The Israeli rapper who called to "Free Palestine" during a performance in Tel Aviv sparked controversy and has since apologized. Shay TRA Litman, a rapper who was relatively unknown to the general public until Sunday, was featured in a video where he made the call during his performance at a club in southern Tel Aviv. 1 View gallery Shay TRA Litman ( Photo: Ryan Preuss ) The video, shared by blogger Daniel Amram, ignited a storm on social media, with harsh reactions, notably from rapper HaTzel ("The Shadow"), who criticized him.
"During Israel's toughest time, while Jews faced pogroms in Amsterdam and soldiers fought and fell at the borders, he performed in Tel Aviv and spat in the face of his audience, the soldiers, and Israel by playing them a new song called 'Free Palestine,'" according to The Shadow. "A person who speaks against the state and even praises the enemy, regardless of their sector, should have their citizenship revoked," commented user Yasmin, alongside other angry responses. Due to the uproar, the Ministry of Culture quickly distanced itself from Litman.
"The ministry does not support performances or artists. It only supports cultural institutions and authorities. This performance was funded by the Tel Aviv Municipality and is not related to the ministry's budget," it said in a statement.
Culture Minister Miki Zohar also sought to dissociate from the performance. "Such statements have no place in Israel, and we will consider ways to prevent such incidents in .
