Culture
06 Apr 22

Palestine supporters call on Maroon 5 to cancel Israel performance

Maroon 5.

Maroon 5's debut performance in Israel is scheduled to take place on May 9th, with Palestinian activists and groups such as the BDS movement urging the American pop outfit to cancel the gig.

Palestinians and Palestine supporters have called on Maroon 5 to cancel their performance in apartheid Israel on their Middle East tour.

The gig is scheduled to take place in a garden erected on the ruins of Palestinian village of Al-Jarisha, which was ethnically cleansed in the Nakba of 1948.

The band recently began selling tickets to their first-ever performance in Israel, which is due to take place on 9 May at Park Hayarkon in Tel Aviv.

Palestinians and Palestine supporters have called on American pop band Maroon 5 to cancel their performance in apartheid Israel in a garden erected on the ruins of Palestinian village of Al-Jarisha, which was ethnically cleansed in 1948. pic.twitter.com/3yNaoJ9Q0S

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) April 3, 2022

They are also set to perform in Egypt's capital city Cairo and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Numerous activists have condemned the band for choosing to perform in Israel, a country that has been widely criticised by human rights groups for violations against Palestinians and the creation of an apartheid regime. Amnesty International has stated that Israel treats Palestinians everywhere as “an inferior racial group.”

The non-violent BDS movement has requested a boycott of Israeli goods and further sanctions, including the cancellation of performances in Irael by music acts. The organisation was inspired by the campaign that targeted South Africa's apartheid regime and is seeking to put an end to Israel's brutal occupation of the West Bank.

BDS, which advocates peaceful resistance, aims to pressure Israel to adhere to international law and human rights by lobbying various states, institutions and personas to understand its oppression of Palestinians and take action as a result.

As the growing international network Musicians for Palestine wrote last year, in support of the Palestinian call to refuse to perform in apartheid Tel Aviv: “silence is not an option”.

Revisit Hot Press' Palestinian Voices series here.