Ozora, wtf??

Did u feel this ozora was different? The weird vibe and crowd, the tense, negative energy? Did u find yourself sometimes out of sync, disconnected from fellow ravers and from the festival itself? You’re not alone. A huge number of ravers couldn't shake off the strange undercurrent that seemed to taint this festival experience…

I first noticed it at main stage. It was smeared with stickers depicting armed israeli soldiers in uniform. Israeli propaganda banners and flags were hung all over shades purposely setup in at least 3 key locations around main stage. Israeli flags were prominently, almost aggressively, hung at the main stage entrance on a daily basis. Soon I came to realise it was not limited there, it was in other stages, in bars, food stalls, and even toilets… It was widespread all over the festival…

I struck up a conversation with a fellow raver who shared his bewildering encounter. He had been dragged into a group's march to Pumpui stage to see an israeli dj. At arrival, they asked him to rejoice and chant with them as they were celebrating the bombing of lebanon and iran by israel on that same day…

Then there were the huge israeli flags at camp sites. Some were raised high while others strategically placed at camp entrances and paths. A friend of mine respectfully asked one camp if they could please remove their massive israeli flag hung at our camp site entrance directly at eye level saying it was a bit insensitive, but she was rudely dismissed. They were arrogant and unapologetic.

There were also reports of ppl who got distressed, upset and even needed psycare at the festival because of these flags, banners and stickers.

But I can’t say I haven’t been warned. An ex-israeli anti-zionist friend of mine, who had left israel for good, warned me that Ozora will be full of IDF soldiers just returning from Gaza after committing what-we-all-know-are-committing.

But I had hope. How wrong I was…

These israeli groups were unfriendly, indifferent, and irrespecutful of fellow ravers. And there were thousands of them. There was clearly a deliberate organisation behind it that came prepared, with funds, material and an agenda. Their mission was no secret; to impose a foreign political propaganda and dominate the overall messages and atmosphere of the festival. Clearly, having this level of organisation and numbers at the festival emboldened and empowered them.

How did a psychedelic music festival intended to celebrate peace, love and unity tansform into a platform for a propaganda of a foreign faschist state trying to whitewash its blatant war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide?

Psychedelic festivals have deep roots in the antiwar hippy movement of the 60s and 70s. These festivals aim to create a space where people can come together to experience music, art, and culture in a free-spirited and harmonious environment.

Instead, Ozora became de facto occupied by faschist warmongering thugs happily celebrating hate, death and destruction. The infiltration of the israeli hasbara machine into Ozora is a betrayal of any psy festival’s core values and principles that we, as a psy community cherish so deeply.

This raises significant questions about the direction of such events and the responsibilities of both organizers and attendees.

The main angle of attack of this propaganda campaign was the attack on the nova festival last year which was hosted at the doorsteps of one of the largest concentration camps in human history. Israelis were high, partying and dancing on one side of the apartheid fence while on the other, fellow humans; men, women and children are encaged, starved; and routinely slaughtered, by israelis, (what israel calls “mowing the lawn”). That nova music festival should have simply never have happened in the first place. While the killing of any civilian is a tragedy and is unacceptable, victims could have been honored by celebrating life. Not turn the festival into a tool serving a foreign political agenda to justify military fascism, subjugation, colonialism, apartheid and genocide, which the israeli flag ultimately symbolizes.

While a few anti-zionist israelis whom i met spoke out against this hijacking of the festival's ethos, they formed a small minority in the face of a pervasive and orchestrated campaign.

Moving forward, we should consider how to deal with such challenges:

1. Avoid ozora and festivals who provide fertile grounds for this sort of behavior.
2. Refuse to engage, deal and exchange with these groups by simply ignoring and boycotting them.
3. Provide feedback to the festival organizers to uphold the integrity and spirit of the festival. Organizers should safeguard the values and principles which are highlighted in their own festival’s website.

As we navigate through such negative encounters, let us remain vigilant in preserving the essence, integrity, and principles that define our shared psy culture.

Peace, love, freedom and justice to all fellow humans.