Don’t artwash genocide: Boycott Infected Mushroom – musical “diplomats” for apartheid Israel

On Friday 24 October, Sydney’s Home the Venue will host Israeli psytrance duo, Infected Mushroom, for the first leg of their Australian tour.

While Infected Mushroom argue that their music is not political, the pair describe themselves as “diplomats for Israel” and have publicly supported every major assault on Gaza in recent years – including Israel’s current genocidal war. During the May 2021 assault, they posted “We stand with Israel, Our motherland” on Facebook, while the cover of their 2023 single, Dance Forever, featured an Israeli flag blanketing all of historic Palestine.

Amit Duvdevani, one half of Infected Mushroom, has said that supporters of Palestine are “brainwashed”, while the duo’s regular collaborator, Skazi, calls on his fans to “dance on the ruins of Gaza”. Infected Mushroom have fundraised for the Tel Aviv Foundation, which has close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces, and Tribe of Nova, whose co-founder launched an intelligence platform that supplies intelligence to the Israeli military.

In July this year, they refused to sign an artist pledge for Earth Frequency Festival affirming opposition to racism and commitment to Indigenous rights. Instead they withdrew from the event.

Last month, a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where it has killed at least 68,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Their conclusion backs those of multiple genocide scholars and human rights organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and B'Tselem.

There can be no place on our stages or in our venues for artists who support the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel.

We call on Home the Venue to heed Palestinian civil society's calls to boycott cultural and artistic institutions that whitewash Israeli apartheid and war crimes.

We call on Home to cancel Infected Mushroom’s show - to condemn racism and apartheid, and stand against the genocide in Gaza.

Sign the petition to call on Home The Venue to cancel Infected Mushroom's performance.

Organised by Stop the War on Palestine & Palestine Justice Movement Sydney 

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