Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Eric Burdon Bails: The "B" in BDS stands for Bullying


Apparently, the "B" in BDS stands for bullying.

Paul McCartney recently disclosed the threats and harrassment he received in 2008 prior to performing in Israel.   According to Adam Shay of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, McCartney said “I got death threats, but I'm coming anyway. I got explicit death threats, but I have no intention of surrendering. I refuse to cancel my performances in Israel” ....

The article documents other artists that have been harassed, writing:

When singer Moby was interviewed on Army Radio shortly before he performed in Israel, he said that the intensity of the attacks against him before he came to Israel made him suspect that this wasn't an objective movement that was concerned with people's welfare, but with something dark and dubious.

The latest victim of the threats and bullying is British rock legend Eric Burdon of the Animals. He has canceled his performance in Israel, scheduled for August 1 after receiving daily threats.

"We are under increasing pressure, including many threatening emails that we are receiving on a daily basis. I wouldn't want to put Eric in any danger."said a statement released by Burdon’s management. Burdon, 71, and the latest incarnation of the Animals were scheduled to appear at the Zappa Shoni Amphitheater in Binyamin along with local favorites Tislam.

Last week Tislam’s Izhar Ashdot and Yair Nitzani met with Burdon in Vienna to plan the show. According to Ashdot and Nitzani, Burdon told them, “It’s impossible to prevent music. Everyone needs music and there’s no connection to to current politics. Everyone has the right to be entertained.”  Apparently the threats were too much, and Burdon changed his mind.   Members of Tislam responded to the cancellation in a statement, which reads, "To appear with Eric Burdon, one of the founding fathers of rock & roll, was an almost dream come true. We're sorry that despite his personal assurance to us, that he bowed to pressure and cancelled his concert."

The response from the anti-Israel cru? They are in complete denial that supporters of the eternally victimized Palestinians are even capable of such threats and bullying.

Sylvia Posadas (@Jinjirrie) anti-Israel activist  and writer of the Kadaitcha  website wrote  "There is no guarantee that these "threats" came from BDS folks."  The word threats are in quotes.





In announcing the cancellation Jews sans frontieres  a self described "Anti-Zionist blog" says Eric Burdon has cancelled an appearance in Israel because of "threats". Yes, in quotes again.

BDS central command, the USACBI website  goes a step further, blaming the threats on "media", or perhaps the "artists and their agents", writing:

Recent claims of threats from ex-Animals singer Eric Burdon in an article published by Ha’aretz are vague and unsubstantiated. We do not know if they are made up by media hostile to the BDS strategy, or by artists and/or their agents, or if they are inflated reports of remarks made by individuals who do not represent the movement. 

The conspicuous inability of the BDS holes to condemn or even to acknowledge the threats against artists scheduled to perform in Israel shows the moral depravity of the entire movement.  Lets  hope artists in the future have the backbone not to cave to hateful threats. A ship at harbor is safe, though that is not what ships are for.






1 comment:

Shlomo Ben Hungstien said...

this is better then a BDS fail this shows how irrelevant it is. big time Google buy out for Israeli app. Waze http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/170292#.UfI4WawU__A