‘No music for genocide’ – Best-selling musicians block Israeli fans

More than 1,000 recording artists have joined an anti-Israel boycott, barring their fans in Israel from streaming their music.

By World Israel News Staff

More than 1,000 musical artists, including a number of high-profile chart-toppers, have signed on to an anti-Israel boycott, barring their Israeli fans from accessing their music through online streaming services.

The boycott, dubbed the “No Music for Genocide” initiative, was launched in September and is the brainchild of anti-Israel musicians seeking to replicate a film industry pledge to shun Israeli cinemas, movie festivals, and production companies.

The “No Music for Genocide” boycott was launched shortly after the Filmmakers for Palestine pledge went public on September 2.

Organizers accused Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip while parroting false claims of ethnic cleansing in 1948-49.

Artists signing on to the pledge commit to instructing their record labels and distributors to order online streaming services to restrict access to their music, barring users on Israeli IPs from streaming their songs.

This, the organizers said, is “just one step toward honoring Palestinian demands to isolate and delegitimize Israel.”

According to a report by Haaretz, however, enforcement of the region-specific removal orders has been inconsistent, with some platforms, such as Spotify, still offering songs from musicians who have signed on to the boycott, while other platforms, including SoundCloud, barred access to music from those same artists.

The Israeli embassy in Washington condemned the boycott, calling it “discriminatory, immoral, and misguided.”

“Such boycotts do nothing to advance peace or improve the lives of either Israelis or Palestinians,” the embassy told NPR. “On the contrary, they deepen division and harm the very people they claim to support.”

The list of boycotters includes New Zealand-based best-seller Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, who performs under the stage name Lorde; American pop-punkers Paramore; avant-garde artist Björk; the far-left British electronic music group Massive Attack; pop singer Rina Sawayama; and the indie rock group Japanese Breakfast.