international marketplace of ideas …. Boycott us , then , for we gladly stand together with our many colleagues in British , American , and Israeli universities against such intellectually shoddy and politically biased attempts to hijack the central mission of higher education .”
When popular entertainers announce an upcoming performance in Israel , they can show up in the crosshairs of the BDS bullies , who use social media barrages and petitions to pressure for cancellation of shows and visits . This rarely works . In recent years , Israel has welcomed international megastars Justin Timberlake , Paul McCartney , Rihanna , and many more . When Israeli entertainers travel abroad , however , they often find a chilly reception . In 2012 , for example , when Israel ’ s national theater company performed at the Globe Theatre in London , it was met with fierce protests . Sometimes , cultural boycott leads to blatant antisemitism , as occurred in the summer of 2015 when Matisyahu , an American Jewish reggae star , was disinvited from a music festival in Spain for refusing to explicitly condemn Israel . After widespread condemnation from around the world — including the Spanish government — Matisyahu was reinvited , and he put on a memorable performance .
8