Israeli DJ cancels set at Tomorrowland amid controversy over IDF military base performance
The festival asked Skazi to refrain from using the mic or flying an Israeli flag during his set this year, though he ultimately chose to withdraw from the Belgian festival
Israeli psytrance DJ Skazi cancelled his set at this year's Tomorrowland Festival amid controversy over his support for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Skazi, real name Asher Swissa, confirmed his withdrawal via a post on Facebook on Saturday, July 26, just hours before he was scheduled to perform.
"Due to security considerations and our deep commitment to spreading only love and music, my performance at Tomorrowland has been cancelled," he wrote. "My priority is to ensure a safe and positive atmosphere for everyone involved".
The cancellation of Swissa's set came just a day after Belgian publication Der Morgan reported on Swissa's support of the IDF, including a tour of military bases in the "Gaza envelope", where Isreali forces are stationed when undertaking operations in the Gaza Strip.
Der Morgan reported that Swissa previously made comments to Isreali press sources about being a "combat DJ", highlighting a propaganda video he helped create for the Civil Front, a controversial Israeli nationalist organisation. In one clip - which dates back to November 2023, just a month after the October 7 Hamas attacks - over a backing track made by Swissa, a vocal in Arabic can be heard saying: "You came out of the sewer like rats... We will dance on the ruins of Gaza".
In response, Belgian pro-Palestine campaign group 11.11.11 called for Swissa to be removed from Tomorrowland's line-up, alleging his performances "are part of a propaganda campaign that condones violence against Palestinians.”
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According to The Brussels Times, Tomorrowland's organisers determined that Swissa had not been part of an offensive campaign, instead claiming that his performances for the IDF and role in propaganda clips were "in tribute to the victims of the Nova Festival massacre", therefore determining that he would still be able to play at the festival.
However, Tomorrowland reportedly set a condition that Swissa refrain from using a mic or brandishing an Israeli flag behind the decks, unlike his performance at last year's festival, when he spoke in support of Isreal in Hebrew to the crowd. Swissa reportedly agreed to the conditions, with a spokesperson for Tomorrowland telling the The Brussels Times that he would only fly "the Tomorrowland flag" while on stage.
Swissa has ultimately cancelled his performance, boarding a flight back to Israel just one day after arriving in Belgium to perform at the festival, telling Israeli news sources at Ben Gurion Airport: “There was a pro-Palestinian organisation that was really on our backs, doing everything to stop it from happening. It was all very intense and threatening.”
In a statement, Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen insisted that it was Swissa's decision to withdraw his participation in the festival, despite calls for his set to be cancelled: “Like many of our stakeholders, we were confronted with questions about his performance, and we value the open and thoughtful dialogue that ensued," she said.
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“At Tomorrowland, we are fully committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for everyone. That is, and always will be, at the heart of our work. We continue to have great respect for Skazi's musical journey and hope to hear his music on one of our stages again in the future,” the statement continues.
The cancellation follows controversy around another set at weekend one of Tomorrowland from Israeli duo Vini Vici, during which two Israeli men were allegedly seen flying a flag of the Givati Brigade, an IDF infantry brigade stationed in Gaza. Belgian police questioned the two men after receiving a tip off that they had partaken in “serious violations of international humanitarian law” against Palestinians.
The two men were ultimately released from Belgian police custody and are thought to have travelled to The Netherlands, however pro-Palestine group the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) have called for Dutch authorities to arrest them. "It remains unclear whether they were legally permitted to leave Belgium, or whether they are now fugitives evading justice," the HRF wrote in a statement.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter
