Although they’ve performed predominantly cover songs since their inception in 2008, Rana Choir just released an original collaboration with Los Angeles-based indie pop band Distant Cousins.
Rana Choir is the only Jewish and Arab women’s choir in Israel. It features singers from Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths who consider one another family, and their very existence as a group is an anomaly in the Middle East.
Although they’ve performed predominantly cover songs since their inception in 2008, Rana Choir just released an original collaboration with Los Angeles-based indie pop band Distant Cousins. The two groups are 7,000 miles away from each other, yet they managed to write and record a high-quality, professional sounding song, “Omdot B’Yachad / Wakfal Sawa” (“Standing Together”), using iPhones, Androids and Dropbox.
“We were not interested in doing another song about peace and love,” Rana Choir Founder Mika Danny told the Journal. “We were all at a point where we felt very angry about the situation here, very frustrated with the situation between Arab and Jews inside Israel.”
In Danny’s opinion, the prejudice and racism that come between people of different backgrounds in Israel is due to the fact that they don’t know each other personally. She sees Rana Choir as a vector to help people change their perceptions of one another.
The idea for the collaboration came from Ari Ingel, director of the L.A.-based entertainment industry nonprofit organization, Creative Community for Peace. The organization’s mission is to promote the arts for peace and use music to build bridges between diverse communities. Ingel knew of the inspiring story behind Rana Choir and thought they’d be a great fit for with Distant Cousins.
“We’re always looking to find people who are similarly aligned,” Ingel told the Journal. “Distant Cousins sent us a video they had done at the Staples Center with Muslim and Jewish kids here in L.A., and they did this amazing real-time workshop where they made a song with the kids in the room. They shout out different words and they play a chord. I thought it was phenomenal.”
The way Distant Cousins worked with the children, Ingel thought, would be an excellent way to use the arts to showcase common ground between Jews and Arabs within Israel.
Distant Cousins frequently use their musical talents to write marketing jingles for prominent businesses. The trio is adept at making music by committee, as they have been creating music to order for over seven years.
The first songwriting session began with conversations between with Rana Choir members and Distant Cousins about what the women experience daily in regards to what they call “the situation” between Jews and Arabs in Israel. Distant Cousins members Dov Rosenblatt, Duvid Swirsky and Ami Kozak led the women of the choir in a deep discussion, eliciting thoughts and frustrations together—all via Zoom.
“THAT JUST MAKES FOR THE BEST SONGS BECAUSE IT COMES FROM A REAL PLACE.”
– DOV ROSENBLATT, DISTANT COUSINS
“These women were ready to share real, important conversations…just different issues that they face, [and] politically, the disappointment they feel,” said Rosenblatt. “That just makes for the best songs because it comes from a real place.”
Towards the end of the sharing session, they asked the choir, “Where do you see the light? Where do you see hope in this situation?”
“One of the things we see over and over again in these workshops is that no matter who the people are, it’s amazing how much we have in common with each other,” Swirsky said of the collaboration process. “Having that shared goal really helps people get closer.”
Distant Cousins had the singers listen to a few songs that would influence the overall tonality, including “Imagine” by John Lennon, “We Shall Overcome” by Joan Baez and “The Times They Are A-Changin” by Bob Dylan.
The conversation was mostly in English; Swirsky, who grew up in Israel, translated for the Hebrew speakers. Distant Cousins learned some new Arabic and Hebrew phrases and expressions in the process.
However, Danny and the choir members insisted that the song must have a Middle Eastern sound, not Western, operatic or classical.
“I found out very quickly when I started working with the choir that the texture of the women’s different voices and accents is not a classical sound,” Danny said. “Their real forte is ethnic music.”
After that first sharing session, Rosenblatt, Swirsky and Kozak created a “word cloud” image of the most popular words Rana Choir members used in their discussion, including “country,” “future,” “cooperation,” “leaders,” “children,” “separatism,” “incitement,” “reality” and “people.”
Danny was impressed with how much the women’s struggles aligned in the challenging discussion. She was quick to point out, though, that the political opinions among the women of the choir are vastly divergent, yet their day-to-day challenges and desires are quite similar.
The guys of Distant Cousins came back with a song with a Middle Eastern tone, and lyrics mostly in English (with some Hebrew and Arabic interspersed throughout). These are the opening lines:
I am worried
I am tired
Where is our country?
