Leftist anti Semitism in Spain.

FAITH

Prominent Recording Artist Ejected from Music Festival Because He Won’t Endorse a Palestinian State

Reggae star Matisyahu, a Jewish-American, was ejected from an upcoming music festival in Spain following his refusal to endorse Palestinian statehood, Spanish and Israeli media reported Sunday.

Organizers of the Rototom Sunsplash Reggae Festival said they canceled Matisyahu’s show — originally scheduled for next week — after he rejected their demand to issue either a written or video statement supporting “the Palestinians’ right to a state,” the Times of Israel reported.

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that Matisyahu was given an ultimatum — if he would “sign such a declaration” endorsing a Palestinian state, he would be allowed to perform.

The decision came following pressure on festival organizers from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which encourages a full academic, economic and artistic boycott of the Jewish state.

Anti-Israel activists welcomed the festival’s decision, but some observers online expressed alarm that only the Jewish artist, who is not Israeli, was ejected over his perceived political opinions.

El Pais referred to the artist as a “Hebrew” singer rather than Jewish American.

The organizers’ decision is all the more ironic considering one of Matisyahu’s most famous songs, “One Day” is a peace anthem that prays for harmony and an end to war.

“I’ve been praying for, for the people to say, ‘That we don’t wanna fight no more, There will be no more wars, And our children will play,’” Matisyahu sings in the song released in 2009.

“Stop with the violence, Down with the hate,” Matisyahu’s lyrics say.

Organizers of the festival posted a message on Facebook Saturday explaining that the move was based on “the festival’s sensitivity to Palestine, its people and the occupation of its territory by Israel,” according to the Times of Israel’s translation.

When Matisyahu began to climb to fame, he was a Hassidic Jew and would perform with a full beard and sidelocks, and his head was covered in the Jewish tradition.

In 2011, the artist posted a photo of himself online with no facial hair and later appeared in public with no head covering, suggesting he had abandoned some of the stricter rules of Jewish observance.

Israel’s Arutz Sheva noted that Matisyahu continues to maintain a strong sense of his Jewish identity, and he has previously performed in Israel.