On social media July 17, the British band Massive Attack announced the formation of an alliance of musicians opposed to the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the systematic efforts by pro-Zionist organizations to suppress criticism of the massive crime.

Other artists who indicated support for “Ethical Syndicate Palestine” include veteran musician Brian Eno, Kneecap, Fontaines D.C. and Garbage. The Irish band Kneecap, who have been outspoken about Israel’s homicidal campaign and come under attack as a result, added in their post: “End threats and censorship against artists who speak out against the genocide in Palestine. Speak out. Stand up. We are the majority.”

Eno, Garbage and Fontaines D.C. shared the message about an anti-genocide alliance on Instagram.

Massive Attack, originally formed in 1988 in Bristol, consists at present of Robert Del Naja and Grantley Evan Marshall, both founding members of the group.

In their statement, the band declared

The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description. We write as artists who’ve chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there & the role of the UK government in facilitating it.

They go on to explain that as a result of their “expressions of conscience,” Massive Attack has been subject to various acts of intimidation, “via organized bodies such as UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI) … designed solely to censor & silence artists from speaking their hearts and minds.”

The UKLFI is a far-right Zionist organization, which, as the WSWS has explained, has been in the forefront in the use of

“lawfare” in Britain to suppress opposition to the Gaza genocide and slander opposition to the mass murder and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians as antisemitism. … The UKLFI and CAA [Campaign Against Antisemitism] have brought a raft of lawsuits to stifle free speech, chill public debate and intimidate Palestinian solidarity activists. Those targeted include, among others, academics, doctors, students and charity organisations.

The Massive Attack statement on Instagram continues:

Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we won’t stand by and allow other artists—particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability—to be threatened into silence or career cancellation.

In this spirit, we encourage artists who’ve been placed in this position, or those who now wish to use their platforms to talk about Palestine, but are concerned about industrial or legal repercussions, to contact us.

The Scottish daily newspaper The National, reporting on the support of Garbage for the Ethical Syndicate Palestine, notes that the band “have joined a growing coalition of artists standing against what they describe as organised intimidation by pro-Israel groups within the music industry.”

The National goes on to point out

The crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices in UK music has escalated in recent months.

Bob Vylan were dropped by their agents and investigated by police after chanting “death to the IDF” at Glastonbury. Meanwhile, Kneecap member Liam Ó hAnnaidh, AKA Mo Chara, is facing prosecution under the Terrorism Act after allegedly holding a Hezbollah flag on stage.

Despite mounting pressures, more musicians—many previously seen as apolitical–are breaking their silence. In May, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds raised a Palestinian flag during a concert in Milan, joining a chorus of international dissent.

As the Middle East Eye observed:

The incident caused outrage amongst the British media and political establishment and was the subject of an investigation by Avon and Somerset police.

Manchester's Radar Festival cancelled a performance by the pair but organisers said that the decision was out of their hands. The band also had shows cancelled in Europe and their visas for a US tour cancelled in response to the furore.

The UKLFI had its hand in a number of these “acts of intimidation.” According to the Guardian, the Zionist outfit “reported the band Bob Vylan to the police” for leading the chant in Glastonbury.

It also reported the BBC for broadcasting the set. Bob Vylan have subsequently had several scheduled appearances cancelled after the UKLFI sent letters.

Mo Chara of Kneecap was charged with a terrorism offence, accused of displaying a flag at a gig in support of the banned organisation Hezbollah after being reported to the police by UKLFI. Kneecap also had gigs cancelled after interventions by UKLFI.

A documentary exposing the activities of the UKLFI has just been released by the political campaign group Led By Donkeys. The group asserts that “UK Lawyers for Israel Ltd has tried to silence various voices supporting Palestine. Their charitable wing has made public statements rejecting international law.”

The WSWS has pointed out that the UKLFI has targeted

professional regulators… bombarding them with vexatious complaints aimed at harassing and silencing Palestinian rights advocates and using the same tactics as those set out by the Israeli government for combating the BDS movement. It refuses to accept international law that deems Israel’s occupation of West Bank illegal and refers to it as “Judea and Samaria.”

In the Led By Donkeys video, Jewish activist Em Hilton argues that

The weaponisation of antisemitism is not only an egregious attack on Palestine advocacy, civil liberties and human rights—it also hurts the fight against antisemitism. It makes it harder for us to identify true antisemitism when it happens and creates scepticism about whether anti-Jewish racism even still exists, or is just a political tool.

The action taken by Massive Attack is welcome. There are many political questions to be discussed and worked through, but the organization of an alliance of artists to oppose Zionist lies and attacks and the horrifying genocide in Gaza is a step forward. Musicians and artists all over the world, as well as wide layers of the population, have a stake in this development.