Popular bands Rage Against the Machine, Run the Jewels, and musicians Serj Tankian, Roger Waters and Patti Smith are among the 600 people from the music industry who have signed an open letter asking artists to boycott performing in Israel until they ‘Free Palestine.’ The letter credited to #MusiciansForPalestine was also signed by the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, the Roots’ Black Thought and Questlove, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thurston Moore, Bun B, Royce Da 5’9”, Cypress Hill, Talib Kweli, reports Rolling Stone. The open later states, “As musicians, we cannot be silent. Today it is essential that we stand with Palestine. We are calling on our peers to publicly assert their solidarity with the Palestinian people. Complicity with Israeli war crimes is found in silence, and today silence is not an option.” The open letter also urges fellow artists to stand beside Palestine, “We call for you to join us with your name in refusing to perform at Israel’s complicit cultural institutions, and by standing firm in your support of the Palestinian people and their human right to sovereignty and freedom. We believe this is crucial to one day live in a world without segregation and apartheid.”
