Israelis target Macy Gray with racist diatribes AFTER she agrees to play Tel Aviv (and who are the “assholes?”)
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.”
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
20 comments:
Apparently, Macy Gray caused a cathartic effect in giving Jewish racists a platform whereby to express themselves in print. Talk about giving them reason to let their true feelings about Blacks be known. Wow.
Those are some truly horrible comments, however I do think you'll find stupid ass racist bastards in every country (not that it makes it any better, but still). I wonder how widespread these views are in Israel.
Allow me to say, you write "Jewish racists" but I think you should have written "Israeli racists". There is a difference.
I don't think it's fair to always stigmatise all Jews because of what happens in Israel.
@DaddyG.
I don't think its fair to accuse the author of stigmatising Jews due to mere word choice when all this blatant and disgusting racism coming mostly from white jews/israelis/zionists is right in your face
I am an organizer involved in the BDS movement and I am also one of those people who flocked to Macy Gray's facebook without knowing who she was, in order to urge her to cancel her concert.
I was on that thread. And yes, many of the folks calling for her to boycott were assholes. And so were the folks telling her not to. It was a total shitshow on all sides. You don't need to look far to see that there is anti-jewish racism within our movement by just looking at the thread
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=157685094282976&id=176046896552
Let me just quote one excerpt from that thread:
"Real Talk-thought: THE DIRTY HEEBS SHOT A MAN IN THE HEAD ON A FLOTILLA BRINGING AID SUPPLIES TO GAZA CAUSE ITS A OPENAIR PRISON CONCENTRATION CAMP ==MAKES ME WANNA BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ACTUALLY A HOLOCAUST SO I CAN FEEL GOOOD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENEDD TO THEM IN HISTORY BUT TOO BAD THATS A MYTH TOO ...LOL !"
Here's another
"Es Cartel: WHO STINKY ME OR U A JEW ??? RETHINK WHT YOUR SAYING AND WHO USED TO BE THE PAKIS OF EUROPE WITH FUKING BUTTER IN THEIR SIDEBURNS TO MAKE IT SHINE ---UR A DIRTY LIL ### YA DECIPHER THAT SHYLOCK MAN ;)"
Would that make anyone want to support our cause? Claiming the holocaust never happened, referring to Jewish people as "heebs"? There are plenty of racist zionist responses on there that sound exactly the same. You can feel free to look for them but that's beyond my point right now. I tried to do my part to distance myself from those fuckers, but when that is what's out there, of course she didn't cancel her concert.
The zionist lobby uses the word "anti-semitism" to silence our movement. That is true. But that doesn't mean that anti-semitism doesn't exist. Jewish people are an oppressed group who, in Israel, became the oppressors. They are colonized people who then colonized other colonized people. This is similar to what happened with the creation of the state of Liberia.
If our movement is seriously going to make any real progress then we have to get over our egos and check our own shit within our own movement.
You say that "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.' " Well, they were. Just look at that thread.
How are we going to criticize Zionist racism and then stand silent on anti-Zionist anti-Jewish racism at the same time?
The Holocaust happened. Anti-Jewish racism is real and is on the rise globally, especially in Europe where there is a new fascist movement brewing. This does not excuse Israel's actions, and we still have an obligation to hold Israel accountable for its neocolonial war crimes. But this kind of black-and-white binary thinking about the world is exactly the kind of shit that created the state of Israel in the first place.
For the sake of our movement, for the sake of Palestinian liberation, for the sake of BDS, we need to recognize that this movement is bigger than our egos. It also hurts the movement and further strengthens the neofascist movement if we fail to call out genuine anti-Jewish racism when it is present.
Please do not misunderstand my intention in posting this. It comes out of love. This is self-criticism of the left that comes out of love and a hope for a new future for Palestine/ Israel free of apartheid neocolonial occupation.
Praying for a world without borders, occupation, or genocide,
~Saffo
she was warned not to play there. she found our advise for her not to go as right the hard way.
Macy Gray is the asshole.
She deserves what she gets!
I would like to remind saffo that it is no secret that Israel pays people to post comments in support of Israel on many popular sites. Could it be that these BDS advocates who are obviously anti-Semites are actually Zionists trying to discredit the movement?
