New Zealand's Twisted Frequency Festival has removed Israeli psychedelic trance DJ Dekel Kamiosky from its lineup, saying his failure to publicly condemn Israel's military campaign in Gaza and his continued performances in Israel were sufficient grounds for canceling his appearance, despite acknowledging it had found no verified evidence of his personal political beliefs.
In a statement published on Facebook earlier this week, organizers said Kamiosky, who performs under the stage name DEKEL, had become the target of a boycott over allegations concerning his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The festival subsequently learned that he had previously served as a commander in the Israel Defense Forces.
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Organizers said they contacted the artist's management to cancel his booking as soon as they became aware of the allegations, while also attempting to establish whether the claims about his political positions could be substantiated.
"We have not managed to uncover anything verified and substantial about his personal beliefs but the fact he hasn’t spoken out against the genocide in Palestine and has continued to perform in Israel is all that is needed to make our decision confidently," the statement said.
The festival acknowledged that Kamiosky's Israeli nationality and military service were not, in themselves, sufficient grounds for exclusion.
"No person should be made a villain simply because of where they are born," organizers wrote, noting that military service is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis.
"However, lacking a public statement against the ongoing occupation and genocide, we cannot host Dekel on our line-up."
Kamiosky, who grew up in Kibbutz Ga'aton in northern Israel, is an established figure in the international psytrance scene. Known for his minimalist, hypnotic sound, he has performed at psychedelic music festivals around the world, including Hungary's Ozora Festival.
Before pursuing his music career, he served as a commander in the IDF's Moran unit.
Twisted Frequency, an underground music and arts festival held in New Zealand's South Island, features electronic music, live performances, visual arts and workshops. The event has cultivated an explicitly political identity, with organizers saying they display a Palestinian flag at the festival and have hosted workshops addressing the war in Gaza.
In its statement, the festival described Kamiosky's booking as an internal failure, saying organizers had accepted a personal recommendation without conducting sufficient background checks.
"Making this booking on a personal recommendation, without seeking more information about these factors, was a mistake on our part," the statement said.
Organizers apologized to their community and said they were reviewing their procedures to prevent similar bookings.
"Although we already have rigid policies in place regarding this, in this instance they were not followed so we owe our sincerest apologies to the community," they wrote.
The festival also rejected the notion that music events should remain separate from political disputes.
"It is the position of some music events that these spaces should not be made political," organizers said. "Twisted Frequency is not one of those events."
"The actions of the Israeli government should be universally condemned," the statement continued, concluding with the declaration: "Free Palestine!!"