With a large amount of Irish artists, including the likes of Damien Dempsey and Andy Irvine, boycotting Israel in recent times in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, Dervish have felt the heat over their proposed plans to perform in the country. The result, today, is that they have pulled out of the tour.
The group, led by Cathy Jordan, took to the web to express the fact that the proposed shows came from a place of promoting love between two divided communities, but Jordan admits that she "wasn't quite prepared for the extent of the venom that was directed at us." Read the full statement here.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign has claimed responsibility for forcing the band to cancel their three-day tour.
The issue of musicians heading to the Holy Land has been a contentious one in recent times. Two years ago, John Lydon slammed critics over their protestations that The Sex Pistols should not play Israel and stated that he would not be bullied into axing the show. ""I really resent the presumption that I'm going there to play to right-wing Nazi jews," he said at the time. "If Elvis-f**king-Costello wants to pull out of a gig in Israel because he's suddenly got this compassion for Palestinians, then good on him.
"But I have absolutely one rule, right? Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won't understand how anyone can have a problem with how they're treated."
Returning to the recent Dervish news, FullSet, who were due to support the band, have come out with their own statement.
"With a heavy heart FullSet would like to announce that we are cancelling our June tour in Israel which was originally billed as Dervish & ourselves.
In the past few days both groups have been publicly berated and attacked for breaking a cultural boycott on Israel that neither group was aware of when accepting the tour.
Avshalom Farjun, a respected Israeli musician who organized the tour, did so... without any politcal motives or agenda. He is a kind and honourable person who has acted with gratiousness and understanding throughout this situation.
We are musicians. We love music. We do not discriminate against any person nor push our individual political ideas onto anyone. We were going to Israel to play for human beings, regardless of their beliefs, political views, religion or ethnic background.
The anger behind comments and insults thrown back and forth between people on our page and on Dervish’s in the past few days is saddening to read."