- Artists accuse pro-Israel groups of censorship, harassment
- UK Lawyers for Israel wants to cancel careers, artists argue
DUBAI: British band Massive Attack, British singer and songwriter Brian Eno, Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC and hip-hop trio Kneecap have launched a syndicate to defend artists criticizing Israel’s alleged genocidal war on Gaza.
The group says these artists have been targeted by “aggressive, vexatious campaigns” orchestrated by pro-Israel groups.
In a statement shared on Instagram on Thursday, the musicians expressed concern for emerging artists who they believe are at risk of being “threatened into silence or career cancellation” by groups such as UK Lawyers for Israel.
“We’re aware of the scale of aggressive, vexatious campaigns operated by UKLFI and of multiple individual incidences of intimidation within the music industry itself, designed solely to censor and silence artists from speaking their hearts and minds,” the statement said.
“Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we won’t stand by and allow other artists — particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability — to be threatened into silence or career cancellation.”
The syndicate was announced amid mounting tensions involving the UKLFI.
The group filed a police report against Bob Vylan after the band chanted “death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)” during their Glastonbury set, an incident now under police investigation.
The UKLFI also filed a complaint with the BBC for broadcasting the performance, and several of the band’s upcoming shows have since been cancelled.
Mo Chara of Kneecap was also referred to authorities by the UKLFI and later charged with a terrorism offence, accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a live performance.
Following the report, Kneecap had several concerts cancelled.