Think about it...
Saffo, I went to your meeting in Denver this past weekend. It's clear you are a Zionist shill trying to siphon the energy from the pro-Palestinian movement.
Saffo, I agree with all you say. All Zionist are not Jewish. Some of those who are most disgusted and outspoken about the criminal murderous acts committed by Israel happen to be Jewish themselves.
To whomever so bravely accused me of being a "Zionist shill" anonymously, I must be since apparently anyone who doesn't agree with you must obviously be an agent of some sort.
Thanks for those who see where I'm coming from. To those who aren't willing to check their own egos, or their own bigotry, in order to move the movement forward, you aren't helping anyone. Check your shit.
Also, to whomever anonymously wrote this:
"I would like to remind saffo that it is no secret that Israel pays people to post comments in support of Israel on many popular sites. Could it be that these BDS advocates who are obviously anti-Semites are actually Zionists trying to discredit the movement? "
It's always a possibility. But it's also very real that there is a rise of a global neo-fascist movement. In the US we see it in the form of the tea party. In Europe there is a rise in neo-Nazis. Jewish people are being targeted by these fuckers. Yes, I'm sure the state of Israel is up to some shady shit. We know it is. But I also know that there are plenty of bigoted people out there who don't need the support of any government to be a shitbag.
Don't forget that one of the tactics Cointelpro used to bring down the Black Panthers was having agents accuse other people of being agents. The fact is we never know who might be some sort of agent, but there is nothing to be gained by making assumptions or pointing fingers like that-- we just create a witch hunt which weakens our movement.
I'm into responding to what people say, not speculating as to whether or not they might be an agent. And I know for a fact that there are Nazis who hate the state of Israel because they hate Jewish people, and they are not on my team. I'm all for taking action against Israel, holding it accountable for the genocide and occupation of Palestinian people, but I can't accept anyone who sees the state of Israel as representing some innate quality of Jewish people. We all have it in us to be oppressors. That humility is part of what motivates me.
Alright, and I'm gonna stop posting on this thread because I think it's a waste of breath.
Saffo says (above): `The zionist lobby uses the word "anti-semitism" to silence our movement. That is true. But that doesn't mean that anti-semitism doesn't exist. Jewish people are an oppressed group who, in Israel, became the oppressors. They are colonized people who then colonized other colonized people. This is similar to what happened with the creation of the state of Liberia.` - Saffo, I used to think the same thing. I knew the founders of 'Jews Against Zionism'. Then Gilad Atzmon opened my eyes.
Anti-semitism DOESN'T exist, in any meaningful sense. Sure, you can find twits on Twitter saying daft things, but this is not racial discrimination or oppression. It's about as evil as an Australian calling an Englishman a 'pom'.
I'd never heard of Macy Gray before this hoo-hah, but she's done a good job in spite of herself. By groveling to Jewish racism, she's exposed it.
Saffo belongs to a small but vocal minority of leftist Jews using p. c. language to weaken the anti-apartheid movement - whether she is conscious of it or not. Even her pseudonym is p. c!
"It's also very real that there is a rise of a global neo-fascist movement. In the US we see it in the form of the tea party" she claims. No, dear, it's not 'very real', it's a product of your imagination. Just 3 days ago, a Tea Party leader called for an end to all aid to Israel. Often, the right outflanks the left on the Z question.
"I know for a fact that there are Nazis who hate the state of Israel because they hate Jewish people, and they are not on my team" she continues. Again, she's making it up. Anti-fascists shout 'Nazi' to divide the movement against Zionism. When me and some comrades protested against AIPAC, crypto-Zionists said we were 'Judeophobe wingnuts' and that's why few Jews. They wouldn't protest about the murder of Palestinian children because of false claims about protestors. They put Jewish feelings before children's lives. These Jewish activists are trying to undermine BSD in the West Coast co-op movement by claiming its supporters are anti-semites. Until we laugh at all alegations of anti-semitism, this will happen.
I'll stop now. I'm not sure what Malcolm X would think of all this, but thanks for the platform, Sons of Malcolm!
Post a Comment