Israeli DJ booted from New Zealand music festival for refusing to condemn Israel

Organizers of taxpayer-funded New Zealand music festival under fire after they axed a planned performance by Israeli DJ Dekel Kamiosky for remaining mum on Gaza conflict.

By World Israel News Staff

A New Zealand music festival has canceled a performance by Israeli DJ Dekel Kamiosky after he declined to publicly condemn Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, despite organizers acknowledging that they had found no evidence establishing his personal political beliefs.

The decision by Twisted Frequency Festival, an electronic music and arts event held in Golden Bay on New Zealand’s South Island, has drawn criticism from the country’s Jewish community and free speech advocates, who accuse organizers of imposing a political loyalty test on performers.

Kamiosky, who performs under the name DEKEL, is an internationally known psychedelic trance artist who grew up in Kibbutz Ga’aton in northern Israel and has appeared at major international events, including Hungary’s Ozora Festival.

According to a statement published by the festival, organizers canceled his booking after receiving complaints about his alleged political positions and learning that he had previously served as a commander in the Israel Defense Forces.

The festival also cited his continued performances in Israel as justification for removing him from the lineup.

Organizers acknowledged that they had been unable to substantiate allegations concerning his political beliefs but maintained that his failure to publicly denounce Israel was sufficient reason to exclude him.

“However, lacking a public statement against the ongoing occupation and genocide, we cannot host Dekel on our line-up,” the festival declared.

The organizers emphasized that Israeli nationality and compulsory military service were not, by themselves, grounds for excluding an artist. Nevertheless, they argued that Kamiosky’s silence concerning what they described as genocide in Gaza, together with his professional activities in Israel, made his participation unacceptable.

The festival also apologized for having invited him in the first place, describing the booking as a failure to properly investigate the artist’s background.

Organizers said Kamiosky had been selected following a personal recommendation without sufficient scrutiny and pledged to strengthen their screening procedures to prevent similar incidents.

The festival, which is scheduled to run from December 30 through January 3, has openly embraced pro-Palestinian activism, displaying Palestinian flags and hosting workshops addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Its organizers rejected the argument that music festivals should remain politically neutral, insisting that opposition to Israeli government policies forms part of the event’s identity.

The cancellation has prompted a sharp response from the New Zealand Jewish Council, which warned that excluding a performer for failing to publicly endorse a particular political position undermines fundamental principles of freedom of expression.

“An artist’s nationality should not determine whether they are welcome to perform in New Zealand,” the council said.

The organization emphasized that its objections were not intended to defend the Israeli government’s actions or endorse Kamiosky’s political beliefs.

Rather, it argued that artists should not be required to demonstrate agreement with particular political positions as a condition of receiving professional opportunities.

The council also raised concerns about the implications for Jewish New Zealanders, warning that requiring individuals to publicly distance themselves from Israel could create an exclusionary environment for people with family, cultural and religious connections to the Jewish state.

It questioned whether musicians from other countries would face comparable demands, citing American and Chinese artists as examples.

“If not, why should Israelis be treated differently?” the council asked.

The New Zealand Free Speech Union has also condemned the cancellation, arguing that the festival effectively punished Kamiosky for declining to make a political declaration rather than for anything he had actually said.

“Requiring an artist to declare a political position before he can perform is compelled speech. It treats silence as guilt,” said the union’s executive director, Jillaine Heather.

The organization acknowledged that private festivals are entitled to choose their performers and promote political causes but raised additional concerns over Twisted Frequency’s receipt of taxpayer funding.

According to official records published by Creative New Zealand, the festival received a NZ$10,000 government arts grant in June 2026 to support strategic planning, governance development and financial resilience.

The Free Speech Union has written to both the festival and Creative New Zealand seeking clarification about whether politically motivated exclusions are compatible with publicly funded arts programs.

It has also asked whether the festival intends to apply similar political screening requirements to performers from other countries and whether such expectations might extend to volunteers, employees or attendees.

New Zealand’s Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on several grounds, including political opinion, but no legal determination has been made concerning the festival’s decision.

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