Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News: Emel Mathlouthi

Friday, August 04, 2023

BDSers eating their own

Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi...canceled last Monday’s scheduled performance at Fattoush Bar in Haifa, in wake of a BDS media campaign against her. “We call upon Tunisians and Arabs, and all Palestine supporters around the world, to boycott Emel Mathlouthi, all her music and all her shows,” the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement activists had written.

Last Thursday, Mathlouthi posted on her Facebook page a statement rejecting the claims by BDS alleging that she was “normalizing the occupation by cultural means.” She noted that the Palestinian issue is a top priority for her, as evidenced in her songs, positions and personal statements. Nonetheless, her scheduled performance in Haifa sparked controversy on social media, and the pressure from BDS had its intended effect.

“In wake of the controversy raised by the concert tour in the Palestinian territories, and in order to avoid misunderstandings, we’ve decided not to go ahead with the performance in the occupied city of Haifa, even though the place (Fattoush Bar) is under Palestinian ownership,” she wrote.

The attack on the singer elicited fierce discussion on social media by young Palestinians who objected to BDS’ position. Activist Athir Ismail wrote on Facebook: “I am a Palestinian. And I want to speak about what I want without someone from outside watching me and telling me how to fight and how to live.”

Ismail directed her criticism at BDS activists living abroad whose calls for boycotts end up affecting Palestinians who live in Israel. “What do you know about our life here aside from what you see and hear on the news?” she asked. “You cast doubt on our Palestinian identity and act like a man who thinks he has to explain to a woman what she can and can’t do in her fight against toxic masculinity, what’s permitted and what’s forbidden.”

Artist Haya Zaatry from Nazareth also criticized BDS’ actions: “Preventing or canceling a musical performance by an Arab artist in an independent Palestinian space in Haifa only heightens the cultural embargo in which we (Palestinian citizens of Israel) live, and this is a bad and dangerous thing.”

The BDS movement is dominated by privileged white people who falsely claim to be doing what Palestinians want them to do, and when self-described Palestinians tell them they are wrong, they ignore them.

Mathlouthi did end up performing in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah - and those concerts, for some reason, were considered "normalization" with Israel:

A Tunisian singer who rose to prominence during the Arab spring uprisings announced Wednesday an upcoming show in Tunisia had been cancelled for supposed “normalisation” with Israel.

Mathlouthi, 41, had been set to perform at the Hammamet International Festival in Tunisia next week.

“I am very sorry to announce our much awaited concert in Hammamet has been cancelled with no official reason,” Mathlouthi said in a statement posted on Instagram.

“We believe that our latest tour in beautiful Palestine has sparked an unjustified controversy accusing me of normalisation.”

The best possible anti-Israel spokesperson - attractive, talented, and immensely popular - is being canceled for being insufficiently anti-Israel.

When a movement is built on hate, it eventually falls apart because the members start hating each other for not hating enough.

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