Author and lawyer Lana Melman exposes the cultural BDS against Israel
Entertainment industry insider Lana Melman is the author of “Artists Under Fire: The BDS War against Celebrities, Jews and Israel.” In her book, Lana puts the BDS campaign on trial and shares the stories of artists like Scarlett Johansson, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, The Rolling Stones and others who are being used as pawns in BDS’ destructive crusade.
Lana kicked off the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC’s “J Israel 75″ season of programming with a presentation hosted by the JCC’s Sandler Center. Lana shared details about her book and explained how it’s confronting BDS.
Linda: Is BDS’ targeting of celebrities a little-known aspect of the boycott movement?
Lana: “Today, many Jews are rightly concerned about the tide of anti-Zionism and Jew-hatred on college campuses across the United States and Europe. Students are being taught an ideology that falsely accuses Israel of human rights violations and reimagines Jews as white, privileged oppressors. Anti-Jewish hate is regarded as second-class racism unworthy of moral outrage and Jewish (and non-Jewish) students are made to feel ashamed about their love and support for Israel.”
“In my book, The BDS War against Celebrities, Jews and Israel, I explain how the cultural boycott campaign, a facet of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is equally, if not more, dangerous than what is happening on college campuses. The cultural boycott campaign against Israel pressures international artists to boycott the Jewish homeland and international venues to discriminate against Israeli artists. When artists book a trip to Israel, BDS proponents claim that they are supporting its false charges of Israeli human rights abuses. By tying its message to the name and likeness of artists, the cultural BDS draws the attention of their fans to these hateful messages. Stories of its propaganda-filled accusations make international news. Social media sharing spreads the lies further. The campaign is using artists and celebrities as a tool to spread damaging lies about Israel to billions of people across the globe and is stirring up worldwide Jew hate. The cultural boycott is the one aspect of rising anti-Jewish hate that many people often know little about. And if they’re not aware, they can’t take action to fight it.”
Linda: How are you confronting the issue head on?
Lana: “Many people, even the best-informed members of the pro-Israel community and those deeply concerned about rising global Jew-hatred, do not understand the cultural boycott campaign: how it works, which artists support it, why it is so dangerous, and how to talk about it. My book will educate and empower them.”
Linda: The Eurovision music competition was held in Tel Aviv in 2019. Were singers from that event targeted?
Lana: “Sarah McTernan, Ireland’s contestant in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest held in Israel, said that she had received terrifying threats and abusive messages both during and after the competition – hundreds and hundreds of them, ‘freaking’ her out. Sinister letters sent to her grandmother’s home contained threats such as, ‘You have to be careful,’ ‘Watch where you go,’ ‘You never know where I’ll be,’ and ‘Be careful who you’re with.’ In addition to threatening mail, McTernan received threatening and abusive messages on social media. She says she went offline for the days during the competition and was still receiving threats weeks later.”
Linda: Who are some of the famous entertainers that have been targeted?
Lana: “Artists Under Fire shares the stories of dozens of artists (many of whom I worked with personally) caught in the crosshairs of the BDS campaign against Israel including Scarlett Johansson, The Rolling Stones, Alicia Keys and Katy Perry, to name just a few.”
Linda: What are your thoughts on Roger Waters’ anti-Israel stance?
Lana: “Musician and BDS activist Roger Waters (co-founder of rock band Pink Floyd) appears to be the self-anointed celebrity front man for the campaign. His efforts have caused numerous organizations and individuals to accuse him of antisemitism. In his shows, Waters has toted a machine-gun replica while wearing a long, black leather coat and armband reminiscent of a Nazi uniform and shown a video of B-52s dropping bombs in the shapes of Jewish stars, U.S. dollars, and corporate symbols.”
“Waters has compared Israel to apartheid South Africa and its government to the Third Reich and in one home video, extraterrestrial aliens. He has disparaged the Jewish homeland in interviews, opinion pieces, public speaking engagements, concerts and at the United Nations. What began as a personal political opinion has morphed into what might be called an obsession and has become a crusade. Verbal attacks by Waters on artists scheduled to perform or visit Israel bring widespread attention to the ‘cause.’ As Nick Cave (formerly of the Bad Seeds) opined, musicians who perform in Israel are now forced to go through public humiliation from Roger Waters.”
Linda: Explain how your book is a call to action against deprivation of artistry?
Lana: “Proponents of the cultural BDS campaign against Israel claim their cause is human rights and their methods are nonviolent. They have mastered the language of the enlightened left but scratch the surface and you will see that their tactics, along with their messaging is anything but peaceful. Most international entertainers who want to perform in Israel face threats to their careers, reputations, and even their lives from the cultural boycott organizations and their supporters. The cultural boycott campaign politicizes art and eviscerates the role of artists as peace ambassadors and agents of change. The fight to counter its efforts is a battle to liberate art.”
Linda: Share your work as a liaison for JNF Young Professionals?
Lana: “As CEO of Liberate Art, I brought Ziggy Marley together with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Young Professionals in celebration of its clean water initiative. Marley was honored for his philanthropic work helping to provide clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Liberate Art recorded Marley’s acceptance speech and his heartfelt expression of love for Israel. In the video Ziggy expresses how he and his late father, Bob Marley, felt a very spiritual and personal connection to Israel. The video went viral.”
Linda: Explain your role as CEO of Liberate Art Inc?
Lana: “Liberate Art educates and inspires hundreds of thousands of people to combat the cultural boycott campaign with commentary in international publications, speaking engagements, author events, educational videos and interviews on radio, podcasts and television. Its newsletters and social media posts keep followers up to date on current events on the cultural boycott front. We encourage them to push back against artists who spread disinformation about Israel and Jews and to express appreciation for artists who speak out against anti-Jewish hate in all its forms.”
I highly recommend you read Lana Melman’s book as well as recommend it to various book clubs and other organizations. It is imperative that everyone knows how serious and damaging BDS has become!
Look ahead for Lana’s forthcoming featured column in the newspaper.