israel. Still, the movement’s inroads have raised alarm in Israel. Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs spends millions of dollars fighting BDS and has banned some activists from entering the country. Israel and its supporters also run outreach programs on U.S. college campuses. This comes at a time when opinion polls indicate waning support for Israel among U.S. millennials.
A ministry official said a “small minority ” of musicians backed out, of Meteor, arguing they had fallen prey “to the incitement and hatefilled agenda of the Israel boycott movement.”
Festival organizers argued music should unite people and that BDS “insanely politicized our event.” The Jerusalem Post newspaper, which opposes BDS, said Del Rey ’s cancellation should be a wake-up call for those in Israel trying to play down the potential dangers the campaign poses. “Artists like Del Rey and Lorde, and DJs like Leon Vynehall and Python are followed by millions of impressionable fans who are totally ignorant of the complexities and nuances of the Middle East,” it wrote in an editorial. “The only thing they know is that their favourite artist is more sympathetic to Palestinians than to Israelis.” In the end, thousands of people attended the Meteor Festival. Many camped out under the stars, and fans enjoyed an eclectic mix of dozens of artists over three days. Media critics gave it warm reviews, barely mentioning the BDS issue.
“There was a good atmosphere and people enjoyed themselves. They were excited about the artists who were coming and didn’t notice that much who was missing,” said Nitzan Amitay, 25, a volunteer festival organizer.
Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, said the campaign against Meteor had succeeded “beyond expectations,” estimating that roughly 40 per cent of international artists pulled out. He said fans of such bands are a natural audience for his message. “The common denominator is younger fans that are more progressive and liberal,” he said.
The Eurovision Song Contest announced Thursday that next year’s competition will be held in Tel Aviv, clearing up some of the political controversy surrounding Israel’s hosting of the 2019 competition.
The Israeli government had initially insisted on holding the popular event in Jerusalem. But following a backlash over the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as its capital and a subsequent fear of boycotts it dropped the demand to host the world’s largest live music event.
The Eurovision said it chose Tel Aviv, Israel’s cultural and commercial epicentre, over Jerusalem and the southern city of Eilat because of its “creative and compelling bid.” “Eurovision is a perfect fit for our city, which has been internationally acclaimed for its vibrant energy, creative spirit, its lively cultural scene and its celebration of freedom,” said Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. “We are looking forward to host a joyful and non-stop event in the spirit of Tel Aviv.” Israel won the Eurovision this year with a flashy pop tune called Toy by the charismatic, previously unknown singer Netta Barzilai, who dazzled viewers with her feminist lyrics, unconventional appearance and signature chicken dance. Her victory earned Israel the right to host next year’s contest.
In Europe, capital cities have usually played host. But the city Israel considers its capital is not recognized as such by most of the international community. Hosting the competition in Jerusalem could have presented a predicament for the public broadcasters that make up the European Broadcasting Union, sparking criticism that they would be taking sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The so-called BDS group — for Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions — has called for the Eurovision contest to be boycotted altogether if it is held in Israel. Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed the area in a move that is not internationally recognized. Israel considers the entire city to be its capital, while the Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Israel held the Eurovision contest in Jerusalem without incident after its previous victories, most recently in 1999. Israel’s outspoken culture and sports minister, Miri Regev, lobbied hard for Jerusalem again, saying Israel, and no one else, should decide where the event should take place. She recommended Israel not host the Eurovision at all if Jerusalem was not chosen.
But after the Argentine national football team’s snub of an exhibition game in the city earlier this year, Israel backed off its insistence.
Fearful of being accused of politicizing the feel-good event, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resolved that the government would not intervene. Israel’s internal culture wars have also seeped into the Eurovision show, with an ultra-Orthodox member of Netanyahu’s coalition government urging the government to prevent the sabbath from being desecrated. The finale usually takes place on a Saturday night, shortly after the end of the sabbath, meaning that preparations for the show could violate the sacred day. By choosing Tel Aviv, Eurovision appears to have made a safer bet.
Tel Aviv, hosting the event for the first time, says it expects around 20,000 tourists to arrive and generate an estimated of NIS 100 million in direct revenues from the campy, gay-friendly spectacle. Eurovision says its semifinals will be held in Tel Aviv on May 14 and 16 followed by the final on May 18.