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Pro-Israel Activists Call Out Lorde for Keeping Russian Tour Dates While Boycotting Jewish State
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Lorde. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Israel supporters are slamming New Zealand-born singer Lorde for keeping her scheduled concerts in Russia but cancelling a upcoming June show in Tel Aviv after she faced pressure from boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement activists.
The Zionist Federation of New Zealand (ZFNZ) said in a statement that Lorde not calling off her two May concerts in Russia — part of her “Melodrama” world tour — “reeks of bigotry and prejudice against the Jewish state.”
ZFNZ added it expected the “Green Light” singer to cancel her shows in Russia due to the country’s checkered human rights record.
“If Lorde is cancelling her Tel Aviv concert due to political reason, then we assume she soon be announcing the cancellation of her Russian concerts due to Russia’s occupation of The Crimea, it’s support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and other human rights abuses,” the statement said.
Lorde announced on Sunday her decision to nix her scheduled June 5 show in Tel Aviv.
ZFNZ President Rob Berg explained that Lorde could have used the appearance in Israel as a way to build bridges in the region, “rather than deciding to cancel the concert and isolate Israel or try to isolate Israel even more.” He also blasted Lorde for displaying a double standards by singling out Israel.
“You can’t state really that you are being political in one area and then in another area turn a complete blind eye,” he said. “What we see going on in Russia far outweighs anything that Israel could ever be accused of.”
As previously reported by The Algemeiner, Lorde’s decision to not perform in Israel caused widespread disappointment among Jews around the world.
The singer publicized her decision a few days after New Zealand voted at the United Nations against the Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
