The mayor of a Belgian municipality has reportedly pulled the plug on a scheduled performance by metal outfit Disturbed in response to singer David Draiman’s stance on the conflict in Gaza.
Draiman has been vocal in his support for Israel and the IDF (Israeli Defence Force), so much so that he even signed IDF bombs with “Fuck Hamas” during a visit to Israel last year.
Now their scheduled performance at Forest National in the wider Brussels area of Belgium on Wednesday, October 15, appears to have been pulled after mayor Charles Spapens issued a police order banning the gig.
De Standaard reports that the mayor previously called the concert “morally problematic,” and added: “We do not support the presence of this artist, but as a municipality, we have no room for maneuver. Forest National is the master of its own program.”
Now Spapens has taken the step of issuing a police order, saying he feared expected protests may be a safety issue after police carried out a risk assessment.
He says: “My priority and responsibility are the safety of the residents, spectators, demonstrators, and staff at Forest National. Given the police’s unfavourable assessment after a risk assessment and the venue’s location, it was my duty to make this decision.”
Israel has been accused of carrying out genocidal acts during the ongoing war by numerous organisations, including the UN Human Rights Council.
Israel’s military campaign, sparked by the October 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli soil that saw around 1,200 people killed and 251 people taken hostage, has resulted in the death of more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. 58 hostages from the October 7, 2023 attack remain held in captivity by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has denied any genocidal intent, which requires certain thresholds to be met in order to be legally recognised – a case brought forward by South Africa to The International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians is ongoing.
The conflict has been on-going for decades, with official UN figures for the 15 years before the 2023 escalation recording 7277 Palestinian deaths and 162,121 Palestinian injuries in occupied Palestinian territory and Israel since 2008, and 368 Israeli deaths and 6,670 Israeli injuries during the same time span in the region.