Elton John Performs in Israel After Many Artists Cancel
Elton John performed a concert in Israel, following the politically motivated cancellations of shows by other artists.
John arrived in Israel on Thursday, the day of his concert at Ramat Gan Stadium. He was scheduled to leave shortly after the show, a ploy to avoid having to make public statements about his appearance in Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.
About 50,000 fans attended the concert. It was his third career appearance in Israel.
John’s appearance comes on the heels of cancellations by well-known artists such as British rocker Elvis Costello, Carlos Santana and Gil Scott-Heron, reportedly after pressure by pro- Palestinian groups. Following the May 31 interception by Israel of a Gaza-bound flotilla that left 9 passengers dead, other artists cancelled including The Pixies, Klaxons, Gorillaz, and, this week, Dvendra Barnhart.
“I have always believed that music inhabits a world set apart from politics, religious differences or prejudice of any kind,” John said on his website, defending his decision to appear in Israel.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30