Massive Attack said there were ‘aggressive, vexatious campaigns’ against artists who spoke out on Israeli abuses against Palestinians
Shafik Mandhai is a journalist and editor working on Middle East Eye’s Discover section
Cross-posted from Middle East Eye
British band Massive Attack have announced an alliance of musicians to take on “intimidation” by pro-Israel groups within the music industry.
Acts including Kneecap, Brian Eno, and Garbage have signed up for the group, which was announced on the back of a documentary by campaign group Led By Donkeys about the work of a pro-Israel group that is silencing activism on the situation in Palestine.
According to Led By Donkeys: “UK Lawyers for Israel Ltd [UKLFI] has tried to silence various voices supporting Palestine. Their charitable wing has made public statements rejecting international law.”
In a statement put out on Instagram on Thursday evening, Massive Attack said intimidation of pro-Palestine artists within the music industry had been organised by UKLFI.
“The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description. We write as artists who’ve chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there [and] the role of the UK Government in facilitating it,” Massive Attack wrote.
“Because of our expressions of conscience, we’ve been subject to various intimidations from within our industry (live & recorded) & legally via organised bodies such as UKLFI; whose range of activities has now finally been exposed in a new documentary film projected last night by the Led By Donkeys collective,” the statement continued.
The band said it was especially important for the music industry to act to protect emerging artists from intimidation.
They called on those impacted by UKLFI’s work to get in touch with the new alliance, labeled: “Ethical Syndicate Palestine”.
Led By Donkeys published its own statement alongside its documentary, which said: “The weaponisation of antisemitism is not only an egregious attack on Palestine advocacy, civil liberties [and] human rights – it also hurts the fight against antisemitism.
“It makes it harder for us to identify true antisemitism when it happens [and] creates scepticism about whether anti-Jewish racism even still exists, or is just a political tool.”
‘Political policing’
There have been a number of controversies involving pro-Palestine artists in the UK in the past few months.
In late June, duo Bob Vylan faced calls for prosecution and were dropped by their agents after leading chants of “death to the IDF” at the Glastonbury music festival.
The incident caused outrage amongst the British media and political establishment and was the subject of an investigation by Avon and Somerset police.
Manchester’s Radar Festival cancelled a performance by the pair but organisers said that the decision was out of their hands. The band also had shows cancelled in Europe and their visas for a US tour cancelled in response to the furore.
Elsewhere, Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly holding a Hezbollah flag during a performance in London in November last year.
Kneecap published a statement addressing the case, which said: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves.
“This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.”
Increasing numbers of musicians are making gestures and statements in support of Palestine and against ongoing Israeli atrocities in Gaza.
That includes bands once considered relatively apolitical.
In May, Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds raised the Palestinian flag during the band’s performance in Milan, Italy.
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