Three Rivers Arts Festival performance marred with anti-Israel messaging

According to the Three Rivers Arts Festival’s website, Mariposas Galácticas is “an eight piece Cumbia Klezmer Punk band based in Philadelphia” that combines “band members’ South American and Jewish ancestries.”

When the band played the Three Rivers Arts Festival on June 13, those elements and influences were mixed with a dose of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist rhetoric.

“From the river to the sea,” “Palestine will be free,” “Viva, Viva Palestina” and “No occupation” were some of the phrases the band members, who called themselves “Jewish anti-Zionists,” delivered from the stage.

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Julie Paris, StandWithUs’ Mid-Atlantic regional director, noted that the phrase “‘From the river to the sea’ is widely recognized as a call for the elimination of Israel and is used by terror groups like Hamas.”

“In the context of anti-Zionism, which opposes Israel’s very right to exist, these slogans cross a clear line from political speech into threats and bigotry,” she said.

While the statements were disturbing to some Jewish community members attending the show, they were not surprising given the band’s history and political leanings. The band previewed its anti-Israel messaging when it performed at Pittonkatonk, a festival held in Schenley Park, in May.

Eva Gelman attended that performance with her husband, Dan Gelman.

“[Dan] was excited about it until he realized their platform and their messaging,” Eva Gelman said. “We ended up walking out on that.”

When she heard about the band’s scheduled performance at this year’s Three Rivers Arts Festival, she contacted Paris, who spoke with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the producer of the festival.

Paris said she made the Trust aware of the Jewish community’s concerns based on the band’s Pittonkatonk performance and its social media postings.

David Knoll, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s vice president of public affairs, said he spoke with a Cultural Trust representative after the event, who said the band — one of more than 300 that submitted applications to perform at the festival — billed itself only as a Jewish klezmer band that sings in Hebrew and Spanish.

“On paper it sounds great,” Knoll said.

Knoll said the Cultural Trust representative told him that when the Cultural Trust was made aware of Mariposas Galácticas’ activism, it informed the band that the Three Rivers Arts Festival is a non-political event where political diatribes aren’t welcome.

In an email to the Chronicle, the Cultural Trust confirmed that a community member shared concerns about the band’s political messages and the Cultural Trust contacted Mariposas Galácticas asking that they “refrain from political stage banter between songs.”

“The band agreed to their conditions and then put the message into the lyrics of their songs,” Knoll said.

“It was a sneaky move by the band. I think the Trust got duped,” he said, noting that the Cultural Trust was “deeply apologetic” when he spoke to its representative, and pledged to review and improve its band selection process going forward.

Eva Gelman wasn’t surprised when she heard the band’s messaging from the stage.

“Based on interviews and their public statements, activism is a big part of their identity and mission,” she said. “So, it wasn’t about whether they were going to say anything that we thought was inappropriate. It’s impossible to separate that from them because, ultimately, it’s who they are.”

Paris called the situation “entirely foreseeable.”

“Political activism sits at the very center of this band’s public identity,” she said. “This was not an unexpected political turn. It is concerning that festival organizers failed to realize in advance that booking this act would have predictably, negatively impacted Jewish attendees at a family event.”

Eva Gelman said that while the anti-Israel messages were disheartening, she feels that any political messaging at a community arts festival will disenfranchise some attendees.

“It’s important to consider how activism may be experienced by different members of the audience, by different members of the community,” she said.

The Cultural Trust told the Chronicle it is committed to creating a festival environment “welcoming to everyone in the community.”

“We understand that some attendees, including members of the Jewish community, were offended by elements of this artist’s performance, and we regret that anyone had that experience,” a Cultural Trust spokesperson wrote in an email, adding that Mariposas Galácticas’ views do not reflect those of the Cultural Trust.

“We take this feedback seriously and are reviewing our Festival application process and participation expectations moving forward.”

Knoll takes the Cultural Trust at its word.

“This was a mistake, but the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust did not mean any harm,” he said. “They’re so upset by this, and they’re committed to reviewing these processes as we move forward for next year and the years after.” PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.