World
Lana Del Rey cancels Israel performance after BDS pressure
The American singer faced a backlash after she joined the line-up of the inaugural Meteor Festival
September 3, 2018 07:35
The American singer faced a backlash after she joined the line-up of the inaugural Meteor Festival
September 3, 2018 07:35Lana Del Rey has cancelled a scheduled performance in Israel following protests from fans and calls for a cultural boycott from activists.
The American singer faced a backlash after she joined the line-up of the inaugural Meteor Festival, which will take place from September 6 to September 8.
In a statement posted on Twitter she said: "It's important to me to perform in both Palestine and Israel and treat all my fans equally."
She added that she was hoping to "schedule visits for both my Israeli and Palestinian fans" in future.
Initially she had defended her decision to appear at the festival.
In response, she tweeted that performing in Israel “is not a political statement”, nor was it an endorsement of the policies of the Israeli government.
Last week, she said: “I understand many of you are upset that we’re going to Tel Aviv for the Meteor festival, I understand your concern, I really do. What I can tell you is I believe music is universal and should be used to bring us together.
“If you don’t agree with it I get it. I see both sides. We don’t always agree with the politics of the places we play within or even in our own country.
“I would like to remind you that performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to the politics there, just as singing here in California doesn’t mean my views are in alignment with my current government’s opinions or sometimes inhuman actions.
“I’m just stating that I’m a simple singer, I’m doing my best to navigate the waters of the constant tumultuous hardships in the war-torn countries all over the world that I travel through monthly.”
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (Pacbi) welcomed her decision to cancel next week's headline performance.
The group said: "Thank you for your principled decision."
It had been one of the groups to pressure the singer into cancelling saying: “We urge you to reconsider. We doubt that you would have played in apartheid South Africa; likewise, artists refuse to play in apartheid Israel.”
Calls for international performers to boycott Israel are commonplace, and in December New Zealand singer Lorde cancelled a scheduled appearance in Tel Aviv, making the decision following “a lot of discussions with people holding many views”.
In 2014 Lana Del Rey cancelled a show in Israel as a result of the war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
Brian Eno, Roger Waters and Peter Gabriel are well-known advocates of a cultural boycott, while other artists, such as Radiohead and Nick Cave, have resisted calls to cancel concerts.
