Image by Getty

By Sam Kestenbaum July 14, 2016

Critics of Israel have claimed credit for the cancellation of a planned Tel Aviv concert by ‘Happy’ singer Pharrell Williams — but others blamed anemic ticket sales.

The left-leaning Jewish Voice for Peace, which supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel applauded the Grammy-winner’s decision to cancel the gig set for next week.

JVP also suggested that the move may have come after “calls for solidarity w/ Palestine.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

THANK YOU @Pharrell for cancelling Tel Aviv show after calls for solidarity w/ Palestine. Is @SantanaCarlos next? pic.twitter.com/HWRW7N16jp

— JewishVoiceForPeace (@jvplive) July 13, 2016

Williams’ representatives said the cancellation of the July 21 gig was due to unanticipated scheduling problems, Haaretz reported, while industry sources blamed slow ticket sales.

Williams has come under fire from pro-Palestine solidarity activists before. In 2014, South African BDS-backers protested at a concert, objecting to the singer’s partnership with major South African retail group Woolworths which imports from Israel.

Last year, amidst rumors a tour was in the works, other BDS campaigners urged Williams not to go to Israel.

Then, the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel wrotethat by performing in Tel Aviv, Williams would show himself “indifferent to the suffering of Palestinian children.”

The cancellation comes as Carlos Santana is also being urged by activists to not “entertain apartheid” by performing at Israeli venues.

Email Sam Kestenbaum at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter, @skestenbaum

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount