Singer Lana Del Rey Postpones Performance in Israel after Backlash

Pop singer Lana Del Ray has recently postponed a scheduled performance at a local music festival in northern Israel over online criticisms from Palestinian rights activists as well as backlash from her own fans. On September 1, Del Ray said that she would plan to visit her fans in both Israel and Palestine sometime in the future.

Initially scheduled to sing at the Meteor Festival in the Israeli community of Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan in the country’s Upper Galilee region, Del Ray defended her gig back in August and said that she hoped her presence and performance at the event would bring out a “loving energy with a thematic emphasis on peace.” Palestinian rights and pro-BDS groups such as the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel or PACBI pressured Del Ray to cancel her show.

This is not the first time the pop star had issues with performing in the Jewish majority state. four years ago in 2018, Del Ray had to cancel her performance in the country due to Operation Protective Edge, a short but violent conflict between the heavily armed Israeli Defense Forces and the missile-ready Hamas militants ruling in Gaza. Del Ray is not the only musical artist who faced criticism from pro-BDS activists as artists such as Lorde and Radiohead also encounter similar issues.