Pod Save America Hosts Call on Democrats to Cut All Israel Military Aid, No Longer Accept AIPAC Funding
Jews, Israelis Targeted in Austria Amid Surge in Antisemitic Incidents; Local Jewish Community Calls for Action
‘All of Our Strength’: Over 1,000 Pro-Israel Activists Gather in DC for Solidarity Conference
‘Devastated’: Wesley LePatner, Killed in Manhattan Mass Shooting, Was a Jewish Communal, Philanthropic Leader
Sen. Angus King Vows to No Longer Vote for Israel Military Aid Until Gaza Conditions Improve
Europe Won’t Pressure Israel to ‘Commit Suicide’ Amid Gaza Backlash, Palestinian State Push, Says Israeli FM
Israel’s National Soccer Coach Attacked in Athens Before Soccer Fans Chant ‘F–K Israel, Free Palestine’ at Match
New York Judge Sentences Neo-Nazi to 5 Years for Livestreaming Bomb Threats Against Jewish Hospitals
US Pressures Lebanon to Issue Cabinet Decision to Disarm Hezbollah Before Talks Continue
UK Plans to Recognize Palestinian State in September Unless Israel Meets Conditions, Starmer Says
Lionel Richie Blocks CodePink After Attacked for Upcoming Israel Concert
Error: Contact form not found.
by JNS.org
Lionel Richie live at the O2 World, Berlin on Feb. 17, 2015 during his “All The Hits All Night Long” 2015 European Tour. Photo: Flickr.
JNS.org – Music icon Lionel Richie snubbed the women’s anti-war group Code Pink after the organization, which is active in the anti-Israel boycott campaign, launched a petition urging the singer to cancel his upcoming show in Israel.
CodePink: Women for Peace penned an open letter claiming that Richie’s scheduled Sept. 12 concert in Tel Aviv, as part of his “Hello” tour, “will act as an endorsement of Israel’s brutal systems of military occupation and apartheid,” and asked the artist, “Please act now for freedom, dignity, and equality for all in Israel/Palestine. Please cancel your concert in Israel.”
Richie blocked CodePink’s Twitter account on Wednesday.
Not long afterwards, CodePink’s national co-director, Ariel Gold, attacked the singer, saying, “don’t be such a snowflake. You closing your eyes to what is happening to Palestinians won’t stop it from happening or you from being complicit if you perform in Israel.”
His September show will be Richie’s first performance in Israel. The “Hello” singer and songwriter has been a longtime supporter of Israel and in 2013 he entertained guests at a fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Friends of the IDF, according to The Jerusalem Post.
This is not the first time that CodePink has launched a campaign aimed at convincing artists to cancel their concerts in Israel. The group attempted to do the same with pop icon Jennifer Lopez, but to no avail; she performed on Thursday night in Tel Aviv to extremely supportive crowds.
