Israel’s ambassador to New Zealand has requested to meet with Lorde, just days after she canceled her 2018 concert in Tel Aviv.
"It is regrettable that you have cancelled your concert in Tel Aviv and have disappointed all your fans in Israel," Dr. Itzkah Gerberg wrote in an open letter on Facebook. "Music is a wonderful language of tolerance and friendship, which brings people together. Your concert in Israel could have spread the message that solutions come from constructive engagement that leads to compromise and cooperation. Music should unite not divide and your performance in Israel could have contributed to the spirit of hope and peace in the Middle East," he continued.
"Boycott and hate on the other hand, represents hostility and intolerance and I was sorry to see that you have succumbed to the supporters of a small fanatic group of BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement that denies the right of the State of Israel to exist and spreads hatred and animosity."
Gerberg ended the note by inviting the 21-year-old singer to meet him in person, so he could school her on Israel’s "achievements and its role as the only democracy in the Middle East."
According to Jerusalem Post reporter Amy Spiro, Lorde said she decided to call off the Tel Aviv show after receiving "an overwhelming number of messages and letters" urging her to cancel. New Zealand online publication The Spinoff published a letter to Lorde, explaining why many people—including musicians—are boycotting Israel until its government ends its occupation of Palestinian territories. The authors of the letter argued the performance, originally scheduled for June 5, "sends the wrong message."
"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 reportedly wrote. "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."
