Lorde has canceled a previously scheduled show in Israel after receiving an "overwhelming number of messages and letters." Prior to the cancellation, activists against the Israeli occupation of Palestine had urged Lorde to call off the June 2018 date in Tel Aviv.
"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," Lorde said Sunday, according to the Jerusalem Post's Amy Spiro. "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."
Lorde had been urged to call off the show, originally slated for June 5 at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre, by the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement and others. In a piece for New Zealand-based publication Spinoff, Nadia Abu-Shanab and Justine Sachs asked Lorde to consider the fact that Israel had "militarily occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza strip" since 1967.
"Today, millions of people stand opposed to the Israeli government's policies of oppression, ethnic cleansing, human rights violations, occupation and apartheid," they said. "As part of this struggle, we believe that an economic, intellectual and artistic boycott is an effective way of speaking out against these crimes."
Artists who have previously canceled Israel shows for similar reasons include Lauryn Hill, Gorillaz, Elvis Costello, and more.
