The Israeli ambassador to Portugal has publicly called on the mayor of Faro to cancel Kanye West's upcoming concert in the Algarve, scheduled for Friday, describing the American rapper's history of antisemitic and pro-Nazi remarks as hate speech that should not be given a platform in a democratic society.
In a video posted on social media, Ambassador Oren Rozenblat said that West—who also performs as Ye—has glorified Adolf Hitler, promoted antisemitism, and claimed that slavery was a choice, a comment that deeply offended millions of descendants of slavery's victims. “This is not provocation, it is hate speech,” Rozenblat said.
The embassy issued a formal statement arguing that West's statements go beyond mere provocation and constitute a clear endorsement of Nazi ideology. Rozenblat noted that other countries have already taken measures to prevent the artist from performing or entering their territory, and he urged Portuguese citizens not to attend the show. “A democratic society should not give a platform to someone who glorifies Hitler, promotes Nazism and defends antisemitism,” he said.
The ambassador stressed that the issue is not about anyone's position on Israel, but about what he considers to be hatred directed at Jews. He questioned whether Portuguese audiences would buy tickets for an artist who encouraged attacks against Black people, Muslims, Christians, or LGBT people, insisting that the same principle should apply to antisemitism.
Rozenblat said he had formally asked the mayor of Faro to cancel the concert, warning that allowing it to go ahead would be “a disgrace for Portugal and for the Portuguese.”
Organiser dismisses controversy
Torcato Jorge, CEO and co-founder of Raya Culture, the event organiser, has rejected the calls, telling Euronews that cancelling the concert is “a non-issue” driven by “disinformation.” He said the event is going ahead and would only be halted if Portugal's security services identified a national threat to public order, which they have not.
“The SIS has not identified the artist, or in this case the US citizen, as a national threat or a terrorist,” Jorge said. “There has to be an internal state security report saying that this citizen cannot enter the country.” He acknowledged that the matter has become “a political matter,” but noted that within the European Union, no member state has vetoed West's entry into its territory.
The controversy comes as Portugal's Algarve region is already grappling with the pressures of summer tourism, including persistent holiday poverty across the EU even as travel surges. The concert's location, near Faro, has also drawn attention to the region's environmental challenges, with Greenpeace warning about rising seas and coastal sprawl threatening Portuguese beaches.
A pattern of cancellations across Europe
West's European tour has faced repeated setbacks. In the United Kingdom, three performances at the Wireless festival in July were cancelled after British authorities revoked his permission to enter the country. In France, the rapper himself postponed a concert in Marseille after local officials criticised his statements.
Poland cancelled a show planned for June, citing legal and formal reasons, after the culture minister condemned West's antisemitic remarks. In Switzerland, FC Basel declined to host a concert at its stadium, saying it did not want to give the artist a platform. In Italy, a July concert in Reggio Emilia was banned by local authorities over concerns about public order and potential protests.
West has apologised for some of his comments in the past, but his behaviour has continued to spark controversy, including an incident at the Grammys involving his wife, Bianca Censori. The Israeli embassy's intervention in Portugal adds to a growing list of European governments and institutions distancing themselves from the artist.
For now, the concert in the Algarve appears set to proceed, with the organiser insisting that all legal requirements have been met. But the diplomatic pressure from Israel, combined with the precedent set by other European nations, may yet influence the final decision.
