The Jewish reggae star known as Matisyahu has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to express his dissatisfaction after two of his shows were canceled following aggressive campaigns by anti-Israel and pro-Hamas protesters. The 44-year-old singer has been targeted by groups, including the Democratic Socialists of Santa Fe,  who have accused the singer of supporting genocide after he called for Hamas to be destroyed in the wake of the October 7 attacks. 

“To my fans: My band and I should have played a sold out show at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe last night and we were excited for tonight’s show at the Rialto Theater in Tucson. Instead, the staff at these venues refused to come to work, forcing cancellations,” the reggae artist wrote on Thursday. 

He added that “Tonight in Tucson, we have offered to supplement their staff shortages on our own dime, but to no avail.”

“They do this because they are either antisemitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me who holds empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

In a statement to the Sun, a spokeswoman for Tuscon’s Rialto Theatre wrote that, “The decision to not have Matisyahu play tonight was not made about politics or religion; this decision was made based on safety. The temperature of the day changed, and the tone was not set by us. “

Neither Matisyahu nor Meow Wolf immediately responded to the Sun’s email requesting comment. 

The pressure campaign against Matisyahu was arranged by a group of far-left organizers, who celebrated the shows’ cancellations. In a joint statement circulated to local outlets on Wednesday, the Sante Fe Democratic Socialists of America, Sante Feans for Justice in Palestine, and New Mexico Jews for a Free Palestine wrote that, “Local activists, advocates, and community members inundated Meow Wolf with calls and social media posts throughout the day preceding the event until the Meow Wolf phone line was disconnected.”

They added, “In addition to local pro-Palestinian activists, Meow Wolf Workers Collective members and leadership also advocated for the show to be canceled. The Meow Wolf Workers Collective called for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine in December of 2023.”

The group accused the reggae artist of being “an outspoken supporter of the genocidal campaign against Palestinians.” In particular, they added that, “Through his social media channels, the musician has issued statements such as ‘I would like Israel to destroy those people.’ Activists took issue with statements expressing such genocidal intent, in addition to Matisyahu’s Islamophobic and transphobic statements such as, ‘Your pronouns will not prevent Jihadists from breaking into your home.’” 

Matisyahu’s statement, which was selectively edited by the anti-Israel activists, was made in an interview with Newsweek on January 17. He stated, in full, that he “would like to see any terrorist, Hamas, or person who believes Israel has no right to exist or the Jews have no right to it, I would like Israel to destroy those people.”

In statements released online, the two theaters were apologetic about the decision to cancel. 

“Due to safety concerns and staff shortage, the Rialto Theatre is unable to continue with tonight’s Matisyahu performance for February 15, 2024,” the venue wrote on Facebook. “We will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests. We are in the process of refunding all ticketholders.” 

In a statement issued to the Sante Fe Reporter, Meow Wolf’s vice president of public relations, Kati Murphy, explained that, “Two hours before the show was set to begin, we found ourselves without adequate staff to safely manage the sold-out crowd. Meow Wolf will always prioritize the safety of our employees and our guests. We are in the process of refunding ticket holders.”

Born Matthew Miller, Matisyahu first rose to fame nearly 20 years ago with the hit reggae song “King Without a Crown,” which was a Top 40 hit according to Billboard in 2005. At the time, the artist was affiliated with the Chabad branch of Hasidic Jewry. Though he has since left Orthodox Jewry, the star’s music continues to be rooted in themes of Judaism.