Lana Del Rey. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Fifty-four entertainment industry executives applauded musician Lana Del Rey on Thursday for refusing to cancel her upcoming concert in Israel, despite pressure to do so by supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.

In an open letter — issued by Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), an entertainment industry advocacy group — the executives said they “commend Lana for her principled stand in the face of calls to cancel her performance” at the Meteor Festival, which is scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv, starting Sept. 6.

The letter quoted Del Rey telling those pressuring her to cancel her performance that “music is universal and should be used to bring us together,” and the group of executives said, “We could not agree more.”

They added, “As professionals in the entertainment industry, we know that music and the arts in general can transcend differences in race, religion, or politics and connect us on a deeper human level. Art can reflect and explore those forces that divide us, but it should never become subservient to them. And frankly, the more than 30,000 people who have signed our anti-boycott petition agree…Those of us who care about peace must not allow the boycott movement to succeed in using art as a weapon to keep people apart instead of using it as a tool to bring them together. We believe in building bridges, not boycotts.”

The executives concluded their letter by saying that many of the claims boycott activists made against Israel were “inflammatory,” “filled with misinformation,” and “completely devoid of fact.”

They noted, “We are confident that Lana Del Rey and the other artists scheduled to appear at the Meteor Festival…will have a fantastic time connecting with the diverse audiences at their shows.”