Singer Kobi Peretz claims that he was ordered to leave an IDF base in northern Israel because he had intended to sing ‘May Your Village Burn Down’, a song associated with extreme right-wing groups in Israel.
“For five months since the war broke out, I have been giving free performances to our dear IDF soldiers to raise their morale,” he wrote on social media.
“I have held dozens of concerts, possibly more than any other singer in Israel, and sanctified God’s name in public by distributing tefilin to soldiers with funds that I raised for the purpose from Jews around the world. I give my heart and soul to cheer up those who protect our country.”
“Depsite my being sick, I traveled three hours to the Mahane Yarden base on the Lebanese border. An insane rocket barrage caught us while we were on the way, andI found myself lying on the ground and praying not to be injured for several minutes. I carried on to the north despite the threats and made it to the base, where I had been invited to perform by the IDF, with a time slot that had been planned more than a week in advance.”
“To my shock, as I stood on the stage in front of dozens of soldiers who were waiting for me to give them a few moments of happiness, suddenly someone turned off the electricity and told me “Get out of here, you do not have a permit to perform here." I was in shock, and did not understand what was happening. then they told me “We don't want you here because you sing ' May Your Village Burn Down.’”
“I tried to protest, saying “You invited me, I traveled for hours especially for this, I'm doing this for free, and the performance was approved and published more than a week ago, why are you insulting me and the soldiers with this kind of embarrassment?”
The soldiers also tried to protest to their commander but were told: “This order comes from higher up. You don't have a permit, and need to leave.” That particularly insolent officer forgot that the IDF invited me. Unlike what is said out of context in the media, I don't visit any base of my own accord.”
“I am currently on my way home, with great sorrow in my heart, and asking myself - why? Is it because I sing that Gaza and all the terrorists are to be wiped out? Because I called to ‘erase the memory of Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:19)? Is that what I did out of line? Have we gone crazy? Is this how the idea would like to win? Is this a fighting spirit? What is our warrior heritage - to have mercy on the cruelist individuals and pray for peace and olive branches?”
“After 150 days since the disaster and massacre the Gazans perpetrated, it is now forbidden that we curse them, because God knows what the world will say. I say that this is an embarrassment not to me, but to the state and the officers in the IDF, especially that one petty and insolent officer who disgraces the uniform he wears. You're the ones who allow this neglect towards our enemies as if we have learned nothing since October 7th.”
Peretz also emphasized that he intends to continue performing for IDF soldiers.
Yesterday, it was reported that he was expelled from the base due to not having the appropriate permits although the IDF invited him, making that unlikely. It was likewise reported that he had trouble entering the base, and that once he had entered the base and begun his performance, officers on the base turned off the loudspeaker and ordered the soldiers to disperse.