Björk withdraws most of her catalog from Israeli streaming in solidarity with the “No Music For Genocide” boycott.
Icelandic artist Björk has removed most of her catalog from Israeli access on major streaming platforms in a move aligned with a new cultural boycott campaign protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The singer — who has not publicly commented on the decision — still has music available on Bandcamp and YouTube, while Spotify and Apple Music users in Israel now see significantly reduced access to her work.
The takedown comes as part of an initiative calling itself No Music For Genocide, which asks musicians and record labels to block Israeli users from streaming their songs.
According to Haaretz, Organizers of the campaign frame the effort as a moral protest: while cultural bans cannot halt military operations, they say, restricting access to art helps shape public opinion and resists normalizing states accused of serious human-rights violations.
The campaign cites a precedent in which record companies restricted music distribution in Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
Roughly 400 artists and independent labels are reported to have endorsed the petition, including a mix of emerging acts and more established names. Yet for most signatories, their full catalogs remain available in Israel because global distribution is typically controlled by major labels — Sony, Warner and Universal — which have not joined the boycott.
Those companies’ contracts and licensing arrangements mean that even if an artist signs on, platform availability can remain unchanged unless the rights holders act.
Some signed artists have nonetheless seen individual tracks or albums disappear from Israeli services, suggesting the boycott is uneven but gaining traction. Observers say Björk’s apparent participation could be significant precisely because of her stature: a pioneering artist with a global profile, her catalog’s partial withdrawal may increase pressure on other high-profile musicians to follow suit.
Campaign organizers say this is only an initial step and are calling on major labels to adopt a broader stance. They argue that collective action by artists and smaller distributors could eventually create substantial cultural and economic pressure.
Critics of the tactic warn that cultural boycotts can limit dialogue and penalize ordinary listeners as much as political leaders, raising complex questions about the role of art in political protest.
For now, the landscape remains mixed: some catalogues are gone, others remain, and major labels appear to be resisting wholesale participation.
Whether Björk’s removal represents a turning point or an isolated action will depend on how quickly other artists and rights holders choose to escalate the campaign or negotiate alternative measures.