Lorde cancels concert in Israel, promoter 'forgives' her

Singer Lorde has cancelled a concert scheduled for Tel Aviv on June 5 after criticism by anti-Israel activists urging continued boycott of the country. Israeli promoter Eran Arielli of Naranjah said they forgive her.

The "BDS" movement, which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions, organises social media campaigns to discourage artistes from performing in Israel.

It has seen some success as musicians Elvis Costello, Thurston Moore and Lauryn Hill cancelled appearances in Israel, but also pronounced rebuttals by the likes of Radiohead band and musician Nick Cave.

Lorde's announcement on social media read: "Hey guys, so about this Israel show - I've received an overwhelming number of messages and 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."

"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."

Tel Aviv has been a "dream of mine to visit this beautiful part of the world for many years, and I'm truly sorry to reverse my commitment to come play for you. I hope one day we can all dance", she added.

The concert at Tel Aviv's 15,000-seat Convention Centre had seen swift ticket sales after only a few days of availability.

In a statement to variety.com, Arielli said: "We forgive her."

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev wrote: "Lorde, I'm hoping you can be a 'pure heroine', like the title of your first album, be a heroine of pure culture, free from any foreign - and ridiculous - political considerations."

--IANS

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