1 week Ago
The Israeli rapper who called to "Free Palestine" during a performance in Tel Aviv sparked controversy and has since apologized. Shay TRA Litman, a rapper who was relatively unknown to the general public until Sunday, was featured in a video where he made the call during his performance at a club in southern Tel Aviv. 1 View gallery Shay TRA Litman ( Photo: Ryan Preuss ) The video, shared by blogger Daniel Amram, ignited a storm on social media, with harsh reactions, notably from rapper HaTzel ("The Shadow"), who criticized him.
"During Israel's toughest time, while Jews faced pogroms in Amsterdam and soldiers fought and fell at the borders, he performed in Tel Aviv and spat in the face of his audience, the soldiers, and Israel by playing them a new song called 'Free Palestine,'" according to The Shadow. "A person who speaks against the state and even praises the enemy, regardless of their sector, should have their citizenship revoked," commented user Yasmin, alongside other angry responses. Due to the uproar, the Ministry of Culture quickly distanced itself from Litman.
"The ministry does not support performances or artists. It only supports cultural institutions and authorities. This performance was funded by the Tel Aviv Municipality and is not related to the ministry's budget," it said in a statement.
Culture Minister Miki Zohar also sought to dissociate from the performance. "Such statements have no place in Israel, and we will consider ways to prevent such incidents in the future," he said. Litman later issued an apology on his Facebook account, writing: "I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for the disappointment I caused during the performance to anyone hurt by one of the songs.
This song was written a few years ago, was never released, and I will never perform it again. It was written from a personal place, and I saw how words can also hurt. I promise to learn from this, and I'm sorry again.
" Following the apology, Litman received some supportive comments. "You spoke your truth, and that's a brave act that can inspire others. You don't have to agree," responded a user on his Facebook.
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