Three years ago the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked very innocent Israeli musical festival goers. Many died, many were taken hostage, and then dying. It was so awful to comprehend.
Israel then attacked Palestine itself, with far many more innocent Palestinians killed, and those that weren't survived with great deprivation of food, housing and medical care.
Being so personally directed, the attack on Israelis seems worse to me than instantly dying by an Israeli bomb or bullet. A moot point really. Israel has just gone too far, and as I see it, Israeli settlers moving into Palestinian land and targeting resident Palestinians and being allowed to do so by the the government of Israel is a disgrace.
So, now a rapper in the US, as a support act, seems like he has brought down a tour by British musician Ed Sheeran. Although with a history of being anti Israel, he spoke a few words at a concert concluding with 'Free Palestine'.
He was banned from future performances by the owner of the venue, who owns other venues, and he was banned from them too. So much for the US First amendment, mentioning freedom of speech (I am not a great one for the absolute right to free speech).
Subsequently other support act musicians have withdrawn for Sheeran's tour. What a bloody god damn disaster.
It is disappointing that the very rich Sheeran is sitting on the fence about the matter. In a more minor way, similar has happened here in Australia.
I am not anti Jewish, as you long time readers will know. But I am very anti the extremist right wing Netanyahu Israeli government. Rather than my rant, you read about it here at The Guardian.
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I am very much anti-Netanyahu, a war criminal and genocidal maniac, while supporting the state of Israel (former Israel?) How do I word that? I am also pro-Palestine while being anti-Hamas.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible to hold many opposing thoughts in our heads at the same time.
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You pay for performance not political or personal opinion You can attend free lectures and rallies for the causes you want to speak out about..Of course those that withdrew from the concert could alsways put on a fund raising concert and donate all the money including performance fee to the cause.
ReplyDeleteTake care Andrew or the antisemitism police will be round to get you. Any mention of Israel that is even slightly critical seems to be viewed as evidence of antisemitism in some quarters. If America had a better, wiser political leader Netanyahu would have been reined in. After all, it's America that pays the tab.
ReplyDeleteTechnically, the First Amendment only protects a person from government censorship, not whatever banishment takes place in the nongovernmental sphere. Nevertheless, you're right, the intention is the same, to shut people up, and squelch the kind of healthy debate so important to a free society.
ReplyDeleteI am not anti Jewish either, but like you very much anti extremeism and now probably anti Ed Sheeran too.
ReplyDeleteI wish it was different. I wish we could all just be humans.
ReplyDeleteAround the time of the October 7 attacks, I posted a Star of David on my facebook as a silent show of support for a Jewish friend of mine, later I received an abusive message from a Palestinian school friend of my girls. It made me want to never support anyone ever again
In the same way, feel free to hate Trump and his government, but please like and support the people of the USA, most of us did not vote for him and are appalled by the things he says and does. About 29 months before he and his cronies are out of office - not that we are counting or anything.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult TP. 1/3 #47, 1/3 Harris, 1/3 didn't vote. In spite of his appalling behaviour during his first term culminating in the invasion of the White House when he didn't accept the election result, 77 million voted for him this last time. If only the 1/3 who didn't vote could get of their arses and vote, the result will be quite different. I would guess many of the 1/3 are black or indigenous, the people who should be most against him. As Bob says, Get out there and damn well vote.
DeleteWhat a pity this had to happen.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of Ed Sheeran and I'm anti Jew either.
I don't care for humans that are extremists.
Macklemore has donated his million dollar fee to Palestinian causes, and asks Kraft to do the same. It is shameful as to what is happening in Gaza. All this name calling has to stop. People who call for peace are not antisemitic they are just appalled at the number of children being killed.
ReplyDeleteI do have Jewish ancestry on my father's side and am very proud of that being a Christian but I think wars are stupid and both sides are just as much to blame, I wish we would all get along...
ReplyDeleteI think that Ed Sheeran learned about the inadvisability of appeasement. Macklemore was dropped by the owner of Gillette Stadium over 'antisemitic speech" in response to concern of other billionaire stadium owners. Big money was behind the move. It is good to see the backlash.
ReplyDeleteI have been called anti-semitic. I am anti zionist, just as I am anti Christian nationalist. This does not mean that I am anti Semitic. The name calling is just an unscrupulous people trying to muddy the water to hide their own atrocities.