BDS Supporters Jubilant as Shakira Announces She will not Perform in Israel
By: Emiliya Strahilova/Arab America Contributing Writer
BDS supporters of a boycott against Israel were jubilant on social media yesterday as it was announced that pop superstar, Shakira, will not sing in Israel this summer. Lebanese over the top hitmaker, Shakira, faced a dilemma; Is it righteous to perform in Israel or not? The news about her show in Tel Aviv on July 9 came out earlier this month but was never confirmed by the singer. Considering the horrific events in Gaza the last few weeks, it’s only natural that pro-Palestinian activists have judged Shakira’s potential decision–urging her to cancel the event.
In a letter addressed to the pop star, an appeal to her is highlighted: “We call on you to join the world-renowned artists who have refused to lend their names to art-washing Israel’s regime of oppression including Lorde, Lauryn Hill, Elvis Costello, Brian Eno, the late Gil Scott-Heron, Faithless, Roger Waters, Bjork, Zakir Hussain, Jean-Luc Godard and Snoop Dogg.” This public statement was issued by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and signed by an impressively long list of cultural organizations.
Meanwhile, the American organization, Jewish Voice for Peace, initiated a campaign called Shakira Choose Freedom which aims to collect 10,000 submissions against Shakira’s concert in Tel Aviv.
Petition! We are close to 10,000 signers! Join us in asking @shakira to choose freedom and #canceltelaviv 🌏 https://t.co/c0ve9GpEkO!
— JewishVoiceForPeace (@jvplive) May 27, 2018
The organizers justify their petition by saying: “Shakira canceling would carry special weight. She truly has global fame–which is so important for us in the United States especially to recognize. If we can reach her, people literally around the world will know about it.”
Is Shakira’s Israel performance a trap?
Shakira is a Grammy winner, a human rights activist, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She has her own charity foundation Pies Descalzos Foundation named after one of her albums. In 2017, her 11th studio album El Dorado was recorded and 2018 is the year of the El Dorado grand world tour.
One of the concert destinations is in Bsharri, Lebanon. It’s the second time the singer will perform in her country of origin. Her first show was back in 2011 when she got emotional and waved the Lebanese flag saying Lebanon is in her heart and thanked everyone in Arabic. The Colombian – Lebanese singer is proud of both sides of her family and this is reflected in her unique style of music. She is clearly influenced by Arab culture–never hiding it. The Arab communities around the world reciprocate her affection and count Shakira as one of their own.
Footage from Shakira’s trip to Lebanon in 2011
Then there is the contradiction about Shakira’s connection to Israel. In the same year, 2011, she was invited to attend Shimon Peres’ presidential conference and she accepted. Back in the day, she ignored Palestinian objections of her visit to Jerusalem but when she showed up she explained: “I’m here for the Israeli kids and the Palestinian kids, and kids in every region of the world, where there is not enough quality education.” Shimon Peres responded willingly to her words: “You do not belong to any camp but to the camp of peace.”
While Israeli media was anticipating Shakira’s first ever show in the country, interpreting it as her personal approval of Israel, the announcement from the tour promoter yesterday stated the Colombian-born singer was never scheduled to play a concert in Tel Aviv but hopes to schedule one in the future.
Shakira was obviously hesitating as the show was never announced officially on the El Dorado tour website. The Tel Aviv date was supposed to be before the Bsharri one and it’s complicated to enter Lebanon after visiting Israel. This, of course, could be arranged somehow because of Shakira’s world known star and Ambassador status, and yet there was a significant possibility that her image could be tarnished after this story. Suddenly yesterday Live Nation, the promoter of the tour, published an ambiguous tweet which labeled the release about the Tel Aviv appearance as false.
The media has incorrectly reported that Shakira will be performing in Tel Aviv this summer. While no dates this summer will work, Shakira and Live Nation hope to bring a show to her fans in Israel in the future.
— Live Nation (@LiveNation) May 28, 2018
The question if Shakira actually skipped a planned Israel show remains because Live Nation clarification came somewhat late. Her choice can be interpreted as standing for BDS along with a growing number of celebrities such as JK Rowling, Roger Waters, Meg Ryan, and others, unless she denies it. Recently the New Zealand artist Lorde canceled her Israeli gig and Natalie Portman refused to attend her own awarding ceremony in Israel.