Lost in a losing fight
To my children
You are my hope
Tomorrow will be better
Harmonies were written. The tenors, altos and sopranos were each assigned their respective arrangements. Rana Choir members recorded their parts and uploaded them to Dropbox, and Kozak layered and optimized the tracks, like any other song production. Drums and strings were added, and the result, “Omdot B’Yachad / Wakfal Sawa,” can be seen on YouTube.
Looking back, Danny reflected on lessons the world can learn from Rana Choir.
“When you sing in a choir, the most basic thing is [that] you have to always listen carefully to the person on your right and on your left, and be synchronized with them,” Danny said. “I think we all listen much more when we sing than when we talk. Just listening is a good starting point for a dialogue. It creates a great intimacy, hearing each other’s voices, hearing the person next to you expressing at this specific moment.”
Watch the entire video here.
Read the entire article on Jewish Journal here.
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Helen Mirren, Mila Kunis and Zachary Quinto have slammed filmmakers calling for a boycott of an Israeli LGBTQ+ film festival.
Last year, moviemakers including Turner Prize winner Charlotte Prodger and Palme d’Or nominee Alain Guiraudie led calls for a boycott of the Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival in protest of the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.
Ahead of this year’s event, a host of big names including Helen, Mila, Zachary, Neil Patrick Harris, Billy Porter, and Gene Simmons have signed a letter slamming activists and entertainment figures who back a boycott.
“We reject any attempt to boycott TLVFest – Israel’s largest LGBTQ Film Festival – which works to showcase the stories of LGBTQ people globally and create a brighter future for LGBTQ people both inside Israel and around the world,” their letter, published by the Creative Community for Peace nonprofit, reads. “We stand united with all the participating filmmakers against the divisive rhetoric espoused by boycott activists who seek to misinform, bully and intimidate artists into removing their films from the festival or shame them for participating in the festival.”
The upcoming event, also known as TLVFest, is slated to start on 11 November. Each year it comes under fire from activists from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement who demand their supporters cut cultural and economic ties with Israel.
The movement has some high-profile supporters, including Roger Waters, Brian Eno and Normal People author Sally Rooney, while Lorde also cancelled a concert in Israel at the request of fans backing a boycott.
However, it has been called antisemitic for its singling out of Israel for action, and acts including Radiohead and Nick Cave have slammed those requesting they do not perform in the Jewish state.
Cover Photo: Getty Images -Credit: Amy Sussman / Staff
Mila Kunis, Neil Patrick Harris, Mayim Bialik, Billy Porter, Dame Helen Mirren, Phil Rosenthal, Zachary Quinto, Sherry Lansing, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Dana Goldberg, Gene Simmons, Greg Berlanti, Edgar Ramirez, Tracy Ann Oberman, and Diane Warren among 200+ celebrities and entertainment industry professionals to sign open letter against boycott of Israel’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival.
LOS ANGELES (Oct 27 2021) — More than 200 leaders from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace in support of the Tel Aviv International LGBTQ+ Film Festival (TLVFest) and the participating filmmakers.
The entertainment leaders stand united in rejecting the cultural boycott of Israel as yet another roadblock to peace and its subversion of art for nefarious political purposes. At a time when the LGBTQ+ Community around the world continues to face immense discrimination, it is especially abhorrent to call for a boycott of an event that gives a voice to their stories and struggles.
The open letter comes in response to attempts by anti-Israel activists to boycott a film festival that celebrates international voices from the LGBTQ+ community, including the Middle East. TLVFest represents the epitome of coexistence, and regularly features Palestinian films, including two this year.
“In Israel, movies have the unique power to bring together Jews, Arabs, and people of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in collaboration under a shared love of the arts, working together towards the common goal of telling their stories, and building bridges of compassion and understanding,” the letter reads.
