BDS attempts to manipulate Eurovision

Eurovision was never meant to be political, but it was politicized by those outraged that a pop artist from Israel should be allowed to participate. Having failed to get Netta Barzilai banned for her role in "supporting apartheid" by singing in the Naval choir, the Israel haters attempted to manipulate the poll results. Eurovision became a tool- not to promote music, or to experience cultural diversity, but to ensure Netta lost.

Orchestrated by Australian agoraphobe Sylvia Posadas, the BDS campaign failed.  Miserably.

Netta won.

From the fine folk at Divest this:

  ...Once BDS got into the act, spreading their bile throughout the Interwebs in hope that they could rally the world to vote down Netta – Israel’s ultimately successful entrant into this year’s Eurovision contest – suddenly Eurovision became something it wasn’t before: a global political referendum on the Jewish state’s place in the world. Keep in mind that this was not what Eurovision was created to be, nor were the performers – including Netta – interested in turning the event into a global vote for or against the their countries. 

 But by making votes against Netta a political act of condemnation, BDS simultaneously (if inadvertently) turned votes for her into a political act of support. 

Keeping with the BDS fail theme, as of today, Netta Barzilai's "Toy" is in the global top ten on I tunes

We get stalked!

Thanks to BH for sharing this.

Seems that even our tiny local blog is not immune from harassment and stalkers.

Its all part of a well orchestrated and directed effort to shut down dissenting voices. 

We'd been thinking about closing up shop- in the age of mobile, blogs are a lumbering old dinosaur, and there are better, faster ways to communicate with further reach.

But if the likes of Sylvia Posadas are stalking us across the big wide ocean, maybe there is still a need for our contributions.

Stay tuned.

We are Not Canary Mission.

The team operating the website Canary Mission is compiling information on anti-Israel activists, and presenting them in an accessible easy to use website.

From their mission statement:

Canary Mission is run by students and concerned citizens galvanized and motivated by our mission to protect the universal values of freedom and democracy. We pursue our mission by presenting the actions of hate-fomenting individuals and organizations - clearing up the ambiguity that surrounds their activities on campus and beyond. Our hope is that by shining a bright light on radicals and their activities, the public can clarify for themselves the nature of such affiliations.

Its an interesting idea. The information at Canary Mission is certainly more professionally presented and meticulously sourced than other "Rogues Galleries"  that have come and gone on the web.

But no, Sylvia, its not us.

Incidentally, a little bird tells me that the Twitter account Betty Blogs is (one of many) sock puppet accounts belonging to the obsessed cyber-stalker from down under, Sylvia Postadas.

We're not taking it personally. Just a few days earlier, Betty Blogs lay the blame on Israel advocacy group, StandWithUs. Perhaps she's just throwing her filth against the wall to see what sticks

Anti-Israel activists seem to be growing increasingly unhinged and  paranoid now that the Jews are fighting back.  

I wouldn't be surprised if Sylvia starts seeing Zionists in her tea leaves and in her vegemite sandwiches real soon.  I suspect she's already begun to count her shoes.

Nicholas Payton calls out the BDS'ers on their Hypocrisy

Having failed to convince Barbra Streisand, Cliff Richards, Alicia Keys and so many more to boycott Israel, the BDS holes have focused their cross-hairs on participants in the Eilat's  Red Sea Jazz festival.

But Nicholas Payton has their number.

Why Nicholas Payton refuses to boycott Israel

Though highly unlikely, let’s say my audience in Eilat would be comprised of nothing but Zionist oppressors: Has anyone thought that perhaps those who most need to hear love in action through music  are the people who think it’s cool to fuck over others? Why should all attendees of the festival be punished for the actions of a few assholes in power? Sometimes you’ve got to go into the belly of the beast to make progress. If you always boycott and refuse to use your art to heal those most in need, what’s the point? Not only am I an artist, but I’m a cultural diplomat. It is my job to open people’s hearts and minds all over the world through the power of art.

By your way of thinking, I would never play another jazz festival or club again. Jazz itself is musical apartheid. It’s the whitewashing of Black music. It was stolen from Black people who aren’t still fully credited, and to this day, is not controlled by Blacks. White people make most of the money and the very existence of the White race—which enables White supremacy and privilege—is apartheid to all people of color. So any time I play a gig anywhere, I am serving The Colony. It’s all dirty money. If I refused to play jazz venues or refused to teach at jazz schools, I would be doing the ancestors and the music a disservice. So whereas for you, “Eilat” may be a name that has an oppressive connotation, to me, the name “JAZZ” has the same effect.

I refuse to boycott Eilat and I refuse to boycott jazz venues, for your reasons, so those of you who are trolling me online about my decision to play the Red Sea Jazz Festival are just wasting your time trying to call me out. How much do any of you know about who I am, anyways? How many of my recordings do you own? How many of my shows have you attended? You appear to only be interested in using Nicholas Payton for your own personal, political narrative. I write my own stories. I don’t allow others to define me and will not be pressured into feeling guilty about using my life passion to instill more beauty in the world.

Thanks, Nicholas Payton for calling out the hypocrisy of the BDS movement, and how counter-productive it is to target art and music for cultural boycotts.

The BDS holes, including  social media regulars Tali Shapiro,  Sylvia Posadas and Emma Rosenthal remain undaunted and continued to stalk Payton using a variety of sock-puppet accounts after their own accounts were banned

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.

Ky-Mani Marley in the crosshairs for performing in Israel

Ky-Mani Marley  will be performing in Israel at the Barbi Club in Tel Aviv  on Feb 13.  Son of reggae legend Bob Marley, Ky-Mani  has released six  albums with music that has topped international charts.
And like other artists before him,  Ky-Mani is under attack for daring to play in the only democracy in the middle east. The attacks are orchestrated via social media- through Twitter and Facebook. And again, they aren't from fans of Marley- they are from career anti-Israel activists

 Ky-Mani's response to all this new attention seems quite clear.

What can you do?   Fight back. Show Ky-Mani  love  support for playing in Israel. Show him there is another side to the story. Don't allow the BDS'ers voice to be the only one heard. His Twitter account is @MaestroMarley , or visit him on Facebook.  And as always- be polite. be respectful, and not engage with the anti-Israel trolls.

UPDATE:

Seems that Sylvia Posadas, posting as @jinjirrie doesn't even like Ky-mani Marley's music. She became a "fan" simply to spam his facebook page and twitter account, because- you've guessed it- he's scheduled to perform in Israel.

Via Twitter: