Feb 13, 2011

#BDS: Faithless Boycotts Israel and Preaches Gospel of Humanity


“Okay. We’ve been asked to do some shows this summer in your country and, with the heaviest of hearts, I have regretfully declined the invitation.”

It was 2005 when the high priest of house sent his uncluttered note to the Faithless fans in Israel.

“It’s fair to say that for 14 years we’ve been promoting goodwill, trust ad harmony all around the world in our small (but very loud) way.

“While human beings are being wilfully denied not just their rights but their needs for their children and grandparents and themselves, I feel deeply that I should not be sending even tacit signals that this is either normal okay. Its neither and I cannot support it.

“It grieves me that it has come to this and I pray every day for human beings to begin caring for each other, firm in the wisdom that we are all we have.”

His sign-off was customary. Beautiful. “One love. Maxi.”

Six years later- after Faithless had turned down that invitation to tour Israel for a third time- his voice is unimaginably familiar on the other side of the phone, so the heart pounds. In the background, the TV is on and from kilometers away, the world is quietly watching a revolution being unleashed in Egypt. The original frontiers are being challenged. King Abdullah has dissolved his parliament in Jordan.

Tunisia has been on the burn. And for two of the gods of Faithless- Maxi Jazz and the guitarist Dave Randall- these are events that are more fundamental to their music than many fans will realise."

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