Ad in top US newspaper brands Lorde a ‘bigot’ after Israel show cancelled
LORDE, the singer, has been called a “bigot” in a full-page advertisement in a US newspaper after pulling out of a planned concert in Israel.
In the advertisement – taken out in The Washington Post by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s pro-israel organisation This World: The Values Network – Lorde, 21, is described as taking part in “a global anti-semitic boycott of Israel”. A pull quote in the paid-for text reads “21 is young to become a bigot”, while the headline and longer article accuse the New Zealand singer of being a hypocrite for cancelling her Tel Aviv concert and still performing in Russia.
“While Lorde claims to be concerned with human rights, she hypocritically chose to proceed with her two concerts in Putin’s Russia, despite his support for [Syrian president] Assad’s genocidal regime,” the text states.
“Let’s boycott the boycotters and tell Lorde and her fellow bigots that Jewhatred has no place in the 21st century.”
The advertisement says Lorde’s decision showed how a “growing prejudice against the Jewish state” in New Zea- land was “trickling down to its youth”.
Lorde pulled out of the Tel Aviv concert, scheduled for June 2018, after criticism of her decision to perform in Israel. In December 2017 she said that she received an “overwhelming number of messages” from fans, urging her to reconsider.
Nadia Abu-shanab and Justine Sachs, two activists from New Zealand, also penned an open letter to Lorde.
“Been speaking w many people about this and considering all options. Thank u for educating me, I am learning all the time too,” Lorde said, before announcing her decision to cancel.