Jewish-American reggae and hip-hop star Matisyahu was dropped from a music festival in Spain scheduled for next week following his refusal to endorse Palestinian statehood, Spanish media reported.

According to Spanish daily El Pais, organizers of the Rototom Sunsplash Reggae Festival in Valencia said they canceled Matisyahu’s show after he rejected their demand to issue either a written or video statement supporting “the Palestinians’ right to a state.”

The artist was given an ultimatum — if he would “sign such a declaration” endorsing a Palestinian state, he would be allowed to perform - following pressure on festival organizers from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which supports and encourages a full academic, economic and artistic boycott of Israel.the state of Israel.

‘’The Festival has decided to replace Matisyahu's performance by Etana. The Jamaican artist will perform at the Main Stage the night of August 22," organizers said.

Matisyahu's manager, David Serber, said by email, "We are still dealing with the festival on this matter, but we plan on making a statement in the coming days."

The Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain said the cancellation was "cowardly, unfair and discriminatory." That taxpayer money goes toward a festival that supports the BDS movement, the statement said, is "shameful."

"It is noteworthy that the festival is not interested in the opinions of other participants on policies of Iran, the Islamic State, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah," the statement said.

For World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald S. Lauder who expressed “outrage” and “utter bewilderment” at the festival’s decision to disinvited the musician, “this is a clear instance of anti-Semitism, and nothing else.”

Lauder added: “Matisyahu is an American Jew. More importantly, like everybody else in a free and democratic society, he not only has a right to express his views – whether you agree with them or not — but he also has every right not to have the repugnant views of the festival organizers imposed on him. He is a musician who has been denied the opportunity to play his planned gig at a European reggae festival purely because he is Jewish and because he refuses to side with the vicious and bigoted BDS movement.’’

He urged Spanish authorities “to condemn this sad incident and to take appropriate action those responsible for it.”

by Maud Swinnen