BDS victory as South Africa band cancels concert in Israel

Palestinian solidarity groups in South Africa have welcomed the decision by music duo Black Motion not to perform in Israel.

The pair were due to take part in the Meteor Festival from 6-8 September but have “e-mailed the festival’s organisers and stated that they do not want their clients to perform and want to be excluded from the line-up”.

Boycott, Divestment and SanctionsSouth Africa had reached out to the group and met with them to discuss Palestinian and Israeli calls for “artists to boycott Israel and not to perform at the upcoming Meteor Festival”.

READ: Israel court rejects petition to reveal identity of lawyers fighting BDS 

BDS South Africa thanked “them for both their willingness to engage and their decision to not perform in Israel”.

A number of artists have been urged not to take part in the upcoming festival including Lana Del Rey.

The musician has defended her decision to play in Tel Aviv in a statement published on Twitter, saying: “If you don’t agree with it I get it. I see both sides.”

https://twitter.com/LanaDelRey/status/1031269344179761152

“Singing here in California doesn’t mean my views are in alignment w my current governments opinions or sometimes inhuman actions,” she added.

However the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) has renewed calls for Del Rey “to reconsider”. “We doubt you would have played in apartheid South Africa; likewise artists refuse to play in apartheid Israel.”

.@LanaDelRey We urge you to reconsider. We doubt that you would have played in apartheid South Africa; likewise, artists refuse to play in apartheid Israel.

Please respect our nonviolent picket line, and cancel your Meteor performance.https://t.co/PeVLbnsYO3 pic.twitter.com/l4Xcl5CvC9

— PACBI (@PACBI) August 19, 2018