A video of Justin Bieber marching across the stage at his recent show has some viewers accusing him of goose-stepping and giving the crowd a Heil Hitler salute.
The 28-year-old pop star was performing in Finland when the alleged incident took place. A Jewish reporter accused Bieber of Nazi motions, posting a video of the marching to Twitter along with his assessment.
Justin Bieber, who's apparently still a thing, decided to goose-step and do a sieg Heil at a concert in Finland yesterday.
The Conference of European Rabbis denounced his actions and demands an explanation.
Will he repeat the performance when he comes to Israel this fall? pic.twitter.com/CtIoIgZl7T
— Judah Ari Gross (@JudahAriGross) August 10, 2022
“Justin Bieber, who’s apparently still a thing, decided to goose-step and do a sieg Heil at a concert in Finland yesterday,” Judah Ari Gross wrote in the video caption. “The Conference of European Rabbis denounced his actions and demands an explanation. Will he repeat the performance when he comes to Israel this fall?”
“The famous singer slapped the faces of millions of Jews across the world when he chose to perform the ‘sieg heil’ movement that symbolizes identification with Nazi party values,” Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, agreed, per The Times of Israel.
“It is unthinkable that a singer with tens of millions of fans and followers around the world allows himself to adopt such conduct on European soil soaked with the blood of millions of Jews and other minorities, who were brutally murdered by the Nazi oppressor,” Goldschmidt continued.
Bieber is scheduled to perform in Tel Aviv on October 13.
Even as the video sparked outrage, fans and casual observers alike rushed to the singer’s defense.
“That’s objectively not a sieg Heil or a goose-step. Are you really this desperate to find a reason to be offended by something?” The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh wrote in reply.
“I can’t believe you’re making me defend Justin Bieber,” Lauren Chen said.
“The supply of antisemitism is not meeting demand,” a third person agreed.
Some viewers did think the marching was suspect, however. “As someone who play tennis with a Jewish person once a month I find this so gross and heartbreaking to see. Why are we still doing these things in 2022 and why won’t these hate crimes have to stop?” someone else replied.
Times of Israel reported that Bieber had been filmed at other concerts marching across the stage the same way in a move called a “stomp,” which is an inside joke between him and his fans.
The Israeli company promoting the singer’s upcoming show insists the moves were not Nazi related.
“These are dance moves…Dance moves are meant to entertain. Not everything has to do with the Jewish people, with all the love we have for ourselves,” a representative of Nidar Oz Communications said.