JAMES MASLOW: Why I stand with Israel amid rising tide of antisemitism

I've been an artist my entire life. Music has always been my way of connecting with people, of finding common ground even when words fall short. But lately, it feels like art itself is under siege. Antisemitism in America has become an untamed beast, and in Hollywood and the music industry, it's taking an ugly form: a boycott culture aimed squarely at Israel and the Jewish people. Instead of fostering creativity and dialogue, too many artists are cutting ties, canceling collaborations and demonizing an entire nation. It's sucking the oxygen out of art.

That's exactly why I decided to do the opposite. I put my money where my mouth is - in the middle of a war - and poured my energy into a project that means more to me than anything I've done in years. My new single, "On My Mind," is about Israel and the Jewish people. And I didn't just write about it - I filmed the music video there, with the land itself as my stage, and I collaborated with two extraordinary Israeli artists: rapper Shahar Saul and singer Maya Dadon.
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The backdrop wasn't a studio set or a green screen. It was Israel - raw, real, beautiful and alive.

For me, this wasn't just about making music. It was about standing up. When so many voices in entertainment are quick to pile on Israel, when it has become fashionable to call for boycotts or spread half-truths and outright lies, I chose to align myself with the only democracy in the Middle East, a place I love, and a people I admire.

Now, before you rush to scream "genocide" or launch into another antisemitic rant, I have one simple challenge: Go visit. See it with your own eyes. Because here's the truth - there is nothing homogenous about Israel.

It is a country of staggering diversity. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Armenians, Ethiopians and Bedouins - all living, working and debating side by side. It's not one culture. It's dozens. It's not one ideology. It's endless disagreements, arguments, protests and conversations - often louder and more chaotic than anything I've seen in America. And that's the beauty of it. Israel is messy because it's alive. It's vibrant. It's free.

I wish more people understood that Israel is the only democracy in the region. The only place where women can march without fear, where LGBTQ rights are protected, where citizens vote, criticize their leaders and fight to make their country better. The only place where the rule of law matters more than who holds the gun.

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As an artist, I can't stand by while the cultural world abandons Israel and the Jewish people. Silence is complicity. And for me, music isn't just entertainment - it's a statement. That's why "On My Mind" isn't just a love song. It's a declaration. It's me saying, "I see what's happening, and I refuse to be part of the mob that tears down instead of builds up."

I know I'll take heat for this. I already have. I've been told to "stay in my lane," to stop mixing politics with music. But here's the thing: art has always been political. Art has always been about telling the truth, even when it's unpopular. From Bob Dylan to U2 to Kendrick Lamar, music has been a vehicle for speaking out. Why should loving Israel, the Jewish people and standing against antisemitism be any different?

What frightens me most about antisemitism today is how normalized it's becoming. We've seen Jewish artists blacklisted, Jewish students harassed and Jewish institutions vandalized - and too often, the cultural world shrugs. That's why I won't. That's why I chose to stand in Israel, to sing in Israel, to film in Israel.

Because the Jewish people and Israel are on my mind.

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I want my fans to understand this isn't about politics. It's about humanity. It's about standing with a people who, after the Holocaust, built a homeland from sand and stone, who turned a desert into innovation, who contribute more to art, science and medicine than countries 10 times their size. It's about seeing through the lies and realizing Israel is not the villain, but a nation fighting for its survival in a hostile neighborhood.

To the artists who keep their distance, who are afraid of backlash if they collaborate with Israelis, I'll say this: art is supposed to break barriers, not build them. It's supposed to heal, not divide. And if you're letting antisemitism dictate your art, you've already betrayed it.

"On My Mind" is my answer to that betrayal. It's my way of saying I won't be intimidated. I won't be silent. I love Israel, I love the Jewish people and I believe in the power of music to tell the truth.

And to anyone still shouting "genocide" without ever setting foot in Israel, I'll repeat my challenge: go see it yourself. Walk the streets. Meet the people. Experience the diversity, the resilience, the democracy.

Do that, and maybe - just maybe - Israel will be on your mind too.