Signatories to the open letter include: Neil Patrick Harris (Actor); Dame Helen Mirren (Actress); Mila Kunis (Actress); Zach Quinto (Actor); Mayim Bialik (Actress); Emmanuelle Chriqui (Actress); Aaron Bay-Schuck (CEO/Co-Chairman Warner Record); Jeremy Piven (Actor, Comedian); Marty Adelstein (CEO Tomorrow Studios); Jonathan Tucker (Actor); Billy Porter (Actor); Gene Simmons (Artist, KISS); Edgar Ramirez (Actor); Greg Berlanti (Producer, Director); Haim Saban (Chairman & CEO, Saban Capital Group); Robbie Rogers (Athlete); Dana Goldberg (Chief Creative Officer of Skydance); Simon Callow (Actor); Tracy Ann Oberman (Actress); Lance Bass (Artist); David Burtka (Actor); John Benjamin Hickey (Actor); Rick Rosen (Co-Founder of Endeavor); Ben Silverman (Chairman & Co-CEO, Propagate Content); Melissa Rivers (Actress, TV Host); Paul Feig (Actor/Director); Michael Rotenberg (Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment); Eric Balfour (Actor); Rachel Riley (TV Host); Richard Benjamin (Actor/Director); Diane Warren (Songwriter); and Sherry Lansing (Former CEO of Paramount Pictures) amongst many others.
The letter’s signatories believe strongly in the power of film to bring people together, transcend boundaries, broaden awareness, and affect positive societal change. They also call on their friends and colleagues to join in expressing support for a successful TLVFest 2021.
“We stand united with all the participating filmmakers against the divisive rhetoric espoused by boycott activists who seek to misinform, bully and intimidate artists into removing their films from the festival or shame them for participating in the festival,” the letter continues.
“Anti-Israel boycott activists intentionally use inflammatory language and make provocative statements, to try and bully filmmakers into backing out. Their messages intentionally involve an element of dishonesty and misinformation that only furthers hostility and dampens hope for peace, which all of us so urgently desire,” stated Ari Ingel, Director of Creative Community for Peace.
Ingel added that “support of the boycott movement is also counterproductive and instead of amplifying the voices of coexistence trying to effect real change on the ground, those who support the calls for a boycott are only creating more hostility and division.”
Creative Community for Peace aims to promote the arts and culture as a means to peace and to counter and educate the entertainment industry about rising antisemitism. To learn more about their work, visit www.creativecommunityforpeace.com.
OPEN LETTER
We, the undersigned, believe that artistic freedom and creative expression are critical to a healthy, diverse, and inclusive society.
Films have the power to bring people together, transcend boundaries, broaden awareness, and affect positive societal change.
In Israel, movies have the unique power to bring together Jews, Arabs, and people of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in collaboration under a shared love of the arts, working together towards the common goal of telling their stories, and building bridges of compassion and understanding.
The annual Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival (TLVFest) embodies this spirit of unity and truth, featuring films from filmmakers of all backgrounds, including Palestinians.
For this reason, we reject any attempt to boycott TLVFest – Israel’s largest LGBTQ Film Festival — which works to showcase the stories of LGBTQ people globally and create a brighter future for LGBTQ people both inside Israel and around the world.
We stand united with all the participating filmmakers against the divisive rhetoric espoused by boycott activists who seek to misinform, bully and intimidate artists into removing their films from the festival or shame them for participating in the festival.
We believe that anyone who works to subvert TLVFest merely adds yet another roadblock to freedom, justice, equality, and peace that we all desperately desire, especially for the LGBTQ community that is persecuted throughout the Middle East and around the world.
Artists should never be silenced, and art should not be subverted for political goals.
We call on our friends and colleagues worldwide to join us in expressing their support for a successful and exciting TLVFest 2021.
SIGNATORIES
Aaron Bay-Schuck: CEO/Co-Chairman Warner Records
Jason Adelman: Vice President, Brand Innovators
Orly Adelson: Producer, Orly Adelson Productions
Marty Adelstein: CEO, Tomorrow Studios
Michael Adler: Partner of Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman & Clark Inc.
Javier Adrados: Music Journalist
Dan Aloni: Partner, Motion Pictures, William Morris Endeavor
Nate Auerbach: Partner, Versus Creative
Michael Auerbach: Partner at Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein
Eric Balfour: Actor
Craig Balsam: Co-Founder, Razor & Tie Entertainment
Eve Barlow: Music/Culture Journalist
Jonathan Baruch: Partner, Rain Management Group
Richard Baskind: Partner & Head of Music, Simons Muirhead & Burton
Lance Bass: Artist, Entrepreneur
Miles Beard: Senior Vice President, A&R at Artist Partner Group, Inc.
