Threats, arson over Israeli DJs

An electronic music festival has been forced to relocate events in Sydney and Melbourne after two cars belonging to one of its promoters were firebombed and venues were threatened over the appearance of Israeli DJs.

Five Israeli artists on the 30-act line-up at Frequency Forest Festival – Astrix, Berg, Ghostrider, Ranji and Ritmo – have cancelled their trips after weeks of threats, The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday.

Victoria Police said two vehicles parked on a street in Malvern East were destroyed by fire on August 16, and that detectives were investigating circumstances deemed suspicious. The promoter has since hired full-time security.

The festival will now be held at nightclubs in Melbourne and Sydney. Promoters told The Daily Telegraph the changes would leave them between $1.6 million and $1.8 million out of pocket.

None of the three promoters is Jewish. Two are migrants from India and the third is a Lebanese Australian Muslim, who told The Daily Telegraph the conflict was not theirs.

“It is not our war, it is a shame it has come to our shores and impacted us like this,” he said.

“The festival was about unity, love and just getting everyone together. We’ve put in a lot of effort, a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this.”

ECAJ co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the scorched vehicles recalled the summer of firebombings that targeted synagogues, childcare centres, vehicles and homes.

“We warned at the time that people will eventually be killed and so it was,” Ryvchin said.

“The question is whether we have learned anything from the Bondi massacre and the attacks leading to it.

“If we have learned anything it must be that moral ambiguity and timid leadership creates more terror not less.”

Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory said the campaign of intimidation was deeply disturbing.

“Jewish and Israeli artists should not be driven out of Australian cultural life through threats, intimidation or violence.”