Lessons from the Rosalía case: Should artists speak out or remain silent about the war in Gaza?

An Instagram post has placed singer Rosalía at the center of a debate over whether public figures should take sides against the Israeli invasion of Gaza , which has already left 60,000 Palestinians dead since the start of the offensive in October 2023. At the end of July, designer Miguel Adrover posted an email on his Instagram account in which he informed Rosalía's stylist that he refused to make her a custom-made suit because of her silence on Gaza. A few days later, the artist also took to Instagram, with more than 26 million followers, to respond: "I don't see how shaming each other is the best way to move forward in the fight for Palestinian freedom. It's terrible to see day after day how innocent people are murdered and that those who should stop this don't do it."

This exchange of messages lit the spark for a conversation that transcends the fleeting virality of the controversies that pop stars are accustomed to simply by their mere existence. Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive, but especially since images of children dying due to Benjamin Netanyahu's premeditated famine plan began circulating on social media, pressure has been mounting for influential public figures like Rosalía to take a stand against this massacre.

What impact does it have on a creator of her stature speaking out about the invasion of Palestine? When should she have done so? Is there room for neutrality in a conflict like this? “Artists, particularly those linked to music, have a decisive reach and prominence in society. They are scrutinized, and their tastes, opinions, and statements have a tremendous impact on the ecosystem of relationships between artist, groupies , followers, markets, and audiences,” analyzes Antoni Gutiérrez-Rubí, political consultant and communications advisor.

Antonio Cuartero, PhD in Journalism, professor at the University of Malaga and expert in the study of young audiences , He recalls that the audiences he analyzes have found in these figures, including the stars of popular culture, the references that "form their opinions" because, he says, "they have lost contact with the mainstream media and other intellectuals." Frankie Pizá, a cultural analyst and popularizer, adds: "Today, every public figure is treated as an ideological vector, not just as a traditional artist. Everything is interpreted by hypervigilant audiences, and neutrality, which was once another viable option, is now a functional fiction on the way out."

So much so that the number of artists taking a stand against the escalating Israeli war is growing every day through various means, especially in Europe and increasingly in the United States: speeches at concerts, shows, or events of all kinds; messages on social media, signing manifestos, calling for an arms embargo, or participating in protest activities. Or even singing it, as Manuel Carrasco did last weekend at a concert in Tenerife, a moment captured by many attendees in videos that have gone viral : "If politics serves to change destinies, I don't know what you're waiting for to end the crying of Palestinian children," the lyrics read.

Dancer and choreographer Nacho Duato is one of those who are speaking out most forcefully, both on social media and in his public appearances. “What is happening in Gaza is a genocide. And we have to say it like that, call it by its name,” he told EL PAÍS. Duato says he doesn't understand Rosalía's lack of coherence, which has been clearly expressed at other times in her career. She distributed food to communities affected by the flooding in Valencia and wrote on her X account: “Fuck Vox,” in 2019 , in defense of the LGBTQ+ community. “Rosalía addresses social issues with her songs, issues of marginalization, but then doesn't take a clear position on this genocide. And it has to be done. We have to take a stand,” Duato insists. When Melody said two months ago, after her Eurovision performance, “I can’t talk about Israel, but I wish there was a lot of love and peace in the world,” the choreographer dedicated a video to her on his Instagram channel: “Dear Melody, you are a wonderful singer, but if you had won Eurovision, you wouldn’t have gone home for a week. And I would tell you that an artist must take a stand. A genocide is a genocide and it must be said.”

One of the latest to publicly condemn the Israeli invasion of Spain was Catalan singer Bad Gyal , during her performance last weekend at the Arenal Sound festival in Burriana (Castellón). The festival opened with protest rallies and the withdrawal of the band La Fúmiga after it was revealed that the company promoting the event is owned by KKR, a pro-Israeli investment fund with real estate interests in the Gaza Strip. "I'm here for my audience and my fans. I didn't want to let you down, but I feel it's very necessary for me to publicly show my support for the people of Palestine," the artist explained on stage.

