Last week, it was reported that a Disturbed concert originally scheduled for Oct. 15 in Brussels, Belgium was cancelled “due to concerns from the mayor and local police.”
While some reports painted the mayor’s decision as driven by “security risks”, the decision really seems motivated by Disturbed lead singer David Draiman’s pro-Israel stance.
According to the newspaper, Forest mayor Charles Spapens used a police order to prohibit the American metal band from performing after “the show had become controversial because singer David Draiman is a strong supporter of the Israeli military.”
Draiman, who is Jewish, shared a photo in 2024 that showed him at an Israeli Defense Forces base where he signed artillery shells and along with writing “fuck Hamas” on them. The photo and his visit created controversy amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The Brussels Times reported last month that Spapens had been working with Forest National in an attempt to shut the concert down, calling it “a moral problem.”
“This is about a man who signed a bomb that was dropped on Gaza,” Spapens told The Brussels Times. “We do not support the presence of this artist and even less so his position on Gaza.”
At that time, it seemed as though the city was unable to take any action to cancel the show. The outlet reported that the decision would allegedly need to be made by Forest National and show promoter Live Nation.
That allegedly changed less than a month later following the police order “citing fears of escalating protests.”
In other words, it seems the mayor was found a way to successfully prevent Disturbed from performing after being unable to do so based on the real reason, which smells of discrimination.
Let’s be clear: By signing the bombs and hashtagging the photo #f*ckhamas, David Draiman was clearly expressing his desire that we take out Hamas terrorists only. As I wrote at the time:
…while he speaks out against Hamas, he has always been careful to distinguish them and their accomplices from truly innocent civilians. More than that, one of the reasons he has been vocal about wanting Hamas’ elimination is precisely because they are responsible for destroying Gazan civilian lives and not just because they are doing it to Israelis.
So the mayor’s reason that “This is about a man who signed a bomb that was dropped on Gaza” is highly disingenous.
What’s more, other concerts have been cancelled elsewhere based on the performers’ perceived Zionism.
Two weeks ago, Robbie Williams October 7 Istanbul concert was reportedly canceled over his support for Israel – not just for performing in Israel in the past but because his wife is Jewish and they are raising their kids in the Jewish faith. Then earlier this week, Morrisey’s two concerts set for Turkey were reportedly axed amid public pressure from the government due to his support for Israel: performing there and speaking of his “love” of Tel Aviv and Israelis, even though he has made clear he is no fan of the Israeli government.
In other words, David Draiman signing bombs is a smokescreen. Anyone with a sniff of even associating with or tolerating Israelis, let alone supporting our moral cause, is now a target for cancellation.
And it is not just performers. Indonesia recently refused to grant entry visas to the Israeli delegation for the upcoming Gymnastics World Championships, meaning Artem Dolgopyat, the 2023 world champion and Olympic gold medalist, cannot compete. And even fans are being cancelled, with news that Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans won’t be allowed to attend a Europa League game at Aston Villa next month because of supposed “security concerns.”
From concerts to competitions, from stadiums to stages – Jews and Israelis are being told to sit out.
This isn’t about music, or sport, or safety. It’s about silencing anyone who dares to say Israel has the right to exist. Heck, it is about anyone who won’t condemn the Jewish people for surviving.
And if that doesn’t disturb you, it should.
