I don’t know whether to pity or despise Shuki Weiss, Israeli concert promoter, who’s losing international stars to the Israeli boycott faster than he can replace them. The IDF’s conspicuous disregard for Arab life doesn’t seem to be helping his cause very much. But Weiss isn’t doing himself any favors by making statements such as this after the Pixies (and earlier Elvis Costello) withdrew from Israeli concert engagements due to the recent unpleasantness on the Gaza coast:
“I am full of both sorrow and pain in light of the fact that our repeated attempts to present quality acts and festivals in Israel have increasingly been falling victim to what I can only describe as a form of cultural terrorism which is targeting Israel and the arts worldwide.”
I’m not sure who’s the terrorist in this analogy: the artist or the dastardly activists who induce the artists to abandon Israel in her hour of cultural need. Also, who else in the ‘arts worldwide’ is being targeted by this ‘cultural terrorism?’
Once you use the word “terrorist” in Israel it’s open season on the rhetorical victim. So will we now start calling the supporters of BDS “terrorists” because they foment “cultural violence” on Israel? Perhaps we’ll even start a new coinage like “cultural genocide.” Yes, depriving Israelis of hearing Veronica and their favorite Black Francis songs certainly should qualify if Shuki had anything to say about it.
I have some advice for Shuki. Stop complaining about cultural terrorism and start protesting the way your government is messing up the lives of its Arab neighbors.
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I liked the site as long as it had the “wikileaks” attitude
However of late the perpetual shriek against just about every word that comes out of every Israeli’s mouth is overwhelming.
I looked forward to uncovering stories that local press doesn’t dare print.
Your constant derision is leaving me in awe.
I am wondering at this stage whose side are you on, are you trying to improve the Israeli point of view by opening our eyes or pushing us in the opposite direction by making us feel there is no difference between the arab/islam propaganda and you constant lambasting.
Take a deep breath and step back from the abyss. please
Why don’t you tell that to yr own gov’t? If you’re looking for Wikileaks attitude see my story about the Shin Bet sex scandal which is featured w. a Rotter link.
Thanks for the advice of a concern troll. I think I’ll just go my own way though.
“Thousands of Israelis on Sunday signed an internet petition calling for a consumers’ boycott on Swedish home products retailer IKEA, as well as other companies from the Scandinavian country.
This was over a newspaper article the Israelis didn’t like.
@ John Williams
I love you when playing the theme from “Deerhunter”, but your scoop on the Israeli boycott of IKEA and the petition online is from back in August 2009 (the IDF organ harvesting controversy) 😀
elvis wouldnt have played veronica in his concert…he is playing blue grass now
so all israelis were deprived of was a night of bad music
im not even sure how he was selling tickets for acts that are 10-20 years out of date
the pixies? please
im sure if he tried, he could book elton john….if elton will play at rush limbaugh’s wedding, he will play anywhere
How deeply offensive you are. Bluegrass is one of the finest forms of indigenous American music. The fact that you insult the genre bespeaks yr cultural bias & further discredits yr knowledge, taste and general outlook on the world.
Elvis Costello is one of the finest singer-songwriters performing in the world today. Attempting to bad mouth him again testifies to the pathetic nature of yr hasbara efforts. Spare us yr cultural judgments about anything. They embarrass you–that is if it were possible even to do so.
quick richard…without looking it up on the web….name the song that elvis sang during his first appearance on snl…and name the band that he replaced
i was a punk when you were still boogieing to disco…and i have every elvis album that matters….but the fact is, he hasnt had a good album in close to 10 years….the last elvis concert i went to, the crowd only got juiced when he played his old stuff…not a good sign for an artist.
his last decent single was 45
and i would respect him much more if he had canceled his entire american tour…as a protest to the continued occupations of afghanistan and iraq. he hasnt.
and what…i dont have a right to my opinion? i dont like blue grass…i dont like country….most of the music put out by record companies today is corporate crap. i like jazz…which is a fine example of american music
look at the groups who have canceled their tours
santana is now an oldies band….last good gig carlos did was when he played with tower of power….10 years ago
pixies are only played on local stations during the noon 80s retro hour.
who is gil scott heron and why should i care if he plays israel or not?
why when leonard cohen played israel and offered to give a free concert in ramallah…he was turned down?
i think that shuki should organize a giant reunion concert with tislam and kaveret…now that is good music
Radio, Radio. I was watching you moron. I was a devout fan of the early SNL. I never “boogied to disco” & you’re a total eedjut to even make such a juvenile statement which you clearly think is funny or witty or some such. And what is this, Name That Tune? I can’t tell you how boring I find all this, which has absolutely nothing to do with the actual topic of the post. Stay on topic.
