Lorde cancels Israel show after pressure
JERUSALEM: New Zealand singer Lorde has canceled a planned show in Israel after facing pressure from supporters of a boycott of the Jewish state over its occupation of Palestinian territory.
The 21-year-old, who enjoyed phenomenal success while still a teenager, announced last week a Tel Aviv performance in June as part of a tour.
After criticism from international and New Zealand activists, Lorde announced on Sunday she was canceling the performance in Israel.
“I’ve received an overwhelming number of messages & letters and have had a lot of discussions with people holding many views, and I think the right decision at this time is to cancel the show,” Lorde wrote in a statement distributed by Naranjah, the Israeli promoters of her Tel Aviv show.
“I’m not too proud to admit I didn’t make the right call on this one,” she said of the initial decision to perform in Israel. “I’m truly sorry to reverse my commitment to come play for you. I hope one day we can all dance.”
In a statement to AFP, Naranjah said: “We forgive Lorde and wish her a successful tour in Russia and the US.”
The movement behind the pressure on Lorde is known as BDS — Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions — and says it is inspired by the campaign that targeted South Africa’s apartheid regime and is seeking an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.