Palestinians, fans, call on Christina Aguilera to cancel apartheid Israel show
Xtina’s scheduled August 10 concert will artwash apartheid and grave human rights violations
Calls are growing for Christina Aguilera to cancel her scheduled August 10 show in apartheid Israel.
At her NYC Pride headline concert last month, fans and activists came together to urge Xtina to refuse to cross the Palestinian picket line: #XtinaDontGo!
Thousands of fans have now signed Adalah Justice Project’s petition calling on the star to “send a powerful message that the status quo is unsustainable.”
You can join them in asking Xtina to “shine a spotlight on the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people” – sign and share the petition now.
The promoter of Aguilera’s Israeli concert has said that their work actively tries to reduce the impact of artists taking a stand for Palestinian human rights. The Live Nation Israel co-founder says of those advocating to hold apartheid Israel accountable: “Our war against them is daily.”
The new Israeli government is the most far-right, sexist, homo- and transphobic, fundamentalist and bigoted ever. Just as the apartheid regime in South Africa before it did, the Israeli government desperately needs artists to lend it legitimacy at a time when mainstream outrage is reaching new heights, as many Israeli artists have recognized.
When Radiohead crossed the Palestinian picket line, Israeli embassies and ministers celebrated, as well as Israel lobby groups like the so-called “Creative Community for Peace”.
By contrast, thousands of artists have taken inspiring stands for Palestinian rights, including hundreds of Latin American artists, Black American artists, queer filmmakers, Hollywood A-listers, and many others.
Artists to have canceled Israeli concerts or events after appeals include Sam Smith, Bjork, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Shakira, Pharrell, and many others. Lorde thanked her fans for “educating” her.
Demi Lovato apologized to fans after taking a paid visit to apartheid Israel. F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, Dua Lipa and John Legend are just three others to raise their voices in support of Palestinians.
FKA Twigs and Arca are among more than 1,500 #MusiciansForPalestine, refusing to perform at Israeli venues that are complicit in apartheid and occupation: “silence is not an option.”
The venue where Christina Aguilera is due to play, Live Park at Rishon LeZion, is in a neighborhood built partly over the ruins of the ethnically cleansed Palestinian villages of al-Safiriyya, Sarafand al-'Amar and Bayt Dajan.
Palestinians, including women’s unions, feminist associations and queer groups, are calling on international artists to refuse to cross our peaceful picket line and not to undermine our struggle for our UN-stipulated rights.
We urge Xtina to cancel her apartheid Israel concert, refuse to artwash Israel’s oppression, and do no harm to our movement for freedom, justice and equality.
