Lana Del Rey defends her decision to perform in Israel: 'Music is universal'
The decision to perform in Israel has been a polarizing point for musicians across the world. In the wake of growing tensions in the country and a recent spate of violence in relation to the US Embassy being relocated to Jerusalem, hundreds of artists have come forward to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) in Israel including the likes of Roger Waters, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Thurston Moore, and Kathleen Hanna. Earlier this May, Wolf Alice and Portishead joined the list with their vocal protest against the political landscape in Israel.
But not all artists seem to share the view. Last year, Nick Cave went through with his gig to “make a principled stand against anyone who wants to censor and silence musicians.” Radiohead, too, resisted calls to cancel their show in Tel Aviv last summer. The latest artist to join the other team on the issue is pop sensation Lana Del Rey, who is billed to play the Meteor Festival in Tel Aviv this week.