Denmark's Anti-Semitism Is 'Outlandish'

If you are a scholar and want to get attention, write about the Israel Lobby.
If you are an Ex-President and no one is paying attention, write a book about Israeli Apartheid.
And if you are Denmark and trying to rework your image after the Mohammed Cartoons, what do you do?

Eric Trager writes:

the public diplomacy tactic it will employ tonight in Cairo reeks of hypocrisy. In a bid to shift the negative attention away from Denmark, the Danish Embassy will be hosting the band Outlandish, whose lyrics prominently emphasize anti-Israel themes.

This is a Danish, not an Egyptian, group. Here is how the Danish Embassy describes them:

We live in times when political positions are becoming polarized and cultures are considered fenced-in entities that cannot be united. The world is often viewed through a faulty prism that divides “us” from “them.” That’s why it is such a tension-breaker when someone takes the time and uses their talent to remind us that we are all human beings. That the blood running through your veins is not significantly different from the blood that flows through your neighbor’s body, even though you may not share the same social status, political views, religious conviction or hail from the same latitude or longitude. This is where Outlandish enters the picture.

...And no matter how many differences there are in the world, the humble human being will be heartened, entertained and educated by listening to Outlandish.

Apparently Outlandish has decided to remind only some of us that we are human beings. After all, nothing is as heartening, entertaining, and educational as putting irrational hatred to music. Trager describes the songs:

In "Look Into My Eyes," for example, Outlandish refers to Israel's existence as "terror . . . 57 years so cruel," and ultimately blames the United States: "Americans do ya realize/That the taxes that u pay/Feed the forces that traumatize/My every living day." The music video is particularly noteworthy, depicting an elementary school class play in which a Palestinian Little Red Riding Hood overcomes an Israeli Big Bad Wolf. In "Try Not to Cry," meanwhile, Outlandish compares Israel to "the Crusaders and Mongols," declaring "I throw stones like David before me." On YouTube, one of their fan-made music videos heavily demonizing Israel has been viewed over a million times.

Here is Look into My Eyes (lyrics):


Here is Try Not To Cry (lyrics):


It isn't hard to see why these songs are so popular--and why YouTube does not remove them.

Technorati Tag: Outlandish and Denmark and Anti-Semitism.