Jonathan Beckerman: Agent, United Talent Agency
Pablo Bendersky: Producer/Artist
Jacob Benbunan: CEO, Saffon Brand Consultants
Aton Ben-Horin: Global Vice President of A&R for Warner Music Group
Richard Benjamin: Actor/Director
Steven Bensusan: President, Blue Note Entertainment Group
Shelly Berger: Music Manager
Adam Berkowitz: Founder and President, Lenore Entertainment Group
Greg Berlanti: Producer, Director
Sara Berman: Artist
Luc Bernard: Director, Voices of the Forgotten
Mayim Bialik: Actress
Sharon Bialy: Casting Director
Josh Binder: Partner, Rotherberg, Mohr, and Binder LLP
Neil Blair: Partner, The Blair Partnership
Evan Bogart: Songwriter & Co-Founder of Boardwalk Entertainment Group
Howard Bragman: Publicist
Josh Brill: Writer, Producer
A.J. Buckley: Actor
David Burtka: Actor/Chef
David Byrnes: Partner, Ziffren, Brittenham, LLP
Sir Colin Callender CBE: Producer and CEO, Playground Entertainment
Simon Callow: Actor, Director
Nick Carter: Artist
Markell Casey: Senior Director A&R, Sony Music Australia
Brian Celler: Bravo Charlie Management
Pamela Charbit: A&R Manager, Atlantic Records
Emmanuelle Chriqui: Actress, Activist
Erran Baron Cohen: Composer
Paul Colichman: Chief Executive Officer at Here Media, Inc.
Victoria S. Cook: Partner, Frankfurt Kurmit Klein & Selz
Leanne Coronel: President, The Coronel Group
Raye Cosbert: Managing Director, Metropolis Music
Ian Daly: Head of Brand Strategy, Live Nation
Greg Daniels: Writer and Producer
Yuval David: Actor, Host, Filmmaker, and Advocate
Josh Deutsch: Chairman/CEO, Premier Music Group
Jenna Dewan: Actress
Avi Diamond: Director, Film & Licensing Warner Chappell Music
Kosha Dillz: Artist
Craig Dorfman: President and Owner, Frontline MGMT
David Draiman: Artist, Frontman of Disturbed
Doug Ellin: Screenwriter, Director
Stephan Elliott: Director
Craig Emanuel: Partner, Paul Hastings LLC
Ron Fair: Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Inc.
Sharon Farber: Composer
Daniel Federman: Owner, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Eric Feig: Founder, Eric Feig Entertainment & Media Law Inc.
Paul Feig: Actor, Director, Producer
Ryan Feldman: Agent, William Morris Endeavor
Patti Felker: Partner, Felker Toczek Gelman Suddleson
Jacob Fenton: Partner, United Talent Agency
Ken Fermaglich: Partner, United Talent Agency
Rodney Ferrell: EVP, Head of Scripted, Propagate
Greg Fleishman: Co-Founder & CEO, Foodstirs
Josh Fluxgold: President, One Way MGMT
Erica Forster: VP of Music Partnerships, DanceOn
Gary Foster: Principal at Krasnoff Foster Productions
Jordan Frazes: Founder, Frazes Creative
Ben Freeman: Educator and Writer
Sonia Friedman OBE: Theatre Producer
Stephen Fry: Actor
Siri Garber: President, Platform Public Relations
David Gardner: President, Artists First
Nancy Gates: Partner, United Talent Agency
Andrew Genger: Manager, Red Light Management
Gary Gersh: President of Global Talent, AEG
Gary Ginsberg: Former Senior VP, SoftBank Group Corp.
