Kehlani: I Can’t Understand Why Artists Are Quiet About Palestine
Singer Kehlani took to Instagram to lament deep despair and heartbreak regarding the recent deadly violence in Palestine, particularly the latest deadly airstrike in Rafah that left 45 Palestinians dead. The heartfelt message came as the artist shared their struggle of trying to keep an eye pinned on musical endeavors rather than being constantly bombarded with gruesome scenes on the internet.
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“I don’t got it no more, I just don’t,” Kehlani said. “I tried hella ways to cope & it doesn’t exist and that’s okay, nobody should know how to cope right now. I tried to drop some music & get my mind back right, my focus back & the rage is just EXTREMELY prevalent. This shit is fcking me up BEEN fcking me up it should be fcking a lot of yall up but apparently it’s not???? What’s good yall??? We don’t sell out shows without A CROWD FULL OF PEOPLE. The songs don’t chart without PEOPLE. The trends don’t trend without PEOPLE. You don’t draw a line at beheaded babies or people burnt alive after 7 months of plenty of other atrocities? Idc about the roll out the formula the strategy the algorithm at this point i’m begging U TO BE PEOPLE. BE A F*CKIN HUMAN BEING.”
The post tapped into feelings of helplessness and outrage that followers were all too willing to share, scores of them. The bombing of Rafah, in which an Israeli missile hit a camp for displaced people, has raised international outrage. The United Nations International Court of Justice has just issued an order commanding Israel to cease all its activities in the city of Rafah, and yet the Israeli military, in response to an attack on one of its soldiers, said the airstrike was targeted at a Hamas installation. In a news conference held shortly after the incident, when questioned by reporters, he described the civilian deaths as a “tragic mistake”.
The death toll in the conflict is devastating. More than 36,000 Palestinians have fallen to the attacks of the Israelis after Israel lost 1,200 people in violent clashes that took place on October 7. Responses have been incited from many quarters as a result of this unending spiral of violence, even from the arts community.
But not every singer is mute. The rapper Macklemore’s new release is a single dealing with students demanding Columbia University pull its money out of Israel. Those students found at Columbia’s Hamilton Hall just after winter vacation that somebody had spray-painted “Hind’s Hall” on the building after Hind Rajab, a toddler who was killed by an Israeli soldier while he was visiting her family’s neighborhood.
Kehlani’s plea for humanity and decency is almost a call for fire; artists have huge influence in shaping public opinion and making people more aware of crucial matters. The role of artists in calling for peace and justice amidst perennial conflict has become even more critical.
In short, Kehlani’s heartfelt message proceeds to call on everybody to be informed and in support, have their back on whoever goes out on their platforms to use their voices in the change that is needed. Up-to-date information on Kehlani, regarding the Palestine situation, will be reported from reliable news sources.
