The New Zealand Jewish Council is concerned by the decision of Twisted Frequency Festival to withdraw its invitation to Israeli musician Dekel, reportedly on the basis of his nationality, his previous performances in Israel and his failure to make a public statement condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza.
This is not about endorsing an artist’s politics, defending the Israeli government or taking a position on the conduct of the war in Gaza. It is about a much more fundamental principle: people should not have to demonstrate the politically acceptable position before being afforded the same opportunities as everyone else.
Dekel had been invited to perform and had accepted that invitation. Cancelling an existing invitation because of an artist’s nationality or failure to make a prescribed political statement is particularly troubling. An artist’s nationality should not determine whether they are welcome to perform in New Zealand. Nor should participation in a cultural event be conditional on making a particular political declaration. Freedom of expression must include the freedom to hold unpopular views, as well as the freedom not to make public political statements at all.
People are entirely entitled to criticise the Israeli government and its military actions. Political protest, boycotts and robust debate are legitimate parts of a democratic society. But there is an important distinction between challenging someone’s views and withdrawing an already accepted professional or cultural opportunity because they have not expressed the views others demand of them.
There is also a broader concern for New Zealand’s Jewish community. Jewish identity and Israeli nationality are not the same thing, and Jewish New Zealanders hold a wide range of views about Israel and its government. However, a connection to Israel is a reality for most members of our community, through family, cultural, educational, religious and personal connections. That connection should not become a basis for exclusion or a reason to demand political declarations as a condition of participation in public life.
We are increasingly concerned by an environment in which Jewish participation in public, professional and cultural life can appear conditional on demonstrating sufficient distance from Israel. The expectation that Jewish people must publicly condemn Israel, or disavow their connections to the country, before being accepted is a form of political conformity that should have no place in an inclusive society.
The same principle should apply consistently, regardless of nationality. Would American musicians be expected to publicly condemn their government’s immigration policies before performing? Would Chinese artists be required to make statements about the treatment of Uyghurs? Would artists from other countries be subjected to similar tests relating to their governments’ actions?
If not, why should Israelis be treated differently?
There is a particular irony in a music festival celebrating artistic freedom excluding an Israeli musician. The contrast is especially stark given the horrific events at the Nova music festival in Israel in October 2023, where people gathered to celebrate music and freedom were subjected to a terrorist massacre. Music should be a means of bringing people together across differences, not another setting in which nationality and political conformity determine who is welcome.
The New Zealand Jewish Council has not had contact with Dekel and is not speaking on his behalf. Our concern is with the broader principle and the message such exclusions send, both to visiting Israelis and to members of New Zealand’s Jewish community.
We call on Twisted Frequency and the wider arts community to apply consistent standards, reject exclusion based on national identity or compelled political expression, and ensure that artists are judged on their own merits rather than their nationality or willingness to make prescribed political statements.
ENDS