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Israeli ambassador urges cancellation of Kanye West concert in Algarve
The embassy says the show would give a platform to antisemitic remarks and urges local officials to block the concert.
On Friday, the Embassy of Israel in Portugal called for the cancellation of Kanye West's concert in the Algarve, urging citizens to boycott the event as "a disgrace for Portugal and for the Portuguese."
Israeli Ambassador Oren Rozenblat denounced the artist's public statements, which included praise for Adolf Hitler and Nazism, stating, "A democratic society should not give a platform to someone who glorifies Hitler, promotes Nazism and defends antisemitism."
Shows were cancelled in the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Italy, and Switzerland, where venues and authorities cited security concerns or refused to provide a platform for the artist's rhetoric.
Dismissing the controversy as "a non-issue," Torcato Jorge, CEO of the event organizer Raya Culture, reiterated that the concert is proceeding because the organization has complied with all legal requirements.
Oren Rozenblat said that Kanye West “publicly stated 'I like Hitler' and 'I'm a Naz'”. He also said that he “profoundly offended millions of descendants of the victims of slavery”.