The man who organised a full-page newspaper ad attacking Lorde for cancelling a concert in Israel has given a fiery interview defending the move, and challenged the pop star to a debate.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach says the move was simply Jewish people "standing up for themselves" and that people who disagree with his labelling Lorde a bigot are "blaming the victim".
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Speaking with Lloyd Burr on RadioLIVE, he claimed Israel was a "bastion of human rights" and a "righteous democracy", again questioning why Lorde hasn't cancelled her concerts in Russia after its support of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
As the discussion became heated, both men accused the other of putting words in his mouth.
Rabbi Shmuley says he never referred to Lorde as anti-Semitic, but maintains that she is a bigot.
"What do you mean, 'she's a bigot'? It sounds like you're a bigot for calling her a bigot," said Burr.
"I'm not the one who's decided to single out the Jewish state of Israel for a boycott which seeks its economic destruction and annihilation," replied Rabbi Shmuley.
When Burr asked why the attack ad targeted Lorde instead of the BDS Movement, Rabbi Shmuley replied: "You're blaming the victim! As [Lorde] defames and demonises Israel and increases the boycott, you're telling me the Jewish people, in the year 2018, have no right to stand up for themselves?"
Burr pushed Rabbi Shmuley on whether or not he paid for similar attack ads on other artists that have pulled out of playing concerts in Israel, but he refused to answer.
"[Lorde] helped to demonise the Jewish state. You cannot blame the victim, you can't blame the American Jewish community for saying, 'We will defend Israel to be a free and open democracy in the Middle-East'," said Rabbi Shmuley.
"I have to ask you, why do you have a problem with the Jewish community defending itself? Why do you believe that Jews are not allowed to defend themselves?"
When Burr asked why Rabbi Shmuley "decided to pick on a 21-year-old girl from New Zealand" instead of "big global artists", the question was dismissed as being "incredibly patronising".
At the end of the interview, both Burr and Rabbi Shmuley said they'd like to continue the conversation, with the involvement of Lorde herself.
Newshub.