Sónar, held in Barcelona in June and also linked to KKR, was the first festival to suffer protests and cancellations . More cancellations would follow at the Benicàssim Festival in mid-July, including such well-known names as Puerto Rican Residente and Cádiz-born Judeline: “Most of what we consume has consequences for a portion of the population, even if we aren't aware of it; however, in this case, the relationship is direct and evident,” Judeline stated.

The Catalan group La Élite was the first to withdraw from the FIB lineup. Speaking to EL PAÍS, the band's two members, David Burgués and Nil Roig, reaffirm their decision: "It's a genocide, and we believe in human rights; nothing more is needed." Both are convinced that the artists' actions have a ripple effect—"obviously yes, there's no need to explain it"—but above all, they insist that the participation of renowned figures is necessary: "It would help if big artists, with crazy numbers and real power, started talking about important things like this genocide and stopped selling us ultra-processed hamburgers and intimate performances in giant stadiums."

In this context of escalating positions, the pressure on those who don't speak out also increases. Criticism of Rosalía extends to the entire celebrity ecosystem and now also to content creators. "In the case of Gaza, it's war and hunger, with many images of children's faces. The management of emotions is a given. In this context, neutrality is unbearable for the vast majority of the public," explains Gutiérrez-Rubí.

Around twenty artists who decided to continue their performance at Sonar issued a statement explaining their decision, including Catalan singer Alizz, who this week, speaking to Cadena SER, said he felt singled out and had lost followers on social media.

“We're a bit naive: Do we ask a pop artist to resolve with a paragraph what governments keep quiet about and the media whitewash?” Pizá summarizes. Cuartero continues: “To be able to launch a commercial boycott of Israel, for example, even a major campaign by a content creator isn't enough. This demand should be made of politicians.” “Visibility today comes at a price. And pop figures or global icons, even if they don't dedicate themselves to politics or try to escape by romanticizing that classic artist, can no longer escape that field of tension,” Pizá explains.

The members of the band La Habitación Roja have also felt singled out for continuing their concert at the FIB. Their vocalist, Jorge Martí, explains it this way: “We are eight voices, and although we are all against genocide, there are nuances regarding how to address this moral dilemma. Although we considered canceling, we decided to play and say something. Social media tends to amplify the echo of malicious and often false proclamations, and they are placed on an equal footing with well-constructed arguments.”

After their performance, the group released a statement explaining their decision. “I think it's fine to cancel (it was one of the options) or take any kind of action that might contribute, but we also believe a more collective, informed, and strategic boycott would be more powerful. We also think it's valid to use a festival so that thousands of people can hear it. It's very strange that doing your job can mean supporting a cause you detest. We made the statement out of doubt and knowing that most artists don't say or do anything for fear of cancellation. I've spoken with people who know the issue firsthand, and they tell me that the most important thing is to talk about the genocide. In the end, they're all symbolic gestures, and while relevant, it's difficult to gauge their effectiveness. I guess something is better than nothing.” And he adds: “We've also reflected on the fact that this dilemma also exists with many other companies and services we use daily. Is everyone who has contradictions collaborating with genocide? Who doesn't? In any case, it's frivolous to pontificate from a cell phone. You play because it's your job, but it's senseless madness that there's no way to stop this.” Martí makes clear his condemnation of genocide and shares a quote he heard from a Gazan: “The sound of hunger is louder than the sound of bombs.”

The cultural tradition of protest

The Spanish cultural sector has, by and large, spoken out against the Israeli invasion almost from the outset. In 2024, dozens of artists signed a petition demanding that Spain stop selling and buying weapons to Netanyahu. In mid-July, more artists joined the petition, reaching over a thousand. A group of 13 representatives of the signatories met at Madrid's Teatro del Barrio, where they accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of "active complicity in genocide." Filmmaker Oliver Laxe, winner of the Jury Prize at the last Cannes Film Festival , read the letter, which read: "History will judge us. We ask you to be on the right side, on the side of life, justice, and humanity."

