Jenifer Lopez faces Twitter backlash over plans to perform in Israel
Tome Wyke for Mailonline
Daily Mail.com
Jennifer Lopez is facing a social media backlash from pro-Palestine supporters over her rumoured plans to perform in Israel for the first time in the summer.
Writing under the hashtag #CancelTelAviv, activists have been questioning her motives for wanting to gig in Tel Aviv, accusing her of ‘entertaining children’s killers’.
Some of the tweets were accompanied by graphic photos purportedly showing injured children in Gaza, with the caption questioning the American singer’s unconfirmed decision.
Israeli media first started reporting last week that Ms Lopez was looking to perform in Tel Aviv next summer.
Ynet News claimed that the pop singer, who has also starred in multiple films, had ‘sealed the deal’ to perform in Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv’s largest park.
The news has stirred up fresh anger from pro-Palestinian activists and supporters of the boycott movement against Israel.
‘Say NO TO APARTHEID’, one tweet user posted on social media, addressing the message directly to Ms Lopez’s official twitter account.
Another user in support of the event’s cancellation posted two contrasting images; one of a man carrying a child with bleeding facial injury and another image of J-Lo performing in a red dress.
The caption of the tweet asked the singer: ‘Will you wear Blood Red for your Israeli Concert?’
The news has stirred up fresh anguish from pro-Palestinian activists and supporters of the boycott movement against Israel
Israeli media first started reporting last week that Ms Lopez was looking to perform in Tel Aviv next summer
Some of the tweets were accompanied by graphic photos purportedly showing injured children in Gaza, with the caption questioning the American singer’s unconfirmed decision
Many of the tweets focus on the plight of Palestinians living in Gaza as well as using lyrics of her songs to voice their anger.
Other activists called on J-Lo to follow in the footsteps of the former frontman of Pink Floyd Roger Waters, who refuses to visit or perform in Israel.
In 2013 Waters was forced to explain why he used a pig-shaped balloon decorated with a Star of David on the set of one of his concerts, seen by many as an act of antisemitism.
The singer, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, rebuffed his critics at the time, claiming it was one of many religious symbols on the stage.
Waters also later sparked outrage after comparing Israel’s government to the Nazi regime.
Other activists called on J-Lo to follow in the footsteps of the former frontman of Pink Floyd Roger Waters, who refuses to visit or perform in Israel
Writing under the hashtag #CancelTelAviv, activists have been questioning her motives for wanting to gig in Tel Aviv
In 2013, former frontman of Pink Floyd Roger Waters was forced to explain why he used a pig-shaped balloon decorated with a Star of David on the set of one of his concerts, seen by many as an act of anti-antisemitism.
The rumour of Jennifer Lopez’s possible gig in Tel Aviv next summer has sparked a backlash from many pro-Palestinian supporters. The gig has not been confirmed
Many of the tweets focus on the plight of Palestinians living in Gaza as well as using lyrics of her songs to voice their anger
Some supporters of Israel have also tweeted in reaction to the hashtag #CancelTelAviv.
One user, known only as Gid for Yids, wrote: ‘Israel is the only democracy in the middle east’ and that it ‘will allow you to dress and sing as you like.’
Similarly, Israeli advocacy group StandWithUs urged users not to ‘promote incitement and hate against the Jewish state.’ The group warned against the dangers of false information.
‘In one example I saw, an activist was spamming Jennifer Lopez with pictures from conflicts in Africa, while claiming the horrific pictures were from Gaza,’ Emily Schrader, the social media director for StandWithUs claimed to The Jerusalem Post.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk