Musicians Who Refuse to Perform in Israel

Since Hamas' shock attack on Israel last month, many celebrities have been sharing their thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While some famous faces have supported Israel and others have spoken out for Palestinians in Gaza, the complex history of the region means that celebrities visiting Israel has long been a contentious issue, particularly for musicians who are choosing where to perform.

On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel by land, air and sea, killing at least 1,200 Israelis and taking 240 people hostage, according to figures quoted by the Associated Press. Israel subsequently launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. As of November 17, more than 11,400 people have been killed in Gaza, the AP reported, while fighting has forced more than 1.5 million of Gaza's 2.3 million population to relocate, according to the Red Cross.

Although the most recent conflict returned the ongoing tension between Israel and Palestinians to the headlines, pro-Palestinian celebrities have long boycotted the country, while pressure from activists has encouraged other musicians to cancel scheduled concerts for Israeli fans.

But does performing in Israel impact the careers of artists or bands?

"As celebrities want to be popular, they tend to avoid divisive causes," John Street, emerituus professor of politics at the University of East Anglia in the U.K., told Newsweek.

"There are exceptions of course, [but] these misgivings are compounded by movements who help to brand countries as 'unacceptable'—the labelling of Israel as an 'apartheid state.'"

From Coldplay to Beyoncé, here's a list of stars who won't perform in Israel.

Taylor Swift

Since its launch in March 2023, Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras tour has covered 151 destinations across five continents. The 33-year-old pop star has continued to add dates and locations to the list, but these don't include Israel.

The singer has never held a concert in the country. However, she did add Sunday dates to the tour roster, allowing Jewish fans to attend her gigs while still observing Shabbat on Saturdays.

Roger Waters

In March, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters asked fellow musicians not to perform gigs in Israel. The 80-year-old is a member of the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), which urges artists not to tour the country unless it changes its stance on the Palestinians.

"Supporters of the BDS movement such as Roger Waters and Brian Eno argue that performing in Israel legitimizes the Israeli government, promotes its cultural 'hasbara' (propaganda) and contributes to whitewashing or 'art-washing' of the Palestinian occupation," Elaine Kelly, personal chair of music and politics at Edinburgh University in the U.K., told Newsweek.

"Performing in Israel alienates fans who support the BDS movement and believe that a cultural boycott is an effective means of advocating for Palestinian human rights," she said.

Talking to German news website Der Spiegel in March 2023, Waters said: "I am not an antisemite," adding "The mandate and task of BDS is first and foremost to empower the Palestinian people."

Unsurprisingly, Waters has no intention of performing in Israel himself, telling Der Spiegel "it's not going to happen."

"The cause of my oppressed brothers and sisters in Palestine is more important to me than the needs of Israeli fans of my music in Israel," he said. "I will be there in a heartbeat when human rights apply to all in Israel and the occupied territories."

Beyoncé

In 2015, Beyoncé canceled two concerts in Israel. According to a statement from Israeli production company the Bluestone Group, the singer opted to finish her tour as planned, with the Israel dates an extension to the original schedule.

"In the announcement we received from the singer's representatives, they decided not to extend the tour and finish according to schedule," a spokesperson for Bluestone said. "The singer will not reach the region, including Israel."

At the time, the 42-year-old was under pressure from civil rights groups, including the BDS movement, to abandon her Israel tour dates. However, Kelly explained that Israel's location can cause genuine logistical issues for performers.

"Artists who play there will not generally be performing other concerts in the region at the same time, but will often add an Israeli date on to a European tour instead," she said. "This is expensive—equipment and people can't be transported by road and must be flown in and out.

"[Nevertheless], when logistical problems are cited as reasons for cancelling concerts that have already been scheduled, it is often political logistics that are at play."

Lorde

In 2017, a full-page advert was taken out to slam singer Lorde after she canceled a concert in Tel Aviv. Paid for by The World Values Network, an organization that promotes "change through initiatives that teach and explore traditional Jewish values," the ad labeled the singer-songwriter a "bigot."

The group also highlighted Lorde's decision to abandon the Israel gigs, but to still perform in Russia, despite President Vladimir Putin expressing support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.

The 27-year-old reportedly called off the gigs after speaking to two BDS activists on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.

"Playing in Tel Aviv will be seen as giving support to the policies of the Israeli government, even if you make no comment on the political situation," one of the activists told her.

In response, Lorde wrote: "Noted! Been speaking [with] many people about this and considering all options. Thank [you] for educating me I am learning all the time too."

Street said it's common for celebrities to follow "'political fashion" and support movements gaining traction amongst their fanbase.

"Celebrities are prone to jump on popular causes," he said. "For example, support for the ceasefire or support Palestine movement would seem to rule out performing in Israel."

Lana Del Rey

In 2018, Lana Del Rey delayed a planned appearance at Israel's Meteor festival indefinitely because of uproar from fans.

The 38-year-old originally defended her decision to play the gig, saying that "performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to the politics there."

"I'm doing the best I can and my intentions are better than most," the singer said in a statement.

However, after choosing to forego the concert, Del Rey said on Twitter: "It's important to me to perform in both Palestine and Israel and treat all my fans equally."

She said she hoped to perform for both Israeli and Palestinian fans someday.

The cancellation was the second time Del Rey had called off a gig in Israel, with the "Summertime Sadness" star previously canceling a show because of the 2014 Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"There were obviously massive infrastructural challenges to performing in the occupied Palestinian territories even before the current war," Kelly said. "However, the BDS rejects the idea that an artist or band can offer political balance to a performance in Israel by playing in the occupied Palestinian territories too. This does not support the boycott and serves only to normalize the status quo."

Elvis Costello

In 2010, Elvis Costello scrapped two concerts in Israel as a pro-Palestinian protest, with the English singer-songwriter's "conscience" leading him to call off the gigs.

"I must believe that the audience for the coming concerts would have contained many people who question the policies of their government on settlement and deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation or much worse on Palestinian civilians in the name of national security," a statement on Costello's website read.

"I am also keenly aware of the sensitivity of these themes in the wake of so many despicable acts of violence perpetrated in the name of liberation," it said. "I cannot imagine receiving another invitation to perform in Israel, which is a matter of regret, but I can imagine a better time when I would not be writing this."

Lauryn Hill

After pressure from activists, Fugees' star Lauryn Hill called off a 2015 gig in Israel, just three days before she was due to perform. The singer said she'd also attempted to organize a concert in the Palestinian territories, but that the logistics made the plans impossible.

"I've wanted very much to bring our live performance to this part of the world, but also to be a presence supporting justice and peace," a statement on Hill's website said. "It is very important to me that my presence or message not be misconstrued, or a source of alienation to either my Israeli or my Palestinian fans."

Coldplay

In 2017, Coldplay denied claims that they were planning to perform in the country, after rumors began circulating that singer Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland were visiting Israel and the West Bank to look at tour venues.

Martin refuted the claims on Twitter, telling fans: "We are in Israel and Palestine to listen and learn that's all.

"There is no concert scheduled, we are just having an interesting and enlightening trip to learn about the area."

Update 11/24/23, 11:53 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from experts Elaine Kelly and John Street.