Halsey explains her ‘cowardice’ for being silent on Palestine-Israel conflict
Los Angeles, Nov 16 (IANS) Singer Halsey has broken her silence on the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Hamas.
Halsey, who was a vocal supporter of Palestine in the past, took to Instagram to explain why she remained silent after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel last month.
“Lately I have been asked why I haven’t spoken about the conflict in Israel and Palestine for this great length of time. Especially after my supremely vocal support of the Palestine people in the past few years,” she wrote on Instagram Stories, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“A few people have suggested that it’s cowardice. And to be completely honest, it is.”
Halsey added, “I am, truthfully, exceptionally anxious about navigating my responsibility as a career activist as it pertains to my daily life off of social media: Being the mother of a small child and a member of my community, in addition to the contribution of my greater voice and platform. The global conversation has reached a level of volatility that I’m having a hard time navigating here AND offline.”
The singer later recalled having “a volume of violent and threatening events occur that resulted in my home being swatted multiple times and required the presence of snipers in the sky during most of my shows that summer.”
She continued, “After that happened, I made a conscious decision to protect my family from people who plan to enact violence towards me in disagreement of my opinions.”
“However, it doesn’t sit right with me that a decision I made for my own family is in turn keeping me from vocalising support for families enduring far worse violence. Families caught between the brawling hands of a militarised government and a terrorist organisation, and the diaspora of both parties trying to get through each and every day,” she went on saying.
While the ‘Walls Could Talk’ songstress admitted that she had no excuse for her silence, the musician noted, “I deeply despise the culture of deflecting responsibility to save face in front of the audience demanding comment. So instead I’m coming here to call it for what it is, admit my regret, and reaffirm my stance regarding the liberation of the Palestinian people. I am making a series of size-able donations to relief and support organisations.”
Concluding her statement, Halsey wrote, “My politics are uncomplicated and remain unchanged. I condemn any organized body of power unleashing acts of violence against innocent civilians. The rise of Antisemitism and Islamophobia is undeniable. I stand against hate speech in all forms. I stand for freedom and the right to live safely.”
–IANS
dc/svn
