JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s president on Tuesday canceled the appearance of a local pop star at a high-profile public event following the star’s release of a new song focusing on a fictional Arab who gets his kicks by stabbing Jews.
The release of the song by singer Amir Benayoun reflects the recent tensions between Jews and Muslims, connected in large part to competing claims to the most sensitive holy site in Jerusalem. President Reuven Rivlin, whose largely ceremonial role is meant to serve as a moral compass for the country, has repeatedly appealed for calm.
On Tuesday, Rivlin’s office said it was cancelling its invitation for Benayoun to perform at an event next week marking the expulsion and exile of Jews from Arab countries and Iran.
The office said the sentiments expressed by Benayoun in the song “Ahmed Loves Israel” are “inconsistent with the responsibility required of the president’s residence.”
“His statements made at this time of conflict and tension … do not, to say the least, help bring calm to the streets,” it said.