After being pressured by activists groups, Lorde decided to cancel an upcoming show in Tel Aviv, Israel on June 5, a show she booked and later confessed felt like it was a mistake: “I pride myself on being an informed young citizen, and I had done a lot of reading and sought a lot of opinions before deciding to book a show in Tel Aviv, but I’m not too proud to admit I didn’t make the right call on this one,” she said.
Dr. Itzkah Gerberg, Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand, penned an open letter to Lorde in which he expresses his disappointment at her decision: “It is regrettable that you have canceled your concert in Tel Aviv and have disappointed all your fans in Israel. Music is a wonderful language of tolerance and friendship, which brings people together. 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.”
He ends his note by inviting Lorde “to meet me in person to discuss Israel, its achievements and its role as the only democracy in the Middle East.” Read the entire letter below, and see where Lorde ranks on our list of 2017’s best albums here.
27 December 2017
An open letter to Lorde by the Ambassador of Israel to New Zealand
Dear Lorde,
It is regrettable that you have cancelled your concert in Tel Aviv and have disappointed all your fans in Israel.
Music is a wonderful language of tolerance and friendship, which brings people together. 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.
Sincerely,
Dr Itzhak Gerberg
Ambassador
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