Iranian-American Jews call for boycott of Persian singer over 'antisemitic' lyrics

The lyrics in question are from the song "Flock of Vultures" in which the singer compares Jews to the predatory bird.

By JACOB GOFF KLEIN

DECEMBER 16, 2017 16:24

Updated: DECEMBER 17, 2017 13:23

Iranian singer Mohsen Yeganeh (photo credit: AMIR FARZANEH/ WIKIMEDIA) — Iranian singer Mohsen Yeganeh

(photo credit: AMIR FARZANEH/ WIKIMEDIA)

The Jewish Iranian community in Los Angeles called for a peaceful protest against Iranian singer Mohsen Yeganeh's Saturday night concert in the city due to ''anti-Israel'' and ''antisemitic'' lyrics in his music.

The protest is schedules to take place at the end of Shabbat, around 6:30 p.m. local time, outside the Microsoft Theater in LA, where Yeganeh is scheduled to perform.

The lyrics in question are from the song "Flock of Vultures,'' which they say makes a metaphor of Jews as “vultures” and refers to two triangles - the Star of David - that symbolize ''fear and prison'' and are the ''enemies of smiling children.''

The song is also said to be a call to action to get “him back”, with ''him'' being the city of Jerusalem.

An online petition calling for the Microsoft Theater to cancel Yeganeh's event had garnered just under 5,000 signatures by Saturday morning LA time, falling short of its intended 50,000.

On December 14, the ADL condemned a controversial video featuring Yeganeh's song ''Flock of Vultures.'' The video claimed that Israel was responsible for the creation of ISIS, and in turn, for the group's slaughter of civilians. The video in question was not released by Yeganeh, nor did the ADL confirm the singer's affiliation with it.

Los Angeles's Beverly Hills neighborhood is home to one of the United States' largest Iranian Jewish communities; approximately 25% of the city's population identify as Iranian Jews.