Sydney Festival Boycott: KISS' Gene Simmons Says It's 'Censorship', Here's Why

Simmons urged boycotters to "leave young, talented people alone".

KISS' frontman Gene Simmons have taken a stand against those who are calling to boycott the 2022 Sydney Festival.

Organized by the Artists Against Apartheid, the musical group calls on artists participating in the festival to support the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement - demanding that the festival board divest funding partnership with the Israel government.

After receiving a $20,000 grant from the Israeli embassy in support of "Decadence," a program based on the work of Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, Tel Aviv's Batsheva Dance Company, and the Sydney Dance Company, the board has designated Israel as a "Star Partner" for the annual festival.

Protestors claim that by accepting the grant, the festival supports Israel as an oppressor state and ignores the ongoing plight of Palestinians.

At least 30 of the lined up performers have already backed out at the festival, to which KISS Frontman Gene Simmons, who is also an Israeli-American, have taken concern of.

Simmons' Side

In an interview with Sunrise, Simmons initially expressed his support for people who share differing political opinions.

However, he does not want these views be taken "out on young people in the arts that have nothing to do with politics".

The KISS frontman described the boycott as a form of "censorship", urging people to stop the boycott and to "leave young, talented people alone" despite which country they come from.

Saying that the the "arts should be free of political pressure", Simmons also signed an open letter with the US-based organization Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), to oppose the controversial boycott.

This, however, is not the first time Simmons has spoken out against such boycotts. In a separate open letter published by the CCFP, Simmons expressed his opposition to proposals for a boycott of Eurovision in 2019 owing to the fact that it would be held in Tel Aviv.

Pro-Israel advocates says that the boycott is unhelpful and "doesn't belong" in the art space.

Australia Jewish Association President David Adler said that the boycott is "entirely inappropriate to bring this sort of conflict" in an Australia Cultural Festival.

Protests in favour of the boycott took place outside the Sydney Opera House yesterday evening (January 6), which coincided with the start of the festival.