The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) said it met with organizers of the Montreal International Jazz Festival following complaints over a performance by Palestinian artist Saint Levant that included a “hateful” song.
In a statement posted on Tuesday, CIJA said festival leadership affirmed the event “must remain a gathering place where everyone, regardless of their background or community, can feel welcome,” and that “hatred toward anyone has no place.”
Update: Following our report concerning the performance of a hateful song by the artist Saint Levant, we recently met with the management of the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) July 13, 2026
The Festival's leadership assured us that the event must remain a gathering place where… https://t.co/uQ6druAVzn
CIJA said it will continue engaging with organizers to ensure the festival and other cultural spaces remain “safe, respectful, and free from hate.”
The meeting followed earlier complaints citing video footage of a performance in which Saint Levant incorporated elements of a politically charged song associated with anti-Israel sentiment. The song, titled “Ana Bakrah Israel” (“I Hate Israel”), by the late Egyptian singer Shaaban Abdel Rahim, was originally released in 2000 during the second Palestinian intifada that resulted in thousands of Israelis killed and wounded in terrorist attacks.
