- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

'Break the Ice' in Israel: Gov't Delays Election So Britney Can 'Oops Again'

© AP Photo / Rich FuryBritney Spears attends the Clive Davis and The Recording Academy Pre-Grammy Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, February 11, 2017, in Beverly Hills, California.
Britney Spears attends the Clive Davis and The Recording Academy Pre-Grammy Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, February 11, 2017, in Beverly Hills, California. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The "Oops!... I Did It Again" star and American pop icon Britney Spears has such a huge following in Israel, that the country's election had to be postponed just because it fell on the same day as the blonde bombshell's Tel Aviv gig, the Jerusalem Online reports.

"The election date was delayed by one day due to the fact that there is a major event at Yarkon Park on 3 July, 2017," the Israeli Labor Party said in a statement, as reported by the Jerusalem Online.

In fact, the US singer's name was never formally mentioned as the reason for why election date had to be changed, but the star is scheduled to perform at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv on July 3, the same date the elections have scheduled for.

Government officials have said that the reason for changing the date of the election is that the event would cause disruption to party members trying to gain access to the polling stations at the city's Convention Center, which is located close to Yarkon Park.

A source at the Labor party reportedly told Haaretz, that the party had difficulties hiring stewards and security guards as they were already employed to work at Britney's concert.

This will be the first time Britney Spears will perform in Israel, however the country has had their fair share of big-name artists from the US and the UK, who eventually backed out for political reasons.

In 2010, UK musician Elvis Costello canceled two gigs in protest of Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

"It is a matter of instinct and conscience… I cannot imagine receiving another invitation to perform in Israel, which is a matter of regret, but I can imagine a better time when I would not be writing this. With the hope for peace and understanding. Elvis Costello," the rock legend proclaimed.

In 2015 US R&B star Lauryn Hill pulled out of a concert as well — just three days before she was due to perform, a major social backlash by activists, urging the songstress to walk away as a sign of protest over Israel's occupation of the Palestinian land, had forced the singer to cancel her show.

"I've wanted very much to bring our live performance to this part of the world, but also to be a presence supporting justice and peace. It is very important to me that my presence or message not be misconstrued, or a source of alienation to either my Israeli or my Palestinian fans," she wrote on her Facebook post.

Political sentiments however, didn't stop UK rock legends Queen from performing at the same venue in Yarkon Park in 2016 in a concert which turned out to be a huge success.

Before Britney take to the same stage to give Israel the performance of a lifetime, a number of no-less popular acts are also scheduled to play at the venue, including Justin Bieber and Aerosmith in May and Guns N' Roses in July.

Thus far no cancellations have been made for Britney's concert or any of the above gigs, however it remains to be seen whether they will go ahead, as in Lauryn Hill's case, last minute decisions were made due to a mass backlash which could potentially damage a star's reputation.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала