TEL AVIV, Israel (CelebrityAccess)
Lorde, who recently canceled a concert in Israel after criticism from BDS, has received blowback from several sources, most recently Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand.
Lorde was expected to perform in Tel Aviv in June but activists in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement discouraged her from doing so, suggesting it would show support for Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory. That included an op-ed from New Zealand’s The Spinoff, which urged Lorde to reconsider the concert.
Itzhak Gerberg, the Israel ambassador, wrote the New Zealand-born singer an open letter Dec. 27 after urging her to meet with him.
“Music is a wonderful language of tolerance and friendship, which brings people together,” he wrote. “Your concert in Israel could have spread the message that solutions come from constructive engagement that leads to compromise and cooperation. Music should unite not divide and your performance in Israel could have contributed to the spirit of hope and peace in the Middle East.
“Boycott and hate on the other hand, represents hostility and intolerance and I was sorry to see that you have succumbed to the supporters of a small fanatic group of BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement that denies the right of the State of Israel to exist and spreads hatred and animosity.”
“I invite you to meet me in person to discuss Israel, its achievements and its role as the only democracy in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, The Jewish Council of New Zealand said Lorde’s cancellation was a political statement but the singer’s spokeswoman has argued differently, noting that nobody has asked Lorde to cancel a Russia performance despite apparent rights abuses in the country nor that she is accused of supporting President Donald Trump via U.S. shows.
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