Daniel Glass: President and Founder, Glassnote Records
Karen Glauber: President, HITS Magazine
David Glick: Founder & CEO, Edge Group
Elon Gold: Comedian
Dana Goldberg: Chief Creative Officer, Skydance
Iddo Goldberg: Actor
Michael Goldwasser: Producer & President/Co-Founder, Easy Star Records
Andrew Gould: EVP Music Publishing, Roc Nation
Trudy Green: Trudy Green Management/HK
Steve Greenberg: President, S-Curve Records
Scott Greenberg: Manager and Partner at LBI Entertainment
Paul Haas: Agent, Partner William Morris Endeavor
Sarah Halioua: Producer and Partner, Abracadabra Audiovisual
Alex Hai: Writer, Director
Neil Patrick Harris: Actor
Ronnie Harris: Partner, Harris & Trotter LLP
John Benjamin Hickey: Actor
Tom Holland: Author/Historian
Wes Hurley: Filmmaker/Writer
Erik Hyman: Partner, Paul Hastings
Richard “BournRich” Ingram: Artist, Creative Director
Neil Jacobson: Founder, Hallwood Media
Jonathan Jakubowicz: Writer and Director
Zach Katz: President, Raised In Space
Lee Kern: Screenwriter
Scott Kluge: President, Tremendous Entertainment
Amanda Kogan: Agent, The Gersh Agency
Rick Krim: Co-Founder, Worldwired Music
Mila Kunis: Actress
Gabz Landman
Sherry Lansing: Former CEO of Paramount Pictures
Joanie Leeds: Singer/Songwriter
Sam Leifer: Writer/Director
Teddy Leifer: Producer
Martin Lesak: Partner, United Talent Agency
Colin Lester OBE: Founder/Chairman, JEM Music Group
Alberto Levy: Artist, Technologist
David Levy: Partner, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
David Levy: Former President of Turner/WarnerMedia, Founder of Back Nine Ventures
Jonathan Lipnicki: Actor
David Lonner: CEO, The David Lonner Co.
Ben Maddahi: SVP A&R, Columbia Records
Imran Majid: Co-CEO, Island Records
Gabriel Mann: Composer/Producer
Susan Markheim: Manager, Full Stop Mgt., The Azoff Company
Orly Marley: President, Tuff Gong Worldwide
Nancy Matalon: VP of A&R, Spirit Music Group
David Mazouz: Actor
AJ McLean: Artist
Doron Medalie: Composer
Helen Mirren DRE: Actress
Sebastian Moguilevsky: Managing Director, Warner Bros. Spain and Portugal
Max Mutchnick: Executive Producer
Guy Nattiv: Director
Leetal Nissenbaum: VP of Synchronization and Licensing, Ultra Records
Lisa Nupoff: Manager, IMINMUSIC Management
Tracy Ann Oberman: Actress
Sharon Osbourne: Television Personality, Manager
Mandi Perkins: Artist, Songwriter
Trevor Phillips OBE: Journalist and Commentator
Jonah Platt: Actor/Writer
Jeremy Piven: Actor, Comedian
Billy Porter: Actor
Mike Praw
Paula Prentiss: Actress
Zachary Quinto: Actor
Edgar Ramirez: Actor
Itay Reiss: Talent Manager
David Renzer: Former Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing
Zak Resnick: Actor
Rachel Riley: TV Host
Melissa Rivers: Actress, TV Host
Lindy Robbins: Artist
Jaimison M. Roberts: Attorney
Hanna Rochelle: Founder & President, Lyric Culture
Robbie Rogers: Professional Soccer Player
Dan Rosen: President of Warner Music Australasia
Rick Rosen: Co-Founder, Endeavor
Howard Rosenman: Producer, Actor, Writer
Shep Rosenman: Partner, Katz Golden Roseman LLP
Phil Rosenthal: Writer, Producer
Michael Rotenberg: Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment
Autumn Rowe: Songwriter, Producer, DJ
Haim Saban: Chairman & CEO, Saban Capital Group
Jacqueline Saturn: President, Virgin Music
Ayelet Schiffman: SVP Head of Promotions, Island Records
Paul Schindler: Senior Chair of the New York Entertainment and Media Practice
Steve Schnur: President of Music, Electronic Arts
Jordan Schur: CEO & Chairman, Mimran Schur Pictures & Suretone Entertainment
Sam Schwartz: Partner, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency
Camila Seta: Marketing & Content Strategy, Rogers & Cowan
DJ White Shadow: Producer/Artist
Noah “Westside Gravy” Shufutinsky: Artist
Ben Silverman: Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Propagate Content
Gene Simmons: Artist, KISS
Ralph Simon: Chairman & CEO, Mobilium Global Limited
Marty Singer: Attorney, Lavely and Singer
Robert Singer: President, Dec. 3rd Productions
Danielle Solzman: Film Critic, Solzy at the Movies
Jeff Sosnow: EVP A&R, Warner Music
