Israeli heavy metal band Orphaned Land: 'The boycott is a great excuse for antisemites to jump on board'

Frontman Kobi Farhi speaks about the band's diverse fanbase, Eurovision, and why they disagree with the Israel boycott

The 2019 Eurovision final is here, and contestants from countries around Europe (plus Australia) are preparing to perform on stage in Tel Aviv, Israel.

While there is typically some element of controversy around the annual song contest, this year the focus has been on the host country itself, amid ongoing calls for a cultural boycott of Israel over its policies towards Palestinians.

A number of artists including Roger Waters, who has been particularly vocal in his support of the BDS movement, have encouraged their peers not to perform in Israel. Mercury Prize-winning band Wolf Alice recently gave an interview where they accused Israel of being "serial human rights abusers" and of "weaponising culture".

Other artists and writers including Stephen Fry and Sharon Osborne have spoken against the boycott. Referring specifically to the calls to boycott Eurovision as it takes place in Israel, an open letter signed by the artists stated that “the cultural boycott movement is an affront to both Palestinians and Israelis who are working to advance peace through compromise, exchange, and mutual recognition”.

Israel's most successful metal band Orphaned Land, who formed in 1991, have been using their platform to promote peace and unity through music, and oppose the ongoing cultural boycott. During one European tour, they brought Palestinian band Khalas with them as their main support act. When they were awarded the Global Metal Award at the 2014 Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony, they insisted that Khalas come and collect the award with them.

We spoke with the band's frontman, Kobi Farhi, about their views on the Israel boycott, their diverse fanbase, and their thoughts on Eurovision taking place in Tel Aviv.

Hey Kobi. When did you start using your music and the band to comment on the situation between Israel and Palestine?

We have always written about our region, from day one it was in our system. As early as 1994, we put a mosque on our album cover, a very uncommon thing to do (especially if you're a metal band) and in our lyrics of “The Sahara's Storm” or “Orphaned Land, The Storm Still Rages Inside” we touch on it.

What really changed my life was a message I got from an Arab fan who had an OL tattoo on his arm. The band was not active at the time, almost broken up, and this message was like a slap in our faces, something I could not imagine as possible. It was a game changer that turned into a whole phenomenon over the years. This dude was one of the bravest dudes I've ever known.... an Arab tattooing the logo of an Israeli band? Can you imagine walking around Old Trafford with a Liverpool FC tattoo? I remember that moment very well, and I knew my mission in this life. It was and still is clear to me, and I choose to do it every day ever since.

What has the reaction been like from fans, and also the respective authorities?

By fans in Israel we are described as the “true ambassadors” of our country. We are very much ignored by the authorities in most cases, but that's ok, we are not big fans of them either and we bash our government many times.

Turkey was the first country we ever played outside of Israel. During the years we have received three peace awards (from a university, another from the mayor of Çankaya in Ankara, and the last one from one of Tayyip Erdogan's advisors). At one point we applied for Turkish citizenship, because we love the people and have always been treated very well by everyone. Turkey is easily my second home. Second, I was thinking it could be great to be a citizen of both a Jewish and a Muslim state, and furthermore, this could help us going to play in countries around the Middle East where our Israeli passport is not valid. It's so strange, we have played 50 countries, including Australia, but never played for our neighbours.. It is still my biggest dream.

What is your view on the Israel boycott by certain artists... do you think it has been at all effective?

The 13 years of the BDS movement hasn't changed anything if you look at the bottom line. It has also been a great excuse for antisemites to jump on board. I can't see how Israel is so different from many other countries that it deserves to be singled out, and anyway, we have literally proven that our approach works better.

I'm very disappointed with artists who walk that road of exclusion. We all know human rights is not the best issue all, both in Arab countries and the Middle East, but what would anyone gain if I boycott all Arabs instead of writing our albums and reaching more people that I’d otherwise not connect with?

Are there any other artists with a similar attitude to Orphaned Land that you think people should know about?

Khalas were brave enough to join us on tour, we had a Lebanese belly dancer that waved the flags of Lebanon & Israel and got bashed very hard in Lebanon for it. I admire Radiohead’s response to Roger Waters. The whole Nueva Cansion movement in South America was protesting against their regimes. Mercedes Sosa, Victor Jara, Violetta Para to name a few. Paul Simon was breaking the South Africa boycott to write 'Graceland' with the locals. Sosa once sang “Ci ce calla el cantor calla la vida”: if the singer is silenced, life is silenced.

How do you feel about the Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Israel?

Personally I don't connect with most of the music played there. But music should be played anywhere.