One of those present at that event was actor Carlos Bardem. The actor, who this week, along with around 100 other Spanish artists, also joined a manifesto from the Sahara Film Festival against the filming of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey in Western Sahara , He emphasizes in a telephone conversation: “Gaza has held a mirror up to us all: silence is complicit. Now they're bombing children in Gaza or oppressing Sahrawis in the Algerian or Moroccan desert, but the rampant fascism behind all these matters won't leave us behind if we don't react.” Regarding the manifesto against the filming of The Odyssey, Bardem emphasizes that the city where it's being shot, Dakhla, “is a paradigmatic case of the attempt to erase the Sahrawi identity.” “They're trying to turn it into a Moroccan beach resort. They're including it in the world's windsurfing and kitesurfing competition circuit, selling it as a Moroccan resort . And now they've taken Nolan there to film. He and his crew probably had no idea what they were doing, which is why it's good that a manifesto was written for them.”

Artists for Palestine emerged just over two months ago and brings together creators of theater, film, music, dance, literature, and painting. "We organize to promote the Palestinian cause, denounce injustices, and raise humanitarian funds. We don't seek to speak for Palestine, but rather to amplify its voices," defines this collective, which raises money for direct aid to Gazan families, among other initiatives.

“Public opinion in Spain is a legacy of the public commitment of artists. Throughout the 20th century, the main figures in the performing and dramatic arts in Spain have positioned themselves politically, almost always within the left or the democratic opposition. There is an established culture of presence and commitment. It is difficult to break away from that framework,” Gutiérrez-Rubí states.

The change of direction in Hollywood

In early June, when images of the famine in Gaza began to spread through the media and social media, Hollywood and its entire network of stars, who had generally remained silent, began to speak out. More than 300 cultural workers who attended the Cannes Film Festival in May had already done so in an op-ed in the newspaper Libération : "We cannot remain silent while a genocide is taking place in Gaza." "Why this silence?"

That column was signed by Javier Bardem, among others. The actor continued his speech against Israel's offensive on major film sets and red carpets around the world during the promotion of F1, the film . "The situation in Gaza has reached such a point that I cannot express the pain that so many of us suffer every day seeing those horrible images of children being murdered and dying of hunger, being amputated without anesthesia," he declared on the American program The View , one of the most widely watched in the country. The list of actors speaking out clearly grows every day: Bella Hadid , Mandy Patinkin , Cynthia Nixon , Mark Ruffalo .

Before such prominent figures in the film industry decided to speak out, Hollywood had already created its own particular war of factions. The turning point came at the 2024 Oscars, when British Jewish filmmaker Jonathan Glazer spoke these words while collecting his award for Zone of Interest: “Our film shows that dehumanization leads us to the worst; it has shaped our past and our present. How do we resist this dehumanization? Whether it's of the victims of October 7 in Israel or the attack currently underway in Gaza.”

Joaquin Phoenix, Elliot Gould, Joel Coen, Nan Goldin, and writer and activist Naomi Klein were among the 151 Jewish artists who publicly came out in support of Glazer. That collective of creators denounced the climate of censorship that had settled in the industry following the filmmaker's speech. Ten days after the gala, a thousand professionals condemned his remarks for "fueling anti-Jewish hatred."

This comes long after actress Susan Sarandon, who claimed that her pro-Palestinian stance from the start of the offensive resulted in the cancellation of several of her projects, in addition to losing her representative. Actress Melissa Barrera's case was one of the most direct when she was fired from the seventh installment of Scream in 2023. for being one of the most active voices defending Palestine on social media. The Mexican actress admitted to EL PAÍS that there were times when she feared being "evicted" and not being offered more roles. Her co-star Jenna Ortega also left the series and maintained her active pro-Palestine voice on social media.

In the United Kingdom, a large part of the cultural sector has united around the collective Artists for Palestine UK , through which well-known names such as Tilda Swinton, Brian Eno, Paul Weller and Roger Waters, among others, are protesting, for example, against the BBC's withdrawal from its digital platform, BBC iPlayer, earlier this year of the documentary Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, co-directed by Briton Jamie Roberts and Palestinian Yousef Hammash.

“The image of artists is intertwined with power structures, sponsors, brands, institutions, and diverse audiences. Any movement has a reputational price. The paradox is that remaining silent will also have one,” Pizá concludes.