--- by Max Blumenthal[Macy will be performing in Tel Aviv about the same time Sarah Palin is reported to be planning to also be in that city - PA]
The Israeli media is filled with reports about Macy Gray confirming her plans to perform in Tel Aviv in March. This should have been an occasion for Israelis to celebrate their continuing ability to behave as a normal society despite occupying millions of people, holding Gaza under siege, maintaining an apparatus of racism against its non-Jewish citizens. But in a poorly calculated stunt designed to wash her hands of human rights concerns, Gray had first asked her “fans” if she should perform despite what she called Israel’s “disgusting” treatment of the Palestinians. Within hours, thousands of people who had no prior interest in Gray or her music flocked to her Facebook page (they only had to “like” her page in order to post) to register their opinions. Gray, who appeared to have every intention of performing anyway, remarked after announcing her plan to go to Tel Aviv, that some of those urging her to boycott were “assholes.”
It wasn't enough for Macy Gray to agree to perform in Israel. She has to take a virtual loyalty oath, too.
Under normal circumstances, Gray’s roundhouse attack on some supporters of BDS and her subsequent pledge to perform in Tel Aviv should have pleased nationalistic Israelis. However, her initial criticism of Israel’s occupation has invited a firestorm of racist, sexist and generally hateful diatribes from Israelis. Indeed, many Israelis are more furious with Gray for performing inside their country than for refusing to come. Several internet forums, including one called “Don’t Betray,” have sprouted up to incite public anger at artists such as Gray who have criticized Israel — even if they agree to perform in the country. Meanwhile, the talkback sections of articles in the Hebrew media about Gray’s Tel Aviv shows have provided a forum for the most extreme screeds about the singer.
I have collected and translated a sampling of talkbacks from an article in the Hebrew edition of Ynet, the online version of the Israeli paper Yedioth Aharonoth, which highlight the attitude of some Israelis towards Gray. The talkbacks are almost entirely negative towards Gray, with many urging her to cancel her show for daring to criticize Israel, while others call her a “nigger” and denigrate black music as “contaminated.” Gray might be vaguely aware of Israel’s systematic abuse of Palestinians, but is she aware of the racism towards black Africans inside Israel, including Ethiopian Jews? Has she considered how she might be treated if she were living in Israel? And who are the “assholes” anyway?
Some of 500+ comments from the talkback section to the Hebrew Ynet article provocatively entitled “Gray is against Israel but not canceling:”
THe ugly niggers are joining the Darfurians entering here. All of you go away. wedontwantyou
Go find whoever is going to shag you you fucking whore. Every piece of garbage opens their cunt on us. muslimit
David from Safed: She should take all her brothers the Sudanese and Eritreans and fuck off here.
Another “afro american.” Nice name that the niggers made for themselves. Max
Black music is inferior music that fits you. No name [Another commenter calls him a racist.] “No name” replies: What is racist about that? To say “black” is racist?
Who wants you? You look like a monkey. Mikhal
It’s really disgusting that Israel is going to see black!!! music. Disgusting. Contaminates your soul. Ayela
Don’t come we don’t need your ugly fat ass here. Dude
Blacks and Muslims always go together. Brainless fraternity of people. Shai
[Responding to other commenters denying that any occupation exists]: Right, what chutzpah of us to survive in the jungle around us, as if she can’t understand the jungle. M
They [Americans] killed thousands of innocent people in Iraq but they come to complain here. moshe
What Israeli fans does she have here? Leftist garbage maniacs [bastards] need to be killed whoever comes to her show. victor
What Palestinian people? What peaceful people? Maybe terrorism? Maybe right of return on your expense? Bruriera Hess
Don’t give us favors. IF she’s contemplating coming Israel should cancel the show. Dontgiveusfavors
I returned the ticket. And you? Anee
Maybe they will let her perform in Gaza. Raymond
Go to Gaza, perform and fuck for the Hamas. May your name be cursed. pessey
When you’re being spit at at least you have to get a kleenex to clean it up. hamitnaseh
Fuck you who wants you here anyway? Sharon
[Quote by David Ben Gurion]: “It doesn’t matter what the goyim will say it matters what the Jews will do.” LT
Sweetheart, don’t come here. We don’t want you. Who do you think you are talking about us? IsraeliJewishFighter
Those who are “disgusting” towards the Balestinians [mocking the Arabic pronounciation of Palestinian] are the Balestinians themselves. Hineh
Please don’t cancel. What are we going to do without your show? My Asshole.
16 comments:
Jeez ... I want to have some respect for you, but you come off as a flaming anti-semite. What is up, man? I agree, Israel has some serious issues to look at but can you tone down the angry rhetoric? It just turns a person off! Makes me want to stop visiting your site.
Jessica
Jessica,
Could you please explain to me why publishing this article by my close friend Max makes me "come off as a flaming anti-semite"?
Do you think that such articles as his have no place in polite society?
I'd really appreciate an honest answer, Jessica.
Phil,
It does not make you look like an anti-Semite.
If reporting the ugly truth is being an anti-Semite, then mist of us are.
I hope this is on;y a small fraction of Israel. Maybe it is their version of their very own Baggers. But what ever it is, they are horrible, bigoted assholes. Just like the racists we have in our own Country.
Why do people always defend Israel when they treat the Palestinians so badly? How can people ignore the situation? The Palestinians are long over due their Land, their own legitimately elected government, and most of all, a right to make a living and to live in Peace!
Yes, these articles do have a place in society. If the people who are ignorant and refuse to educate themselves don't want to know, they don't have to read it!
Please keep on reporting the news from Israel and the Palestinians. I get a lot of my news here about the Palestinians because I know I can count on you for truthful posts!
Thank you for all you do!
mary b
Typical example that the right wing fundamentalists in any nation/religion use the same kind of hate speech.