That’s just plain stupid. His music isn’t to your taste. That doesn’t mean he’s not making compelling music, because he is. It’s just not the kind of pop music you like.
You have a right to YOUR opinion. But you have no right to think anyone else here puts any stock in it because neither I nor others do.
The fact of the matter is that performers who Israelis want to see, no matter what you think of them, are boycotting Israel. That’s the bottom line. And the truth is that more will do so in the future.
What has happened to Elton John? First the wedding of anti-gay raging racist, Limbaugh, now the resident of England has made it his business to lean to the right in favor of immigration control when it deals with changes in Arizona concert venues. One more large ego in the mix. We originally fled England for religious freedom. Now perhaps Sir John will write and produce a play about immigration and musical boycotts in Arizona. What did John and Limbaugh share at the wedding to get him involved in American history? It must have been magical.
O/T but helpful: You’re still showing that ‘Winograd 2010 Democrat for Congress’ tab.
The multi-millionaire heiress lost to the wife of the multimillionaire.
Stimulus!
Who says that Marcy Winograd is a “multimillionaire heiress?”
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_15230145
‘For example, Harman’s campaign claims that while Winograd portrays herself as a school teacher she is actually a heiress to a multimillion-dollar fortune.
That’s a point Winograd doesn’t deny outright, although she doesn’t characterize herself that way. And anyway, Winograd said, Harman is far, far richer.’
That’s not really credible evidence since it doesn’t really support its claim. Not saying this claim isn’t true. It’s just not supported & hence not credible till it is.
I agree with the author of this article. Israeli soldiers have literally murdered civilians, and entertainers don’t want to be associated with a country that does that, so they won’t perform in Israel.
There is no “cultural terrorism”, because the word “terrorism” implies harm or threat of harm to civilians. When an entertainer cancels out no one is harmed. No property is harmed. Shuki’s use of the term goes overboard.
Actually I think it’s good that they use “terrorist” now for everything. Soon the word will lose its meaning.
Here are some more terrorist acts:
“Positional terrorism” – pushing in line
“Transportational terrorism” – the Israeli way of driving
“Flavour terrorism” – not enough salt
“Floral terrorism” – thorn prick
Along these lines, Weiss himself is guilty of “promotional terrorism”.
The similar story is out of Arizona where musicians are boycotting over the new law there that would require law enforcement to ask people about their citizenship when making stops. I can’t wait for Sheriff Joe Arpaio to call this “cultural terrorism.” It is sad that defense of Israeli actions against Palestinians and human rights activists is so easily comparable to the rhetoric of those from the far right of American politics.
How many boycotting artists were born after 1985?
What’s that got to do with the price of cheese?
If anything it implies that you should actually listen to your elders – a great Jewish traidition if I’m not mistaken.
RE: “a form of cultural terrorism” – Shuki Weiss on BDS
SEE: Blasting ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal, American Family Association claims ‘gay sex = domestic terrorism’, Raw Story, 06/10/10
(excerpt)…As a conservative non-profit group best known for attacking marriage equality and homosexuals in other walks of public life, the focus of their response might have been expected. Instead, the AFA declared in a Thursday blog headline: “Gay sex = domestic terrorism”….
ENTIRE ARTICLE – http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0610/reacting-british-tabloid-conservative-nonprofit-claims-gay-sex-domestic-terrorism/
The fact that we no longer draft people into the military, people now volunteer to serve, doesn’t seem to matter to anti gay right’s activists. It seems so foolish to fight over DADT, when reminded that it means you can serve, if you’re gay, just don’t talk about it. There have been gay’s in the military for centuries, if they read their history, they would know that both gay and straight have served side by side all along. Those who complains might be taken more seriously if they volunteered to take the place of the gay military person they want to send home. No one in the military is complaining about the combat troops willing to fight and die with them, and for us. They should stop
complaining unless they are willing to shut up, stand up, and serve.