The Jewish Community of Lisbon has urged the Portuguese government and the municipalities of Faro and Loulé not to provide public support for an upcoming concert by American musician Kanye West in the Algarve.
The Jewish Community of Lisbon (CIL) announced that it has formally asked the Faro and Loulé councils, as well as the national government, to refrain from granting any public assistance to the concert scheduled to take place at the Algarve Stadium on 7th August.
The artist, now known as Ye, has attracted widespread controversy in recent years over antisemitic remarks and expressions of support for Nazi ideology. CIL president David Botelho said it was “shocking” that the Portuguese state or local authorities might provide funding, logistical assistance, or access to public infrastructure for the event.
“The state is normalising the granting of public support, whether financial, logistical or through the provision of public spaces, to initiatives and individuals associated with antisemitic rhetoric and behaviour,” Botelho said.
Kanye West’s European tour has already been marked by controversy, with countries including France and Poland reportedly opposing planned performances, whilst the United Kingdom refused the musician a visa.
“Some countries have clearly said: this individual will not enter,” Botelho stated, adding that although Portuguese authorities have the legal powers to act, this was not the request being made. Instead, he argued that the state should ensure no public resources are used to support the concert, given what he described as clear evidence of antisemitism, hate speech directed at Jewish people, Holocaust denial, and public praise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism by the artist.
“In this case, what is expected of the state is that no support whatsoever is granted, at central, regional or local level, and that no public funds or resources of any kind are used to back this event,” he said.
Botelho argued that the Algarve Stadium, a publicly owned venue jointly managed by the two municipalities, would be hosting “a figure whose rhetoric other countries have considered unacceptable”, while Portugal would be making a public facility available for a profit-making event.
“It is shocking that public resources may be mobilised for this event,” he added, saying that allowing the performance in a public venue amounted to “an unacceptable normalisation of hate speech”.
In early April, the CIL sent letters outlining its position to the mayors of Faro and Loulé, the Minister of the Presidency and the national coordinator for Combating Antisemitism and Promoting Jewish Life. According to the organisation, no response has yet been received.
In correspondence addressed to the municipalities, the CIL argued that “public resources cannot be placed at the service of someone who has openly expressed antisemitic and misogynistic views”, adding that the state should not collaborate with individuals who misuse freedom of expression through rhetoric considered incompatible with societies that value human dignity.
In its letter to the government, the organisation requested that instructions be issued to public bodies under state supervision to consider withdrawing any financial, administrative, or logistical support for the event.
Kanye West has responded to previous controversies by claiming he has changed his position and attributing past antisemitic and pro-Nazi political statements to struggles linked to bipolar disorder.
The 48-year-old rapper has lost numerous commercial partnerships and a significant portion of his fan base in recent years following antisemitic and racist remarks. In 2023, he stated that he “loved Nazis”, offered for sale a T-shirt featuring a swastika on his online store, and in May 2025 released a song titled Heil Hitler, which was subsequently banned by major streaming platforms.
Source: LUSA
