UPDATE:
The Rototom Sunsplash reggae festival has reversed its decision to cancel Matisyahu’s performance. It also apologized to the artist and issued a statement condemning discrimination and anti-Semitism.
Good. Original diary follows:
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In the world of "I/P", I'm a moderate/liberal supporter of Israel, meaning that I condemn nearly all of the state/Netanyahu/Likud's actions and strongly support a Palestinian state according to pre '67 lines. But I also condemn things like "the one state solution" (from either side, as both "one-state-solutions are inherently racist" and exterminationist and anyone who supports them is being incredibly naive.
I also tentatively support certain boycotts or even sanctions--such as products made in the occupied territories. I can understand not supporting those sorts of things. However, I am strongly against the Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions movement (BDS) because of the extremely strong current of anti-Semitism that pervades the movement. Yes, I fully realize that being opposed to Israeli policy often has nothing to do with anti-Semitism.......except when it does. Sometimes it's true that we use anti-Semitism as a bludgeon where it's completley unwarranted--absolutely. It is ALSO true that there's a lot of denial of anti-Semitism when it actually is staring you right in the face.
BDS has a BOATLOAD of this -- and it's one reason that strongly anti-Semitic incidents like what happened at UCLA a while back (see my diary on hipster Jew hatin' a few months back) is becoming more en vogue among some circles on the left than it damn well should be.
SO IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when I hear that the Valencia chapter of BDS applied so much pressure to the organizers of a Spanish music festival (Rototom Sunsplash) that they demanded a policy statement from him and, failing to secure one, forced him off the schedule.
Rolling Stone
Haaretz
A little bit more (not much) below the fold
There aren't many Jews in Spain. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one. There's a few others around but I don't see them very often, and I often hestitate to make much noise about my religion on FB...just in case. I'm not even remotely religious but still, it's something I keep a little bit quieter here than I would elsewhere.
The anti-Semitic strain that seems to have pervaded much of Europe--and the European left as much as the right lately, it seems, actually doesn't feel so strong in Spain because, unlike, say, France there really aren't too many Jews so it's not something that comes up all that much. And Spain has made some good moves, recently, such as the legislation to repatriate descendends of Jews exiled during the Inquisition.
So it's really, doubly unpleasant when the only news about something Jewish tends to make the press around here, it's this bullshit about BDS demanding that a Jew show his credentials, as it were. "Are you anti-Israel enough for us? No? You're outta here". It's more of this "Right-Kind-of-Jew™ " crap that is ENTIRELY TOO COMMON within the so-called "progressive" movement.
Sorry, BDS fans, but a lot of rhetoric within BDS strongly supports this, condones it, cultivates it, fosters it. BDS, while there are, I'm sure, many decent people who happen to be IN it, is itself a major contributor to increased Jew-hate on the left. And I'm pretty damn anti-Israeli government myself. Very. I don't invent this stuff--but I do call it when I see it.
I'm not gonna mince words, folks--I have paid a lot of attention to BDS and I absolutely see them as a hate group disguised as a social justice movement. Is everyone in it like that? Of course not. But a hell of a lot are. Including some friends of mine (no, I'm not the kind of person who just cuts someone off because they have a fucked up view of things.
But here's some examples: "But...don't you guys control the media and the presidency?" (No, Christina, we don't.) "But, aren't Jews inherently racist?" (No, Valeria, we aren't) "Well, I don't really like anything Jewish or anything to do with Jews" (Sorry A--can't help you there-- you have to sort yourself out and remember who you're hanging out with)
There are countless ways to condemn Israel and support Palestinian statehood without vilfiication, slander, and, let's be honest, persecution, of Jews themselves. Tons of people have figured this out. Not sure why others can't
Go play in the comments, if you like.
12:29 PM PT: UPDATE: Here's what I"m going to do. I'm going to LEAVE THE TITLE AS IS for now, because it is EXACTLY what this action says. EXACTLY. I will change it IF most people and/or site admins think that the title could make the site look bad to someone who just stumbles on it.
But in the meantime, what BDS did is class-A anti-Semitism
12:46 PM PT: UPDATE 2: Well, I opted to change the title. Not because I don't stand by it, or because that's not the title I prefer, but because it is riling people up. But the first title is far more reflective of my feelings. For those who didn't have the privelege to see it it was: "Ya wanna sing here, Jew? Give us a policy statement. NO? Adios. Love, BDS"
1:30 PM PT: UPDATE 3: From Dr Acula in the comments, apparently the singer Capleton, known for viewing homosexuality as sinful and having songs that include some virulently homophobic imagery (which he and his manager claim are "mistranslated" is competely welcome in this festival.
Things that make ya go hmmmmmmmmmmmmm