Deputy Minister Eli Ben Dahan joins in supporting singer and songwriter Amir Benayoun. He expressed his support on his Facebook page, attaching a photo in which he is seen covering his mouth with a sign that reads: "Enough with the gagging!""
In the status he posted, the deputy minister called on the general public to join the protest and wrote: "Amir Benayoun wrote a song about the tense security situation and in response the president canceled his appearance at the event. Join us in the protest - we are not keeping our mouths shut.".
The deputy minister added: "President Rivlin would do well to retract it.".
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The President's Office informed singer and songwriter Amir Benayoun on Tuesday morning that, in light of the song he released this week, his scheduled appearance at the ceremony marking the Day of the Exodus and Expulsion of Jews from Arab countries and Iran, which will be held at the President's Residence this coming Sunday, will not be possible.
The CEO of the President's Residence, Harel Tovi, wrote to the organizers of the ceremony that "in light of the publication of Amir Benayoun's last poem yesterday, I would like to inform you that we will not be able to allow his appearance at the President's Residence.".
The CEO added: "Amir Benayoun is a respected and extraordinary artist in his talent and contribution to Israeli music. In addition, his statements at this tense and conflicted time, even if they were made out of a storm of emotions and great pain, do not help, to put it mildly, to calm the spirits, and are not consistent with the responsibility required of the President's Office and any institution that influences the public mood - to work to alleviate tensions and establish partnership between the parts of Israeli society.".
Minister of Veterans Affairs, Uri Orbach, whose office initiated the ceremony and invited Benayoun to perform in it, said in response to the President's Office's announcement: "The cancellation of singer Amir Benayoun's performance at the President's Office at the ceremony commemorating the Day of the Expulsion and Emigration of Arab Jews was done in violation of our position. I respect and love President Rivlin (and do not like Amir Benayoun's song), but I cannot support such a serious violation of freedom of expression and creativity. "Boycotting artists based on their opinions is an unacceptable act, and therefore, unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in the ceremony. If Benayoun does not sing, I will not speak.".
On Sunday, Benayoun uploaded a new poem to his Facebook page, titled: "Ahmed Loves Israel." In the poem, Benayoun describes the character of an Arab student who pretends to be a cheerleader, when his real intention is to murder Jews. Benayoun calls him "an ungrateful scum.".
