Israel-Linked Group Attempts to Censor Pro-Palestinian Artists on Spotify

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“We Believe in Israel,” a subsidiary of Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) in the United Kingdom, has been attempting to remove Palestinian and pro-Palestinian artists from the music streaming giant Spotify. MintPress News senior staff writer Alan MacLeod reported that the group has been lobbying Spotify and the UK government.

The group’s connections to the state of Israel remain obscure, MacLeod reported, noting that the group has “conceded that they work closely with the Israeli Embassy but insist they are not directed by them.” The group is directed by former arms lobbyist and Labour Party operative Luke Akehurst.

Rachel Blain, the campaign manager for We Believe in Israel, spearheaded the operation. “Spotify must take down songs promoting hatred,” Blain wrote in an article for The Times of Israel. “Before joining We Believe in Israel, Blain had worked at the Zionist Federation, the British Board of Deputies, and at an unnamed embassy in London,” MacLeod reported, “Given her professional background, it is likely that that embassy was the Israeli one.”

The campaign by We Believe in Israel sought to remove Arabic music that it believed was harmful to the state of Israel. In early 2023, after months of pressure from We Believe in Israel, Spotify removed several Arabic songs that contained lyrics critical of Israel, and “the group welcomed the decision but made clear that they saw this as only the first step in a much wider campaign of censorship,” reported MacLeod. We Believe in Israel has accused Spotify of promoting violence by allowing these artists to have their music on the platform.

One artist specifically targeted was British-Iraqi rapper Lowkey, known for his pro-Palestinian activism and music. The group claimed Lowkey’s music was “direct incitement of violence towards Jews and Israelis.” There was an immediate pushback—with thousands signing a counter-petition in defense of the artist and his work—ultimately leading to the campaign’s failure. MacLeod reported that the petition on behalf of Lowkey included “dozens of the most prominent Jewish individuals in the creative industries.” We Believe in Israel has also been accused of seeking to censor Palestinian popstar Mohammed Assaf.

With a battered public image around the world, particularly in Western countries, Israeli officials—including former Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and former Director General of the Ministry of Justice Emi Palmor—have resorted to attempting to remove Palestinian voices from radio, television, and the internet. Shaked bragged that Facebook had removed 95 percent of the content she requested the platform to block. Palestinians’ social media and financial accounts have been blocked as a consequence.

As of May 2024, the censorship of Palestinian artists on Spotify has received no coverage by US corporate media. The only coverage since MacLeod’s June 2023 piece has been from another independent outlet, the Palestine Chronicle. Its story highlighted another pro-Israel group, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, that has lobbied Spotify to censor Palestinian voices. “The Board of Deputies badges itself as the representative body of British Jews,” the Palestine Chronicle reported, “But as it makes clear in official filings, it collaborates closely with the Israeli government, including with the IDF Spokesperson’s Office.”

Alan MacLeod, “Shadowy, Israel-Linked Group Attempts to Censor Pro-Palestinian Spotify Artists,” MintPress News, June 12, 2023.

Student Researcher: Ashton Sidford (Diablo Valley College)

Faculty Evaluator: Mickey Huff (Diablo Valley College)

For previous coverage of this topic by Project Censored, see the Déjà Vu News chapter in State of the Free Press 2025.