Nancy Spielberg: Producer, Playmount Productions
Donna Spievak: Director of Strategic Marketing, Interscope Records
Justin Sternberg: Writer
Jonathan Steinsapir: Partner, Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP
Gary Stiffelman: Founder, GSS Law
Lior Suchard: Master Mentalist
Aaron Symonds: Composer
Traci Szymanski: President, Co-Star Entertainment
Alona Tal: Actress
Adam Taylor: President, APM Music
Noa Tishby: Actress, Producer
Fred Toczek: Partner, Felker Toczek Gelman Suddleson
Eric Tuchman: Writer, Producer
Jonathan Tucker: Actor
Ronli Tzour: VP Marketing & Manager, First Access Entertainment
Tehran Von Ghasri: Entertainer
Jeremy Vuernick: Executive VP of A&R, Capitol Records
Diane Warren: Songwriter, Producer
Joshua Washington: Artist, Producer
Tom Watson: Former Shadow Secretary of State for Culture
Jon Weinbach: President, Skydance Sports
Nola Weinstein: Global Head of Culture & Experiential, Twitter
Ron West: Co-founder and Partner, Thruline Entertainment
Evan Winiker: Managing Partner, Range Media
Jeffrey Winter: Executive Director, The Film Collaborative
Shirin Yadegar: Journalist
Sharon Tal Yguado: Founder & CEO, Astrid Entertainment
Sebastian Zar Esq.: Sedlmayr & Associates
David Zedeck: Global Head of Music, United Talent Agency
** Note – The signers of this statement do so as individuals on their own behalf and not on behalf of their companies or organizations. All organizations and companies listed are for affiliation purposes only.
Read the original article on Daily Mail here.
- A new social media analysis shows Billie Eilish’s Instagram account was targeted by anti-Semitic bots and trolls after she promoted her new album on MTV Israel
- The 19-year-old pop singer released a video to her Israeli audience on July 31, announcing the release of her second studio album, Happier Than Ever
- Her account was then ‘flooded with thousands of bot-driven comments consisting of Palestinian flags and other Palestine solidarity-themed comments’
- A report by pro-Israel organization titled ‘Manufactured Outrage’ obtained by DailyMail.com six posts Eilish made between July 31 and August 5
- Among the top comments, 30 per cent were anti-Israel and posted by users with no posts on their personal profile (a strong indicator of bot activity)
- Director Ari Ingel told DailyMail.com it’s ‘difficult to say for certain’ who’s behind the attacks, but the CCFP suspects ‘state actors’ including Iran
- ‘These are fraudulent accounts, carrying out coordinated Anti-Israel campaigns by actors who have one goal, and that’s to demonize and delegitimize Israel,’ he said
Billie Eilish was targeted by armies of anti-Semitic bots and trolls online after promoting her new album on MTV Israel, a new social media analysis found.
The 19-year-old pop singer made a series of promotional videos for her second studio album, Happier Than Ever, each tailored to a different country, following its July 30 release.
She shared a clip on July 31 aimed at her Israeli audience, saying ‘Hi Israel, I’m so excited that my new album, ‘Happier Than Ever,’ is out now.’
Her Instagram account was then ‘flooded with thousands of bot-driven comments consisting of Palestinian flags and other Palestine solidarity-themed comments’, according to a report – titled ‘Manufactured Outrage’ – by pro-Israel organization Creative Community for Peace (CCFP).
CCFP study obtained by DailyMail.com analyzed six of Eilish’s posts after she put out her ‘Hi Israel’ video.
A new social media analysis shows Billie Eilish’s Instagram account was targeted by anti-Semitic bots and trolls after she promoted her new album on MTV Israel.
The 19-year-old pop singer appeared in a July 31 video (pictured) aimed at her Israeli audience, saying ‘Hi Israel, I’m so excited that my new album, ‘Happier Than Ever,’ is out now’
The report describes the onslaught of anti-Israel and pro-Palestine comments as a ‘coordinated attack on Billie Eilish’ and a ‘specific effort by anti-Israel activists, who use social media to distort and influence public opinion against Israel via inauthentic means.’