Jessica, it seems to me that the hateful rhetoric is only coming from the right wing fundamentalist Jewish comments. Not Phil or Max.
Please do some research. You don't qualify as an anti-semite to not support what the current Jewish government is doing.
I have many Israeli friends - born & raised there who don't like what's going on now either.
Israel is a country. There is likely a similar ratio of bigoted folks in that country as there is anywhere else.
Bigoted folks here have felt comfortable amping up their horsepunky in recent years
and by all appearances their counterparts in Israel have too.
Why does any concern over behavior of citizens in Israel get called anti-semitic?
Israel's politics and politicians have shifted pretty far right in recent years but we can't talk about that because any questioning is automatically presumed to be anti-Jewish?
oh pffft
alaskapi
This is a very good discussion and I will try to comment respectfully. I would like to say at the outset that I am a Jew and that I grew up in the U.S. amongst some Jews who also had these narrow-minded view points. Yet there were plenty of Jews who were also open minded and progressive.
So why might one be concerned with this discussion and feel some possible "anti-Semitism" in the air? This is because somehow, Israelis and Jews in general are not allowed to have some assholes, like any other group. We are judged by separate standards. This blog and others spend a great deal of time on the crimes of the Israeli government, but little time on the enormous misdeeds of many other governments. Israel is a small nation. You showed some very gory photos of IDF cruelties.
But did you show photos of people being boiled alive in Uzbeckistan?
How about women being stoned to death in Saudi Arabia? ..or having their noses hacked off in Afghanistan? I could go on and on. The point is that its the actions of the Israeli government that seem to enrage you most. This anger is then multiplied when you send out that energy by posting these things. We have free speech and I'd defend anyone's right to post and express what they choose. BUT IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS AN UNDERCURRENT OF FEELING ABOUT ANTI SEMITISM - THERE IS YOUR ANSWER.
conscious at last,
I disagree. I'm also concerned about the things you bring up. Very much. I wrote an essay here early last year, called PA and the Palestinians.
Here's a link
Phil, it would have helped to show that concern a bit in this article. Without that it does appear lopsided... which from reading you before, for sure, you are way more balanced. But many dont read you regularly.
Some of you more progressive folks could post a bit at http://www.CommonGroundPolitics.net -- It is a good political discussion forum.. but lately a couple of liberals have dropped and I'd like to see more balance in the discussion there. Thanks.
anon @ 1:17 pm,
"Phil, it would have helped to show that concern a bit in this article. Without that it does appear lopsided... which from reading you before, for sure, you are way more balanced. But many dont read you regularly."
I didn't write this story. My friend Max Blumenthal wrote it. He's an expert on this subject - and on others.
I have no idea why, if one is to bring up the shortcomings of some in Israeli society, people expect one to mention a list of shortcomings in other societies. Have you ever made a point like this at an article about Mexican gang violence, saying "why don't you also mention that they have gang violence and organized crime in Israel?" If you have, good for you. If you haven't, your comment is strange.
I just wish that America would step away from this particular part of the Middle East and let Israel be its own country without our financial assistance. They say that they don't need and it and they don't want it. If so many of us didn't have some form of religion stuck so firmly up our asses then the world would be a better place all around. Granted, when religion no longer becomes an arguing point, then color or regional heritage will take its place.
We humans are just an argumentative collection of cells with a big brain than many of us do not realize is merely an accidental evolutionary happenstance.
We will fight and argue and judge each other even when times become grave and we should just depend on each other for our merest survival.
God, any God, all Gods, have caused so much pain and heartache in this world. God makes wars and people either live their lives for, or die for a God. I can't get behind it and lose respect for all of the weakness that belief in "a higher power" breeds. What part of being human is not magnificent enough that we must argue and fight and try to give something that we have no proof of the benefit our accidental existence?
"This is because somehow, Israelis and Jews in general are not allowed to have some assholes, like any other group. We are judged by seperate standards "
---------------------------
I have a hunch I have some familiarity with this feeling as I am part Alaska Native but I think it demonstrable that this "judged by seperate standards" thingy is felt by all manner of minority groups. It's also real enough to cause all manner of difficulty for a group of people so judged.
However, I've not seen it to be helpful to turn and point to the sins of others to deflect attention to specific problems.
Currently in this state, we cannot get off the dime over important issues in rural Alaska because it all devolves into myths and half truths about Natives on the one side and retreat into an uneasy, mostly quiet solidarity on the other.
I am tired of hiding the so-called skeletons in the closet- DV, susicide, alcoholism, etc. Those are all signs of poverty and despair and affect any group of people in a similar situation.
We can work through to sensible solutions if we quit accepting the "judged by seperate standards" thingy and get fully engaged in our own future.
I'm thinking Jewish people can do the same thing, especially Israeli Jews...
and part of that is owning our/their own right wing jerks.
None of it has to even be about race or ethnicity...
jerks are human and know no boundaries in their distribution worldwide.
alaskapi
AKPetMom
God has not caused the pain and heartache, but MAN has. Cruelty and murder has been carried out by humans, natural disasters withstanding...and if you blame them, than I guess you believe in a god who has power over these things.
As a progressive Jew myself, critical often of Israeli politics and policies, especially recently, I appreciate your posting...but also note that atrocities from the "other side", the Palestinians and other anti-Israeli neighbors, rarely get a mention. Not that those incidents excuse the Israeli actions, but mentioning the crimes of both sides paint a more clearer and balanced picture. And lend less cause to the "anti-semite" label.
I'd like you to prove that those are written by Jews and right wing Jews for that matter.
It's like those letters threatening you and supposedly others when you ground out that canned-tata of yours. You know the ones you "deleted" and failed to show to the Police!
You are a liar Phil and a Jew hater.
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