The global campaign attempting to increase economic and political pressure on Israel, The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS Movement) has requested the officials of the 22nd European Reggae Festival in Spain, known as "Rototom," to cancel the performance of the American reggae rapper and alternative rock musician - Matisyahu, for the reason that the reggae rapper has "participated in pro-Zionist festivals and has said that Palestine does not exist."
Matisyahu was to perform at the Rototom Sunsplash festival on August 22, the artist is not Israeli but has visited the country several times. And the Jamaican artist Etana will fill the concert slot of Matisyahu.
On Thursday, Filippo Giunta the event director, asked Matisyahu to issue a "signing statement or video" that expressed in a "very clear" way that Palestinians are entitled to their own state.
Other performers of the 22nd European Reggae Festival threatened to cancel their own performances if Matisyahu will be allowed to perform at the event, because Matisyahu was "seen to represent Israel." Matisyahu was accused by the local BDS movement of being a "Zionist" who supports the practice of "apartheid and ethnic cleansing."
As the officials of the Festival pointed to their 22 year history of "active promotion of peace, social justice and human rights."
The Rototom festival organizers announced on Friday, "After having repeatedly sought dialogue (with Matisyahu), the artist was unavailable to speak out clearly against the war and the Palestinians' right to a state of their own. Accordingly, the Matisyahu concert scheduled for August 22 was cancelled."
Jorge Ramos Toulouse ,Valencia BDS director, stated that "before launching this public campaign, we asked the artist clearly to show his support for peace. We proposed that, even in a tweet, he should say he was in favor of compliance with the resolutions of international law regarding Palestine." Jorge Ramos Toulouse also said, "Of course, he did not," "came out publicly against the Gaza Flotilla."
