The Israeli kibbutz, where I was born, has prospered on Palestinian fields confiscated by the State of Israel from neighbouring Palestinian villages, raised to the ground in the aftermath of the 1948 Israel's "war of Independence". About 500 such villages were completely demolished by the Israeli state and the property, land, assets, businesses and bank accounts of the expelled Palestinians were officially expropriated by State of Israel.

The Jewish News (London) quotes you as saying that "I have heard so many great things about Tel Aviv and Israel".

In a recent media interview McCartney confessed, "I was approached by different groups and political bodies who asked me not to come here. I refused. I do what I think, and I have many friends who support Israel." Public opinion in the UK, however, does not support Israel's occupation and violation of international law. Media reports revealed, furthermore, that many in Liverpool itself are apprehensive towards McCartney's gig in Israel.

Media reports have made it abundantly clear that the July 20 Israeli-British announcement of the establishment of the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) is politically motivated. The project, described by the Independent as “a major new academic exchange programme, which will help to undermine attempts to boycott Israeli universities,” is meant specifically to undercut UK, Palestinian, and international academics' calls for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.

Your visit to Israel would not only violate the Palestinian civil society’s Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it fulfills its obligations under international law [1], it would also contribute to Israel’s relentless efforts at whitewashing its increasingly tarnished image as a persistent violator of international law and basic human rights.

BDSmovement.net will bring together news, campaign materials and resources from Palestinian and global activists in a single site to support, coordinate, and provide information, updates and analysis about the international BDS movement. The website draws on the full range of actions and initiatives, to bring together Palestinian and international actors striving to strengthen the movement.

In a statement, the BNC said:

“We are appalled by the EU's blatant refusal to hold Israel to account for its persistent violations of human rights and international law … The EU is well aware of Israel's ongoing illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the massive colonization of the latter; after all, the EU member-states have regularly voted for UN resolutions condemning Israel's human rights violations, collective punishment and construction of settlements and the Wall.”

The BNC is calling on the EU to reverse the decision taken by the EU Association Cou

How can an artist whose name is prominently associated with this form of popular and freedom-based musical expression, rap, be apathetic to the monstrosity of Israel ’s current war crimes in Gaza, its Apartheid Wall, declared illegal by the International Court of Justice at the Hague, or its continued violation of fundamental Palestinian rights?