Israeli Embassy Urges Faro To Cancel Kanye West Concert in Algarve Over Antisemitism Concerns

The Embassy of Israel in Portugal has publicly called for the cancellation of Kanye West's concert in the Algarve this Friday, saying the artist's past statements amount to antisemitism and praise for Adolf Hitler and Nazism. Ambassador Oren Rozenblat has urged the mayor of Faro to call off the show and asked citizens not to attend.

Ambassador's Statement

"Someone who glorified Hitler, promoted antisemitism and claimed that slavery was a choice, a remark that deeply offended millions of descendants of slavery's victims. This is not provocation, it is hate speech,"

In a video posted to social media and in an accompanying statement, Ambassador Rozenblat recalled remarks attributed to the musician in which he said he "liked Hitler" and described himself as "a Nazi." The embassy said these comments go beyond provocation and constitute hate speech that offends communities affected by racism, slavery and antisemitism.

Organiser Response

Torcato Jorge, CEO and co-founder of festival organiser Raya Culture, told Euronews that calls to cancel the concert are a "non-issue" driven by what he called disinformation. Jorge said the event will proceed unless Portuguese security services identify a national threat to public order. He added that Portugal's SIS has not designated the artist as a national security threat or a terrorist and said a formal internal security report would be required to bar his entry.

Wider Context

Kanye West, who also performs as Ye, has faced international backlash in recent years over comments widely regarded as antisemitic, as well as other controversial behaviour. Although he has apologised for some remarks, his European tour has been disrupted: shows have been cancelled or postponed in the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Switzerland and Italy amid criticism from authorities, venue operators and event organisers.

• UK: Three Wireless festival appearances were cancelled after the government revoked permission for the artist to enter the country.
• France: A Marseille concert was postponed by the artist following local criticism.
• Poland: A June show was cancelled after the culture minister publicly criticised West's statements.
• Switzerland: FC Basel declined to host a stadium concert, saying it would not provide a platform for the artist.
• Italy: Local authorities in Reggio Emilia banned a July concert, citing risks to security and public order.

The Israeli embassy framed its appeal as a matter of principle: it asked whether people would buy tickets for artists who promote hatred against Black people, Muslims, Christians or LGBT people, arguing the same standard should apply to Jews.

Both sides emphasise different priorities: the embassy highlights community protection and condemnation of hate speech, while the organiser stresses legal process, public order considerations and the absence of a formal security ban. The situation remains dynamic as local officials and security services weigh those factors ahead of the scheduled concert.

This article was translated with the help of artificial intelligence. To report an issue, contact [email protected].