Two New Zealand BDS activists have rejected an order by an Israeli court to pay damages for writing an open letter which led to Lorde cancelling a concert in Tel Aviv.
Justine Sachs, who is Jewish, and Nadia Abu-Shanab, who is of Palestinian descent, were ordered to pay 45,000 shekels (about £9,000) for causing mental harm to three Israeli teenagers who had purchased tickets to the show.
The teenagers — Shoshana Steinbach, Ayelet Wertzel and Ahuva Frogel — claimed their “artistic welfare” was damaged because of the cancellation and that they suffered “damage to their good name as Israelis and Jews”.
In December 2017 Lorde cancelled her planned June 2018 concert after a social media campaign sparked by the open letter.
