Lana Melman

The role of entertainers in BDS: engine or caboose?

What role do entertainers play in the cultural boycott campaign against Israel? Is this an artist movement or a grassroots political campaign? What part does the nationality of the artist play? Are artists the engine of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign or the caboose?

I have dedicated the last 7 years to both countering the cultural boycott campaign against Israel and analyzing it. I have worked closely with entertainment community leaders to stymy its efforts. I contacted close to 1000 representatives of artists scheduled to perform in Israel.

I gave those representatives a heads up on what to expect from the boycott campaign, listened to their concerns, answered their questions and bolstered their resolve to perform for their Israeli fans.

I have corresponded with the heads of such companies as Billboard, CBS and BET when their upcoming events or news coverage appeared to give unbalanced coverage to BDS propaganda.

I have witnessed ugly social media wars, followed news stories, written for international publications and created unique platforms for artists to express their support for Israel.

As a result, I am often asked to be a guest on TV and talk radio shows to lend my expertise on the topic.

This is how I have discovered that even among the most well-informed hosts, there are misconceptions on the subject. One of the most common misconceptions surrounds the role that artists play in the cultural boycott campaign against Israel.

During an interview on The Mike Siegel show, we delved into this very question.

Here is a video clip of the applicable segment. Play time 3:20 minutes.

About the Author
Lana Melman, the CEO of Liberate Art Inc., is a leader in combating cultural boycotts (BDS) against Israel and a Hollywood liaison connecting Israel to the international creative community. As an attorney and 25-year veteran of the entertainment industry, Lana served in both business and creative capacities at CBS, Warner Bros., and Paramount, and wrote and produced both television and feature films. In addition, Lana was the premier director of Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), an entertainment-based nonprofit organization. Most recently, Lana produced the first celebrity anti-BDS panel with artists from film, television and music including musician Alan Parsons and actor Mark Pellegrino. Lana served as the Hollywood liaison behind Variety’s “Spotlight on Israel TV” bringing due recognition to Israel’s unique television industry. Lana brought 7-time Grammy winner, Ziggy Marley together with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in support of its clean water initiative. Mr. Marley’s statement in support of Israel was replayed across the globe. Through her radio and TV interviews and speaking engagements nationwide, Lana reaches diverse audiences and engages in open discussion about what is taking place, what is at stake, and what we can all do in today’s high-conflict world to guard one of our most precious rights: freedom of artistic expression. Lana has two sons and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff Melman, a Directors Guild of America and Emmy Award-nominated director and producer.
Related Topics
Related Posts
Sign in or Register
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.