'Shameful': Australian Jewish leader condemns Lorde for cancelling her Tel Aviv show after backlash from fans who accused her of supporting the Israeli government
Australian Jewish leaders have slammed Lorde for cancelling Tel Aviv concert
Anti-Defamation Commission are disappointed Lorde succumbed to pressure
Chairman Dvir Abramovich said she should have courageously rejected boycott
New Zealander had been inundated with messages asking her to boycott Israel
When fans wrote her a letter, she responded saying she is 'considering options'
Fan letter compared Israel to apartheid South Africa and accused it of 'brutality'
On Sunday concert organisers confirmed the star had cancelled her June show
Singer in a statment admited she 'didn't make the right call' in booking the show
By Nic White For Daily Mail Australia
Australian Jewish leaders have slammed Kiwi pop singer Lorde for cancelling her concert in Israel after pressure from fans.
The 21-year-old said she was inundated with messages on social media calling on her to abandon the gig in Tel Aviv in June next year.
The Royals chart-topper said fans had 'educated' her on the political situation between Israel and Palestine.
Australian Jewish leaders have slammed Kiwi pop singer Lorde (pictured) for cancelling her concert in Israel after pressure from fans
The 21-year-old (pictured) said she was inundated with messages on social media calling on her to abandon the gig in Tel Aviv in June next year
'I've received an overwhelming number of messages & letters and have had a lot of discussions with people holding many views, and I think the right decision at this time is to cancel the show,' she wrote on social media.
'I pride myself on being an informed young citizen, and I had done a lot of reading and sought a lot of opinions before deciding to book a show in Tel Aviv, but I'm not too proud to admit I didn't make the right call on this one.'
Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, said Jews were disappointed Lorde had succumbed to pressure demanding she boycott Israel.
Lorde cancels Tel Aviv show after backlash from fans who... Lorde 'considers' cancelling Tel Aviv show after fierce...
He said the singer should have 'courageously rejected' calls by the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and anti-Israel activists.
'Lorde has succumbed to a relentless campaign that uses malicious double standards to isolate and malign Israel,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
Dr Abramovich said demands she cancel the show were part efforts to 'single out Israelis for discrimination and to smear and delegitimize the Jewish state'.
Dvir Abramovich (pictured), chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, said Jews were disappointed Lorde had succumbed to pressure demanding she boycott Israel
When two women wrote an open letter to her requesting she not endorse the 'apartheid state' which treats occupied Palestine with 'brutality', Lorde responded on Twitter indicating she was weighing her options (left). Right: Palestinians demonstrate in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, over US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital
'Lorde's only "crime" was that she wanted to share her singing prowess with the people of Israel— Jews, Muslims and Christians — in the only democracy in the Mid-east where artistic expression is thriving,' he said.
'Now, shamefully, that will not happen because she has given in to an extreme and biased movement whose hostility against Israel and its citizens is tainted by strong anti-Semitic undertones.
Dr Abramovich said Lorde's decision would undermine efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians together and to advance peaceful dialogue.
'The only way to move towards a two state solution is through cooperation, not cultural and economic vandalism that ultimately seeks to destroy the Jewish state,' he said.
'We urge Lorde to reverse her decision, and to stand up to pure hatred by using her talents to promote peace and tolerance in the Middle East.'
Daily Mail Australia contacted Lorde for comment.
Educated: The young star had been bombarded with messages asking her to reconsider
Lorde has apologised to her Israeli fans, saying she hoped one day to be able to visit the country and perform her music.
'Tel Aviv, it's been a dream of mine to visit this beautiful part of the world for many years, and i'm truly sorry to reverse my commitment to come play for you. i hope one day we can all dance,' she wrote.
Lorde had taken to social media on Friday to thank fans for 'educating' her about the political situation in the Middle East.
The young star wrote: 'Noted! Been speaking w(ith) many people about this and considering all options. Thank u for educating me i am learning all the time too'.
Her tweet was in response to an open letter by two fans requesting she not endorse the 'apartheid state' that treats occupied Palestine with 'brutality'.
In the letter, Nadia Abu-Shanab and Justine Sachs stressed the need to isolate Israel, which they compared to apartheid South Africa.
Putting forward their identities as a reason to heed their opinions, the Kiwi activists - one of whom is Jewish, the other of whom has Palestinian heritage - wrote to The Spinoff: 'Today, millions of people stand opposed to the Israeli government's policies of oppression, ethnic cleansing, human rights violations, occupation and apartheid.
'As part of this struggle, we believe that an economic, intellectual and artistic boycott is an effective way of speaking out against these crimes. This worked very effectively against apartheid in South Africa, and we hope it can work again.'
In the letter, Nadia Abu-Shanab and Justine Sachs stressed the need to isolate Israel, which they compared to apartheid South Africa. Pictured: The recipient, Lorde
They add later: 'We've watched as you've used your platform to draw attention to institutional racism, sexism and white privilege. You've talked about the need to 'stay informed and stay outraged' about the intolerant and discriminatory policies of the Trump administration.
'We only ask you do the same with the Israeli government.'
After announcing on Monday that she would be performing in Tel Aviv as well as St Petersburg and Moscow in Russia, one social media user wrote to Lorde: 'Very disappointed in you!'
One fan wrote: 'Don't play in Tel Aviv while they have the Palestinians under a brutal occupation! Very disappointed in you! Boycott Israel!'
Another wrote: 'Don't play in Tel Aviv while they have the Palestinians under a brutal occupation! Very disappointed in you! Boycott Israel!'
One followed suit with: 'Ah yea let's leave people suffering to just exist out of this while we throw money at the oppressor who's the cause of their suffer.'
However, many offered their support for Lorde, with one sharing: 'This is music, this is art. Boycotting art in Israel will not solve the situation, it will just make it a lot more sad and miserable.'
And another with: 'She's doing this for the fans, please leave politics out of this thank you.'
It comes as 128 members of the United Nations voted to condemn US President Donald Trump's decision on December 6 to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
Palestinians have been clashing with Israeli troops since Trump's Jerusalem announcement, with ten Palestinians being killed and dozens more wounded. Pictured: Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, Palestine
There appeared to be little pressure on the Kiwi star to boycott Russia, however, a country widely condemned for its treatment of non-straight citizens and for its annexation of Ukrainian territory in 2014.
The furore comes as 128 members of the United Nations voted to condemn US President Donald Trump's decision on December 6 to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
That move continues to reverberate in the Middle East and European diplomats are pessimistic about the Trump administration's peace plan which is being prepared behind closed doors and will be presented to both sides in 2018.
Palestinians have been clashing with Israeli troops since Trump's Jerusalem announcement, with ten Palestinians being killed and dozens more wounded.
Lorde on Twitter: "@jonnoxrevanche @precariatqueer Noted! Been speaking w many people about this and considering all options. Thank u for educating me i am learning all the time too ¿¿"
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Australian Jewish leader condemns Lorde's cancellation