Israeli attendees at the Tomorrowland dance festival in Belgium encountered disappointment when the performance of Israeli DJ Asher Swissa, known professionally as Skazi, was canceled due to pressure from pro-Palestinian groups, as the artist himself explained.
Festivalgoers Tal Shulman and Yigal Lankri spoke with Ynet on Monday, sharing their experiences from the event. “When we arrived at the festival, we didn’t feel any anti-Israel sentiment,” said 27-year-old Shulman. “But at the performances and stages, there were people with Israeli flags, and others who came to provoke us with Palestinian flags.
"They approached, hurled insults and curses and were openly anti-Israel, trying to stir trouble—whether through violence, spitting or pushing. We Israelis didn’t engage, both to avoid looking bad to the world and because we came to enjoy the festival.”
When asked if they reported the incidents, Shulman explained the lack of recourse. “We didn’t complain to anyone. At Tomorrowland, there’s no security among the crowd at the stages, only around them. “If something happens, we’d have to handle it ourselves because there are no guards in the audience,” he said. He noted that if Israelis had acted similarly, they likely would have been arrested immediately.
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Lankri, a 28-year-old, recounted a specific incident. “There was one moment when we raised all our flags, and a French group came over, grabbed at us and tried to provoke us,” he said. The confrontations naturally marred the festival experience for Shulman.
“We waited so long for this, really looking forward to Skazi’s performance. There was also Vini Vici, who are Israeli DJs too. But Skazi’s cancellation was a bummer. In the end, we don’t have much of a chance to voice our opinion because they replaced Skazi with a DJ who wore a pro-Palestine shirt,” he said.
Despite the disappointment, Lankri remains undeterred from attending similar festivals in the future. “We came to have fun, to dance, to celebrate. This won’t stop us. Sure, it’s upsetting to see a successful artist like Skazi not perform.
“But I want to tell everyone listening: don’t let this get in the way. It’s an experience everyone should have. Don’t let these things ruin it. Absolutely, go enjoy it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. We’ll definitely be there next year,” he said.