Billie’s second studio album Happier Than Ever was released on July 30
‘Bot armies attacked Billie Eilish’s Instagram account with waves of sock-puppet and fake account posts. This was done in an effort to overtake her influential social media page and to use it as their own bully pulpit,’ the report said.
‘The frequency and volume of the comments creates a false impression. The overwhelming presence of the comments on the videos intended to silence her from ever mentioning Israel again and to give a false impression to her fans that thousands of real people are posting comments on her posts.’
The study also highlighted reports of ‘Iranian troll farms run by the Iranian government’ which ‘amplified anti-Israel and anti-Semitic messages during the recent Israel-Hamas conflict in May, including the phrases ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘kill all Jews’ at a rate of 175 times per minute.’
CCFP director Ari Ingel told DailyMail.com that although it is ‘difficult to say for certain’ who is behind the reported social media attacks, they suspect ‘state actors’ including Iran.
A report obtained by DailyMail.com analyzed the star’s Instagram comments after the release of the video and showed her account was flooded with anti-Israel and pro-Palestine comments
Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) found 30 per cent of her top comments across six posts had anti-Israel sentiments and were posted by users with no posts on their personal profile (a strong indicator of bot activity)
Eilish posted a photo of herself with friends on the same day her video was released, attracting an onslaught of pro-Palestine comments
Pictured above are the comments left by Palestinian bots on the July 31 post and the number of likes they received
CCFP analyzed 468 comments and the profiles that made them, noting the number of likes and replies on each, and the number of posts and followers the accounts had. The majority of accounts did not have any posts on their profile
‘One thing is clear, it’s not fans of Billie Eilish, or fans of music in general,’ he said.
‘These are fraudulent accounts, carrying out coordinated Anti-Israel campaigns by actors who have one goal, and that’s to demonize and delegitimize Israel.
‘What’s striking is the sheer volume, frequency, and level of coordination we’re seeing. The people and state actors behind these campaigns understand how social media algorithms work,’ he added.
‘These attacks are very calculated as thousands of fraudulent comments flood profiles with negative comments, and then bots give these comments thousands of ‘likes’ to get them into the top slots of a post.
‘In terms of volume, 48 per cent of the ‘top comments’ of the posts we examined that were distinctly anti-Israel, shockingly garnered almost 300,000 likes.
‘That demonstrates an incredibly high-level of coordination and operational capacity. It’s disturbing that social media outlets are not doing more to crackdown on this behavior and disinformation.
‘We have seen a rise in coordinated, strategic social media campaigns to defame Israel and to bully public figures that simply mention Israel in any sort of positive light.’
The report found 48 per cent of the ‘top comments’ of the posts examined were distinctly anti-Israel and garnered almost 300,000 likes
The study, titled, ‘Manufactured Outrage’ listed a number of ‘bot’ accounts that attacked the singer’s Instagram ‘with waves of sock-puppet and fake account posts’
Billie Eilish at the 2021 Met Gala celebrating ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’ on September 13 in NYC
The report covered six Instagram posts Eilish made between July 31 and August 5, following the release of her ‘Hi Israel’ video.
CCFP analyzed 468 comments and the profiles that made them, noting the number of likes and replies on each, and the number of posts and followers the accounts had.
Of the 468 top comments, 123 or 26 per cent were deemed anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian by CCFP’s study and were made by accounts with no posts on their profiles.
The comments received a total 217,269 likes. The top ‘bot’ comment received 13,317 likes.
A further 47 comments were made by accounts that only had one or two posts on their personal profiles and were labelled ‘suspected bots’ by CCFP.
CCFP has worked with celebrities including Michael Bublé, Sherry Lansing, Gene Simmons, Meghan McCain and Selma Blair.
The organization is opposed to the ‘Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions’ movement that targets Israel, and was founded with the purpose of helping artists and performers with navigating appearances in Israel.
By: Roy Trakin
On a cool, fall October night, the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) held its third annual “Ambassadors of Peace” fundraising event to a backyard full of smiles. After taking a year off for the pandemic, the music industry came out in force to support the organization that has tried to counteract calls to boycott Israel by encouraging artists and creatives across entertainment to learn more about the region and performing in the country.
