Lots left not so ‘Happy’ with Pharrell Williams IDF fundraiser show
Pharrell Williams has been criticised on social media for performing at an annual fundraiser for the Israeli Defence Force. Organised by the New York-based Friends of the Israel Defence Forces, the November 1 gala saw the singer join fellow musician Ziggy Marley on stage, performing in front of a crowd that included Israeli soldiers in uniform. A string of Hollywood stars, including Gerard Butler, Ashton Kutcher and The Nanny actress Fran Drescher, also attended the Los Angeles event, which raised a record $60 million (Dh220.3m) for the IDF. In the past seven month, 170 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers, and in just one week in May this year, 64 Palestinians were killed.
Williams took to the stage to perform his hit Happy to a room of Israeli soldiers and their supporters just days after he tweeted a demand that US president Donald Trump stop using the same song as part of his midterm election campaigning.
The irony of him then performing it at the IDF fundraiser was not lost on those on social media, who went online to label his actions hypocritical. Palestinian-American hip-hop producer Fredwreck – real name Faird Nassar – also called out Williams for his performance. “To my friend Pharrell, you performed for the IDF who murdered … 49 children this year protesting for their rights against being occupied. And you sing ‘Happy’ to them?! What a shame.”
The United States think tank, The Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding, also denounced the move, claiming it was contrary to the spirit of Williams’ song. It quoted the Palestinian journalist and activist Ahmed Abu Artema as saying: “It is difficult to understand how actors and performers, who carry the message of life, can support an army that carries out systematic killings, which contradict the essence of life and art.”
This is not the first time Palestinian activists have expressed their dismay at Williams. Hundreds of protesters from the South African chapter of BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement demonstrated outside his Cape Town concert in 2015 over his plans to perform in Tel Aviv the following June. Williams eventually scrapped the date, citing a “scheduling conflict.”
While none of the stars mentioned posted their fundraiser appearance on their respective social media channels, news of their participation spread on social media, with fans immediately making their feelings known. Butler, who recently starred in the crime caper Den of Thieves, has also been lambasted online, particularly by fans of the Scottish football club Celtics – a team that has a long history of supporting Palestinian human rights and independence. Meanwhile, reggae star Ziggy
It’s difficult to understand how performers who carry the message of life can support an army that carries out systematic killings AHMED ABU ARTEMA Palestinian journalist and activist
Marley has also been facing heat from fans, several of whom accused him of disrespecting his father’s legacy by attending the event.
In a recent interview with
The National, Marley said the songs in his latest album,
Rebellion, implore listeners to look beyond politics of division and focus, instead, on our common humanity. “What I am trying to get across is that as a humanity, we want to live in peace and love no matter what religion you are,” he said.“But we have to go and make the world and leaders know that. Only the willing will achieve their dreams.”