New Zealand Music Festival Cancels Set by Israeli DJ for Not Condemning Gaza War

Shiryn Ghermezian

People visit the site of the Nova music festival, where partygoers were killed and kidnapped during the deadly Hamas-led Oct/ 7, 2023, attack, on the third anniversary of the attack, near Reim, southern Israel, Oct. 7, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Organizers of an underground music and arts festival in New Zealand removed an Israeli disc jockey from its lineup of performers because he has not publicly condemned Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip and continues to perform in Israel, they announced this week.

DJ Dekel Kamiosky, who goes by the stage name Dekel, was scheduled to perform at the Twisted Frequency Festival. However, festival organizers said in a statement published on Facebook that Dekel was the target of a boycott because of allegations concerning his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which they described as “the ongoing occupation of Palestine.” They said they also learned the DJ had previously served as a commander in the Israel Defense Forces.

Festival organizers said that as soon as they discovered the information about Dekel, they contacted his management to cancel his booking. They also tried to find evidence supporting the accusations about his stance on the Middle East conflict; however, they could not find “anything verified and substantial.”

“But the fact he hasn’t spoken out against the genocide in Palestine and has continued to perform in Israel is all that is needed to make our decision confidently. This is something we should have investigated and would have ruled out booking him in the first place,” organizers said.

They acknowledged that Dekel’s Israeli nationality and mandatory military service were not reason enough to push him out of the festival. “However, lacking a public statement against the ongoing occupation and genocide, we cannot host Dekel on our line-up,” they added, apologizing for booking the Israeli DJ.

“It is the position of some music events that these spaces should not be made political. Twisted Frequency is not one of those events,” the statement read in conclusion. “The actions of the Israeli government should be universally condemned. Twisted stands firm and loud for human rights and against oppression. Free Palestine!!”

Dekel has not publicly commented on his removal from the music festival.

The festival displays a Palestinian flag onsite and has hosted workshops that address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and accuse Israel of “genocide” in the Middle East.