Lorde recently canceled an appearance in Tel Aviv amid pressure from pro-Palestinian activists BDA (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions), and in reaction, a rabbi named Shmuley Boteach taking out a seething full-page ad in the Washington Post on New Years Eve, with a picture of the pop star alongside a message that read “21 is too young to become a bigot.” While Lorde herself still has yet to respond to this ad, some of the artistic voices of the BDS movement have come forward voicing their support for her decision to cancel the show.
“We write in support of Lorde, who made public her decision not to perform in Israel and has now been branded a bigot in a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post,” reads an open letter published in The Guardian that was signed by over 100 artists, including Roger Waters and Brian Eno, who previously criticized both Nick Cave and Radiohead‘s respective Israeli appearances. Other signers include Peter Gabriel, Talib Kweli, and Kathleen Hanna. The letter goes on to say that the Boteach has “nothing to teach artists about human rights” and that they “deplore the bullying tactics” that Boteach employed.
Read the open letter’s full text below.
We write in support of Lorde, who made public her decision not to perform in Israel and has now been branded a bigot in a full page advertisement in the Washington Post (Report, 1 January).
Shmuley Boteach, the author and promoter of the advert, supports Israel’s illegal settlements and wrote last month on Breitbart to thank Donald Trump for “electrifying the world” with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in defiance of international law.
He has nothing to teach artists about human rights. We deplore the bullying tactics being used to defend injustice against Palestinians and to suppress an artist’s freedom of conscience. We support Lorde’s right to take a stand.
Lorde’s performance at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre was scheduled for June 5. Other than a statement that was recently sent out to promoters, she has yet to speak publicly on her decision to cancel the show.