CCFP launched in 2018 with inaugural honorees Scooter Braun, then Geffen Records chief Neil Jacobson and Warner Music Group A&R executive Aton Ben-Horin. This year’s diverse crop of honorees included Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., hit songwriter Diane Warren, Sony Music Latin America, Spain & Portugal chairman/CEO Afo Verde, Columbia Records SVP A&R/Unrestricted President Ben Madahhi, Co-Star Entertainment president Traci Szymanski, and Electric Feel Entertainment founder/CEO Austin Rosen. (Watch Post Malone, a management client at Electric Feel, congratulate Rosen via video above.)
“Music is a powerful force for diplomacy,” said publishing vet David Renzer, co-founder of CCFP with EA’s Steve Schnur (the latter was not in attendance), revealing the evening will raise more than $300k for the organization. “We’re trying to use the arts to build those bridges, to remind ourselves of those commonalities and symbiotic relationships.”
The previous two sold-out events were held at the Hancock Park home of entertainment attorney Aaron Rosenberg and TV producer Danny Rose, and the home of lawyer Gary Stiffelman and wife Carmen, but this year’s edition was at the Beverly Hills residence of honoree Ben Madahhi’s parents, his father — a cardiology doctor at UCLA who fled Iran for the U.S. in 1975 — and mother beaming on the black carpet.
“This has a deep meaning to me because I grew up an Iranian-American Jew in Los Angeles, with both Muslim and Jewish friends,” said Ben Madahhi from the podium. “Music has the power to heal, to unite people and eliminate divisiveness. My parents raised me to have respect for people of all different backgrounds and cultures. My mission has always been to make records that uplift and unite people, have a positive impact.”
For honoree Diane Warren, the appeal of the organization was simple. “Any organization that is about peace and supports Israel, I’m good with,” said the award-winning songwriter. “Anti-Semitism always seems to rear its ugly head, and it seems more prevalent than ever.”
Ari Ingel, who quit practicing law to become director of CCFP, noted that, due to the pandemic, which had people glued to their computers, there was a rise in the kind of misinformation which fuels prejudice.
“We have a great deal of work to do,” insisted Ingel. “There are more people than ever spreading misinformation and outright lies. Our goal is to educate the industry and the public to counter those falsehoods. Unfortunately, it’s far from being eradicated.”
The organization was founded against the backdrop of musicians like Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd, advocating for the policy of BDS (which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions), and Lana Del Rey pulling out of a scheduled festival performance there after much outside pressure.
“The last Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas brought out a lot of haters,” said Ingel. “Events like this encourage an open discussion of the issues, and how we can use our voices to effect positive change.”
Austin Rosen, whose Electric Feel Entertainment represents management clients like Post Malone, 24KGoldn and Iann Dior — Dior showed up in support along with hitmakers Louis Bell, Billy Walsh and Blake Slatkin — is planning on opening a recording studio in Tel Aviv and promises his acts (like Post Malone) will tour there. “It’s all about awareness, making people understand it’s OK to play there,” offered the press-shy entrepreneur.
Grammy chief Harvey Mason Jr., who was introduced by his Recording Academy colleague Jimmy Jam (pictured above) — almost unrecognizable after a 120-pound weight loss — said of the honor:
“For me, it’s bringing people together, coming from a place of peace and love,” said Mason jr., whose efforts to diversify his organization’s membership and making the Grammy voting process more transparent have not gone unnoticed. “Political and religious beliefs may be all over the map, but my goal is to be productive, make things better rather than dividing and separating us from one another.
“I sympathize with any group that’s been discriminated against or persecuted. I try to support unifying, not battling one another. The power of music can unite us in a time where it’s most needed.”
The individual speeches were preceded by a taped message of support from Clive Davis, then followed by musical performances from Columbia Records artist Clinton Kane, a singer-songwriter who played his hit “Chicken Tendies,” followed by Deborah Cox who delivered a pitch-perfect rendition of “Imagine” that fit the hopeful mood.
It was left to Jimmy Jam, admitting he was just glad to be around people again, to sum up the evening’s goals. “What’s important is music and community,” he told Variety. “Music heals, it’s the soundtrack to our lives. Music is uplifting, it’s a divine art. It just makes things a little better.
Pictured (from left): Austin Rosen, Afo Verde, Diane Warren, Harvey Mason Jr. and Ben Madahhi
Read the original article on Variety.com here.
