Posted to Jewish News on
by Dovid Efune - Algemeiner

Faced With Sea of Palestinian Flags at Spanish Festival, Matisyahu Belts Out ‘Jerusalem’

After failing in an attempt to have Jewish-American singer Matisyahu banned from a Spanish music festival, the BDS bigots had yet another trick to unveil as he ascended to the stage on Saturday night.

Not to be cowed however, it was the spirited Matisyahu who had the last laugh.

Far from boycotting the reggae artist’s gig, the “hate Israel” crowd showed up en masse. And they came bearing flags, immense Palestinian flags, which they waved with gusto from every corner of the 20,000-strong crowd.

As Matisyahu took the mike and looked out to the audience, he was presented with an unmistakably hostile message. It was clear that those who sought to have him banished stood before him in protest. Then the catcalls started, with some chanting, “out, out.” It might easily have been unnerving, disorienting.

But then he began to sing about Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem, if I forget you, fire not gonna come from me tongue. Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do.”

And then, as he bounced and twirled around the stage, the most defiant lyrics of all: “3, 000 years with no place to be, and they want me to give up my milk and honey.”

“Tonight was difficult but special,” he later posted on Facebook, along with a clip of the performance.

What courage. Not to be intimidated when the concert organizers demanded he pacify the BDSers, and then to return to the festival’s schedule in defiance of the opposition, and chant Jerusalem on stage with such gusto.

What courage.

Now if only life would start to imitate art.

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23 Comments

  • DeClasse' Intellectual

    Good for him, to have the internal fortitude to resist those people. Only by not cowtowing can hyou have self respect and aadvoid another Neveille Chamberlin offense

  • Real role model for our kids

    so who else are you promoting? Not every news item is newsworthy for us Chassidim

  • a light in the darkness

    The beards, the jackets, the hats…thats just superficial shtick. This was brave, honest, the real deal. Matisyahu stood up prouder and taller for am yisrael.

  • DeClasse' Intellectual

    #’s 3/6: Get real!!! What you wrote is not the issue. It as the Rebbe stated to have pride being a Jew and by not picking up his shirt tail and running, Matisyahu demonstrated that he was proud to be a Jew and he would not be intimidated by Jew haters. Now if all the Israelis had the guts to stand up to the EU, their life would be much secure because as the Rebbe warned that by giving in you invite more demands and more disasters. So, whether you like Matisyahu as a singer or person, the important message he gave was I am proud to be Jewish and I will not be bullied by anti-Semitic Jew haters.

  • That was brave

    whether or not he’s a role model is not the question. Praise should be given for standing proud as a yid for yerushalayim.

  • Gaon Yaakov

    The pride of being a Jew. as the Rebbe has spoken in many Sichos When a Yiod is squeezed his pnimius is revealed

  • Nachman

    Now the king is in the field he accepts everyone graciously and with a smile, It is the best time to return
    this will show the true matisyahu,Nachman etc….

    Kesiva Vachasima Tova

  • Menachem M M

    BH
    BSD

    THE REASON WHY HE OUTWARDLY LEFT US PARTIALLY ..AS A TRUE TORAH OBSERVER IS OUR OWN FAILINGS…EVRY SINGLE JEW THAT ISNT AS YET A COMPLETE TRUE TORAH OBSERVER IS OUR OWN FAILINGS AT IT….WE MUST EN MASSE TRULY REPRESENT WHAT TRUE TORAH OBSERVANCE IS ..AND ESPECIALLY AS THE REBBE’S TALMIDIM..
    I BELIEVE I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO EVER SPEAK TO HIM AT 770…WHEN HE DAVENED THERE…MAY HE RETURN SOON…
    AHD MODAI TEMIMIM AND TEMIMOT..
    IN ALL SITUATIONS IN ALL TIMES AND IN ALL PLACES WE MUST REPRESENT THE HOLY TORAH AND LUBAVITCH…AS THE REBBE DID…
    IF THE REBBE WAS WATCHING YOU…
    AND YES….HASHEM IS FOR SURE WATCHING US
    SELICHOS ARE JUST WORDS..
    THE ACT IS PRIME IMPORTANCE

    KSIVA VCHAHSEEMA TOVA
    LOVE YOU ALL

  • Wake up call to Matisyahu

    How coincidental in Chodesh Elul, he will Come back to the Torah Path stronger than he was ever,

    May his family & klal yisroel only have Nachas from him

  • Why only blame us?

    To 16 (Menachem M M):

    It’s sad that he looked at our negativity as an
    excuse to take the course of action that he did.
    But, we learn from the famouis Pasuk in Pirkei Avos:
    “If you are in a place where there are no men, you
    be the one to be the man.”
    In other words, if you are in a place where the people
    are not behaving appropriately, according to Torah,
    you be the example of a Torah-observant person, be
    our leader, show us the right way. Oherwise, this gives
    the “right” for other leaders (e.g. big Rabbanan) to do the same as Mattisyahu, CH”V.