Lana Del Rey, who’s known for her melancholic baroque pop music, has pulled out of the Israeli music festival Meteor scheduled for next week in light of fierce backlash over her decision to remain one of the headline performers.
READ MORE: Singer Lorde Gives in to Pressure, Cancels Tel Aviv Show
In her Friday tweet, Lana wrote that she wanted to sing for both Palestinian and Israeli fans, but it was impossible to “line up both visits with such short notice,” therefore she had decided to postpone her performance.
“It’s important to me to perform in both Palestine and Israel and treat all my fans equally,” Lana tweeted a statement.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) 31 августа 2018 г.
Her statement comes as a U-turn to her previous stance when she defended her decision to perform in Israel.
“I believe music is universal and should be used to bring us together. […] I would like to remind you that performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to politics there, just like singing here in California doesn’t mean my views are in alignment w[ith] my current government’s opinions or sometimes inhuman actions,” Lana wrote.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) 19 августа 2018 г.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) 19 августа 2018 г.
I don’t not have a political opinion That’s what I’m stating. But it’s not going to stop me from sharing my political/personal passion for peace wherever I go. Im not a travel agent promoting tourism for each country I go to. I’m sharing my thoughtful genre of music wherever I go
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) 19 августа 2018 г.
Reacting to Lana’s initial statement, the Palestine Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel said: “We doubt that you would have played in apartheid South Africa; likewise, artists refuse to play in apartheid Israel.”
READ MORE: Activist: Israeli Group Lawsuit Over Lorde’s Canceled Concert a ‘Losing Battle’
Following her Friday tweet, the pressure group took to the social media platform to welcome Lana’s decision and encourage other participants of the festival to “respect our nonviolent picket line.”
Thank you @LanaDelRey for your principled decision to withdraw from Israel's Meteor Festival.
— PACBI (@PACBI) 31 августа 2018 г.
Palestinians hope to hear you play when Israel's occupation and apartheid end.
We urge all participating artists in the festival to respect our nonviolent picket line. https://t.co/8T4iMunqhd
Del Rey followed Lorde's suit in deciding not to perform in Israel after she received an open letter from fans who wrote that her concert would “send the wrong message.”
READ MORE: Natalie Portman Sets Twitter Ablaze With Stand Against “Recent Events” in Israel
Radiohead, in turn, went ahead with a performance in Tel Aviv last summer, with band member, Thom Yorke, arguing that “playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing the government… We don’t endorse Netanyahu any more than Trump, but we still play in America.”
