Lorde Cancels Israel Concert to Protest Country’s Human Rights Record

After activists called for her to join a boycott over Israel’s human rights record, Lorde has announced the cancellation of her concert in Tel Aviv.

In a statement released to The Jerusalem Post, the 21-year-old Royals singer announced the cancellation of her Tel Aviv show, less than a week after she had announced she’d be coming to Israel.

“Hey guys, so about this Israel show — I’ve received an overwhelming number of messages and 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 said in the statement. “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. 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.”

The news of the cancellation comes after two women wrote a letter to the two-time Grammy winner on the website The Spinoff urging her to reconsider her decision to play in the country, which is riddled with “policies of oppression” and “apartheid.”

“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,” Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab wrote in the open letter. “Such an effect cannot be undone by even the best intention and the best music.”

Lorde’s announcement was immediately met with support from fans, and The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel thanked the singer in a statement on Twitter.

Others, however, weren’t as happy with the decision. Culture Minister Miri Regev issued a statement asking the 21-year-old to reconsider her decision, stating “Lorde, I’m hoping you can be a ‘pure heroine,’ like the title of your first album. To be a heroine of pure culture, free from any foreign – and ridiculous – political considerations.”