‘Matisyahu cancellations not due to antisemitism’
Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu’s two performances last week were canceled by the venues over security concerns and not antisemitism as he had alleged, the venues told The Jerusalem Post on Friday.
Rialto Theater executive director Cathy Rivers said that the decision to cancel a “beloved performer’s” performance in Tucson on February 15 was an “extraordinarily hard decision.”
“As a member of the Jewish community myself, a female business leader, and a longstanding community partner in Tucson, I am deeply saddened and offended by the public’s accusations of antisemitism as the cause for the Matisyahu concert cancellation,” said Rivers. “This would have been Matisyahu’s eighth performance at the Rialto Theatre since 2009.
“The Rialto was made aware that Matisyahu’s team had security concerns as early as Monday ahead of his Meow Wolf show in Santa Fe. With security being a concern for the tour amid online threats of protests from his detractors, The Rialto opted to increase staff security for the concert, and the Tucson Police Department was alerted.”
Staff began to call to inform them they would not be coming to work, fearing for their safety. Matisyahu had sought to hire armed guards from a local private security firm, but Rivers said that the theater had a longstanding policy prohibiting firearms. “With short staff, and both workers and Matisyahu concerned over security, Rivers said that she decided to cancel the event. Both the employees and Matisyahu were paid for the canceled performance.
“There was no intention to distance or un-align ourselves with Matisyahu as a performer. This was not done to hurt the artist, who we have happily hosted for 13 previous years,” said Rivers, adding that the damage to their reputation could not be overemphasized. “To learn that my decision to de-escalate a perceived security risk to a performer, our staff, and our customers was met with vitriol by our community is heartbreaking.”
One of the local organizers of the protests against Matisyahu, the Tucson Coalition for Palestine, on Saturday condemned the theater for remaining “aligned with him [Matisyahu] despite concerns from countless community activists and their workers.”
The coalition said that
because Matisyahu sought armed guards, and because his fans had begun a “harassment campaign” against the protesters, the theater “endangered our community members who continue to combat the normalization of Zionism among the genocidal campaign in Gaza.”
Meow Wolf also said that they did not have adequate staff to manage the crowd for Matisyahu’s sold-out performance in Sante Fe and that they had to prioritize the safety of staff and guests.
Their House of Eternal Return venue was reportedly in the process of refunding tickets to the February 14 concert.
“Meow Wolf believes in free expression, respectful discourse, and the power of art to bring people together. We do not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia, hate, racism, discrimination or violence of any kind,” said the entertainment company.
Matisyahu had responded to the cancellations of his two shows by saying that it was misinformation to tell
the fans that the show was canceled due to security concerns, when the only issue was staff unwilling to work at the show. The artist said that he had offered to supplement these staff shortages, but was refused.
“They do this because they are either antisemitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me, who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Matisyahu said in social media posts on Friday. “It truly is a sad day when dialogue with those you disagree with is abandoned for hate-mongering and silencing artistic expression.”
Following the cancelation at the Rialto, The Rock concert venue invited Matisyahu to perform, where he said there were no security issues.
“If a venue has a staff who’s afraid to stand up to these fools, I will find a venue who supports me and my beautiful fans,” Matisyahu said on Instagram on Friday in praise of The Rock.
The Tucson Coalition for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace Tucson, Tucson AntiWar Committee, and the Arizona Palestine Solidarity alliance, moved their protest to the new venue on Thursday.
“No pro-genocide artists in Tucson!” the Tucson Anti-War Committee said on Thursday.
The Tucson Coalition for Palestine said on Saturday that Matisyahu falsely said that he was being targeted for antisemitism and his Jewish identity. Rather, the campaign against the Jewish artist was “due to his alignment and support of the Israeli Occupation Forces.”
Matisyahu has performed several concerts on his 2024 “Hold the Fire Tour” wrapped in the green and yellow flag of an IDF Golani brigade company. Several posts show him wearing the flag around his shoulders. Matisyahu was given the flag by the IDF unit when he performed for them during a visit to Israel and the sites of the October 7 massacre.
The Golani flag “is a reminder for me every time I perform for our family of warriors fighting for the soul of our nation. It helps focus me on my mission to be a warrior as well,” Matisyahu said in a social media post on February 9.
Matisyahu has several Instagram posts in support of the IDF and Israel, including a pinned video of his performance for the soldiers, in which he wished them good luck as they were redeployed to the north. Another pinned post is a response to the October 7 massacre, in which he says that those who stoked antisemitic fire instead of speaking out against the incident would be held accountable in the annals of history.
“Tearing down posters of kidnapped children does not bring peace,” Matisyahu wrote on Friday. “Chanting genocidal slogans at Jews does not bring peace. Preventing fans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds from singing together in Santa Fe or Tucson does not bring peace. It does the opposite.”