Major League Baseball has announced that it will not schedule any more advertising on its platforms promoting music artist Roger Waters, reports The Associated Press.
Last week, the leadership of B’nai B’rith International criticized Major League Baseball’s involvement in the sale of tickets for Roger Waters’ North American tour, “This is Not a Drill”. MLB.com was among the organizations sponsoring ticket presales.
B’nai B’rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin said Waters’ views on Jews and Israel “far exceed the boundaries of civil discourse.”
Waters is notorious for his support for BDS and for his anti-Israel statements and actions.
The rock artist has verbally attacked and pressured many artists who chose to perform in Israel over the last several years.
Waters has in the past compared Israel to Nazi Germany and released a giant balloon pig bearing the Star of David during a concert in Belgium. Concert-goers said the Jewish star was among several symbols representing various corporations and fascist movements.
In defense of his actions, Waters argues that BDS “isn’t about music – it’s about human rights.”
B’nai B’rith said in a statement Friday that MLB told it “there are no plans to schedule any more ads on the MLB platforms.” MLB later confirmed B’nai B’rith’s statement was accurate.
Waters’ spokeswoman, Fran Curtis, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Meanwhile, the Latin American branch of the US-based Jewish advocacy group Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) has launched a campaign to prevent Waters from performing on tour in Mexico.
The SWC, which supports Holocaust survivors and confronts anti-Semitism, has written to businesses sponsoring and promoting Waters' concert in Mexico, urging them to pull out.
"Your company's prestige should not be stained by those that use music to camouflage discrimination and the diffusion of a violent and racist message," said the letter, signed by SWC international relations directors Shimon Samuels and Ariel Gelblung.