Jewish Voice 2017

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The Third Lebanon War: Not a Matter of 'If' But 'When' Read More on Page 20 August 11, 2017 | 19 Av 5777

Vol. 14, Iss. 31

www.JewishVoiceNY.com

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Roger Waters’ Concerts at Nassau Coliseum May Be Deemed Illegal Due to New Anti-BDS Law Howard J. Kopel petitioned the county attorney to determine whether the operators of Nassau Coliseum would be breaking the law

Roger Waters, the front man for Pink Floyd is again making headlines as the self appointed spokesman of the BDS movement. Officials in Nassau County passed a law earlier this year that prevents companies and individuals from doing business with the county if they support BDS. (Photo Credit: YouTube)

By: Fern Sidman

R

oger Waters, the front man and bassist for the iconic rock band Pink Floyd is once again making headlines as the self appointed spokesman of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community for its perceived policies towards the Palestinians. For years, Waters has discouraged musicians and artists from performing in the Jewish state, accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and calling it an “apartheid regime”. Just recently, Waters spent weeks engaged in a cognitive war of sorts with the band “Radiohead” who per-

formed in Tel Aviv on July 19th. Waters incessantly badgered Thom Yorke of the band to cancel the scheduled performance. According to an article posted on the “Consequence of Sound” web site, Waters supports a “cultural boycott of Israel.” As the acrimony escalated on a palpable level, Yorke responded by giving Waters a tongue lashing for throwing “s**t at us in public” rather than engaging with the band behind the scenes. Yorke also took note of the fact that the boycott effort was quite offensive as Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is married to a Jew of Arab descent. In the end, Yorke prevailed and courageously boycotted the boycotter and played to incredibly enthusiastic fans

who cheered all night for them at their Tel Aviv summer gig.

For years, Waters has discouraged musicians and artists from performing in the Jewish state, accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and calling it an “apartheid regime”. Now, in response to Waters’s stance, an official in New York’s Nassau County is threatening to take “appropriate legal action” against the operators of a local venue if they do not cancel an upcoming Waters concert, Consequence of Sound notes. It was reported by Spin.com that

officials in Nassau County passed a law earlier this year that prevents companies and individuals from doing business with the county if they support BDS. (New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order to similar effect last year.) Two weeks ago, Republican county legislator Howard J. Kopel petitioned the county attorney to determine whether Nassau Events Center, the operators of Nassau Coliseum, would be breaking the law by hosting Waters for a pair of performances at the Coliseum on September 15th and 16th. The coliseum is “a County sponsored facility,” Kopel said in his statement. County attorney Carnell Foskey agreed that a Waters performance would violate the law, and is now lob-

bying Nassau Events Center to cancel the show. “By enabling Mr. Waters to perform, NEC has given Mr. Waters a forum or platform to express his BDS ideology,” Foskey wrote in a letter to the company that was obtained by Newsday. Waters has said he plans to move forward with the concert “I think they’re gonna fail,” he said in a recent Facebook Live video, as was reported by the JTA. “I don’t think, I know they are, because you would have to tear up the Constitution of the United States of America, particularly the First Amendment, and throw it into the Hudson River, or the East River if

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