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Spotify removes Palestinian song ‘Dammi Falastini’, move sparks backlash

Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf. [Photo: Twitter/MohammedAssaf89]

Dammi Falastini, Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf’s famous hit song, has been removed from Spotify.

Translating into “My Blood is Palestinian,” the song’s singer received an official email citing accusations of antisemitism as the reason for the song’s deletion, Roya News reported on Sunday.

The move by the music-streaming giant sparked a backlash on social media.

Twitter user @imanabid posted: “Spotify removing ‘Dammi Falastini’ is insane. The absolute ridiculousness it takes to silence everything about us. Our words, our food, our music. Reinstate his song now.”

A tweet from @hourlykorra read: “‘Dammi Falastini’ being removed from Spotify and Apple Music. Why are we being silenced?”

User @jennineak said the move was “outrageous” and that other streaming platforms had also removed the song.

Assaf took to Instagram and said: “That’s fine. It’s preserved in the hearts of all of those who are free and noble.”

Assaf, who lived in Gaza from the age of 4, achieved stardom in 2013 when he won “Arab Idol.”

His “Dammi Falastini,” which was released eight years ago, has become an important symbol of national identity within the Palestinian community.

Assaf’s fans – who have been protesting on social media about the removal – argue that it is simply pro-Palestinian.

Meanwhile, in a statement sent to the Palestine Chronicle, a PR agency representing Spotify MENA, claimed that the reason behind the removal of a popular song by famous Palestinian artist, Mohammed Assaf “was not determined by Spotify, but rather by the distributor.”

The Spotify statement, conveyed through Publicist Inc., also asserted that “we anticipate its return in the near future and apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

“Spotify aims to offer a wide range of music on our platform, but availability may vary over time and by country. The removal of some of Mohammed Assaf’s content was not determined by Spotify, but rather by the distributor. We anticipate its return in the near future and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the statement said.

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