Festival organizers, after being asked by fans on Facebook about Pop's non-performance said:
"[T]hat decision was of Pops choosing, he will release his reasoning in due time." (
http://www.facebook.com/CapeTownWorldMusicFestival/posts/199835583485061)
The SA Artists Against Apartheid collective and BDS South Africa, released an open letter to the organizers and artists of the Cape Town World Music Festival calling on the Festival to #DropIsrael from its program. Failing that, the two organizations called on artists that were scheduled to perform at the Cape Town World Music Festival to withdraw their involvement from the "compromised" event.
The joint letter from the two organizations to the Cape Town World Music Festival read:
"We are writing to you with great disappointment, but also with hope – hope that you will choose to be on the right side of history…We strongly urge the Cape Town World Music Festival organizers to re-think the decision to accept Israeli government sponsorship and collaboration. We call on the Festival to openly reject the Israeli embassy collaboration…[and] if the Festival refuses this, then we call on you [the artists] -realizing the difficulties- to withdraw your involvement in a compromised festival. " For the full letter click here:
www.bdssouthafrica.com/2011/11/cape-town-world-music-festival.html
The Cape Town World Music Festival organizers response to the open letter and request, by BDS South Africa and SA Artists Against Apartheid, was that they themselves (the organizers) were Israeli and returning the Israeli embassy sponsorship would risk their citizenship.
In 2005, Palestinian civil society called for a broad-based boycott of Israel as a way to bring Israel in line with international law. The Palestinian boycott of Israel has been modeled on the successful boycott of Apartheid South Africa. The boycott against Israel also has an increasing number of progressive Israelis who back the campaign. International musicians, artists, and bands who have responded and boycotted Israel in the recent past include Gil Scott-Heron, Elvis Costello, Cassandra Wilson, DJ Cat Power, Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, director John Greyson, the Pixies, Massive Attack, Faithless, Gorillaz Sound System, and the Klaxxons.
BDS South Africa and the SA Artists Against Apartheid collective would like to commend Pops Mohamed for not legitimizing a stage co-sponsored by the Israeli embassy, as participating in that event would have been to cross a boycott picket-line.
ISSUED BY MUHAMMED DESAI FOR BDS SOUTH AFRICA AND SA ARTISTS AGAINST APARTHEID. FOR COMMENT:
Muhammed Desai: +27 (0) 84 211 9988
Carrie Schwartz: +27 (0) 73 028 0301
