John Vibes

August 25, 2015

(ANTIMEDIA) Pop-reggae artist Matisyahu has recently been at the center of much controversy over a dispute he had with festival organizers about his stance on the occupation and colonization of Palestine.

Last week, the pop musician was removed from the lineup for the Rototom Reggae Sunsplash, one of the largest music festivals in Spain, because he refused to recognize the struggle of Palestinian people.

The move created a worldwide backlash and the event organizers were forced to keep Matisyahu on the lineup. When he took the stage at the festival this weekend, Matisyahu was greeted with a sea of Palestinian flags, carried by people who wanted to bring attention to the issue that he has been hiding from for his entire career. The singer played through his set despite the fact that he was not welcomed by many of the attendees. He ended the performance without any mention of the dispute or the ongoing occupation of the Middle East.

When confronted on the issue prior to the performance, Matisyahu claimed that he does not get involved in “politics” and that his music has nothing to do with “politics.” However, there are many examples of songs where Matisyahu has made political statements, and if you listen to his lyrics, you would be led to believe that he is a man of peace. He speaks of ending wars and everyone living together happily in his music, however, he fails to mention or recognize the global system of oppression that creates these wars and divides people of all races and creeds. Instead, Matisyahu has consistently shown support for a government that is literally engaging in a mass genocide. Like many supporters of the government of Israel, Matisyahu mistakenly believes that his Jewish heritage somehow binds him to that government.

In reality, the state of Israel has nothing to do with Judaism, as both Jewish and Arab people lived in relative peace under the Ottoman Empire before British imperialists carved out the Middle East and established their own puppet dictators throughout the 20th century. It is entirely possible for someone to be proud of their Jewish heritage while still recognizing that the state of Israel is doing terrible things. In fact, millions of Orthodox rabbis throughout the world have joined together to condemn the injustice that continues to take place in Palestine.

Matisyahu, however, fails to take this stance, refusing to recognize that the government of Israel has built walls separating people from one another, cutting entire populations off from fertile lands and waterways, and continues a military occupation to enforce this division. It is true that there is violence on both ends of the conflict. Palestinians are attacked by Israelis and Israelis are attacked by Palestinians, however, the systematic oppression that involves apartheid walls, military force, and land confiscation is without a doubt being carried out by the government of Israel.

Both sides in the conflict have been misled, abused, and exploited by their self-appointed masters. As with almost every large scale conflict in the world, the key to a peaceful resolution lies with the ability of the people to realize that there is no reason for them to be fighting.

If Matisyahu really believed in peace, he would not be silent on such a critical issue and he would put humanity before his own heritage. It seems, though, that Matisyahu really does not want peace for humanity. Instead, he wants peace for “HIS people.” Yes, it is true that he may be saddened by war and that in some abstract way he wants to see people unified, but he wants war to end on his terms — with the people who he sees as the opposition becoming obedient to the government that he identifies with.

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John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter-culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work he organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com.