James Maslow, a singer who recently released the song “On My Mind,” a collaboration with Israeli artists Shahar Saul and Maya Dadon, published an opinion piece on the Fox News website this week, where he writes about his decision to support Israel by making a video there and condemns rising antisemitism in the US and around the world.
“I put my money where my mouth is - in the middle of a war - and poured my energy into a project that means more to me than anything I’ve done in years. My new single, ‘On My Mind, is about Israel and the Jewish people,” says the popular singer, who started his career as a Nickelodeon star, on such series as Big Time Rush.
He calls his two Israeli collaborators “extraordinary,” and is full of praise for the country that was the inspiration for his new song: “The backdrop wasn’t a studio set or a green screen. It was Israel - raw, real, beautiful and alive. For me, this wasn’t just about making music. It was about standing up. When so many voices in entertainment are quick to pile on Israel, when it has become fashionable to call for boycotts or spread half-truths and outright lies, I chose to align myself with the only democracy in the Middle East, a place I love, and a people I admire.”
In the video, he travels over the desert in a helicopter, then lands in Tel Aviv, singing in such locations as the beach, Dizengoff Square, and Jaffa, and is joined by Dadon, who sings in Hebrew, and Saul, who raps in Hebrew. The song is a pop tune that blends in a Middle Eastern influence.
He cautions his readers about the rise of antisemitism: “Antisemitism in America has become an untamed beast, and in Hollywood and the music industry, it’s taking an ugly form: a boycott culture aimed squarely at Israel and the Jewish people. Instead of fostering creativity and dialogue, too many artists are cutting ties, canceling collaborations, and demonizing an entire nation. It’s sucking the oxygen out of art.”
After releasing his song to mark the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre by Hamas, he says he has a challenge for those in the West who align themselves with the terror group: “Now, before you rush to scream ‘genocide’ or launch into another antisemitic rant, I have one simple challenge: Go visit. See it with your own eyes. Because here’s the truth - there is nothing homogenous about Israel.
A country of staggering diversity - that’s the beauty of it
“It is a country of staggering diversity. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Armenians, Ethiopians, and Bedouins - all living, working, and debating side by side. It’s not one culture. It’s dozens. It’s not one ideology. It’s endless disagreements, arguments, protests, and conversations - often louder and more chaotic than anything I’ve seen in America. And that’s the beauty of it. Israel is messy because it’s alive. It’s vibrant. It’s free.”