Spotify and Apple Music decided to remove the song ‘Ana Dammi Falastini’ (My Blood is Palestinian) by Palestinian artist Mohammed Assaf, citing allegations of antisemitism, Roya News reported on Sunday.
According to Roya News, the Palestinian singer shared his surprise in an interview with Al-Araby al-Jadeed, after discovering that his song had been removed from both platforms.
Palestinian singer @MohammedAssaf89 , has been censored by Spotify, particularly his song My Blood is Palestinian. It is unclear how Spotify concluded that a song that highlights the pride and honor of being Palestinian is considered a form of antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/UbYTP5NHmb
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 21, 2023
Assaf reportedly said that he received an official email citing accusations of antisemitism as the reason for the song’s deletion.
Assaf, who was born and raised in Gaza, emphasized in his Instagram stories that the song is printed in the heart of any honorable, free person.
What Does Israel Have against Palestinian Singer, Mohammed Assaf?
According to Doha News, “the move by the streaming giant to remove the song came after a petition organized by pro-Zionist We Believe in Israel (WBII) and the Board of Deputies garnered nearly 4,000 signatures.”
Don't miss out. Help us fight censorship.
Follow us on Instagramhttps://t.co/1iBDmH0gS7 pic.twitter.com/fUyGHndbzM
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 21, 2023
“For Israel, erasing Palestine and writing the Palestinian people out of the history of their own homeland has always been a strategic endeavor,” Palestinian author and editor of The Palestine Chronicle Ramzy Baroud wrote in a recent article, commenting on Israel’s decision to prevent Assaf from returning to Palestine.
In Statement to Palestine Chronicle, #Spotify Explains Why Mohammed Assaf’s Popular Song was Removed https://t.co/fjLekjh3zA via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/rXQJxJKOWd
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 21, 2023
“Palestinian culture has served the Palestinian people’s struggle so well. Despite Israeli occupation and apartheid, it has given Palestinians a sense of continuity and cohesion, attaching all of them to one collective sense of identity, always revolving around Palestine,” Baroud added.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
Can the Palestinian community also do a petition with even more signatures to protest this de-platforming? We can’t just let these things happen. We should be able to get 10,000 signatures, hopefully with some well-known people. this song is played at every gathering, every protest, and every get-together. Everyone loves it. We can’t allow this to happen.
That should be the spirit and the action.
Please sign the petition at change.org
Israel is a racist criminal apartheid state and we don’t expect any good thing from it. However, we do expect from the likes of Spotify and apple to be at least neutral if they don’t dare to be supportive
2-All sections and components of the (pro)Palestinian solidarity-movement everywhere in the world should work to be and to act more united, more coordinated, more proactively and much better organised than before.
3-We all should cherish, support and strengthen the organisation and activities of the BDS-movement and related initiatives.
4-We all should cherish, support, strengthen, follow and share the independent Palestinian and pro-Palestinian media. (Like: Palestine Chronicle, Electronic Intifada and others…)
5-