Lana Del Rey criticised for upcoming Israeli concert

Lana Del Rey received criticism from her fans after it was announced she would be performing a concert in Israel.

The 32 year old singer took to Twitter to explain her reasons for performing at the Meteor Festival, which will be held in Tel Aviv this week.

pic.twitter.com/kQZRLnIMWO

— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) August 19, 2018

Del Rey's defense for performing at the festival is that "music is universal and should be used to bring us together". She insists she is not doing it for political reasons. Her continued statement reads:

pic.twitter.com/EqkSb3wn1Q

— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) August 19, 2018

Whilst Del Rey acknowledged her fan's upset reactions, she insisted the performance was still going ahead.

One fan tweeted Del Rey a link to a petition, which had been signed by almost 500 people, pleading the singer to withdraw from the festival.

Dear Lana, me and over 470 fan agree that performing in Tel Aviv, especially at this time, is a serious mistake. We all should take a stand against oppressors. Being silent never solved anything. We are simply asking you to follow the steps of even greater musicians, and cancel. pic.twitter.com/tNs4jdYhLx

— ahmad (@ahmadmerhebe) August 19, 2018

Entertainment based performances in Israel have been heavily criticised in the past, with artists like Nick Cave and Radiohead, receiving backlash after touring in the country.

The Eurovision has also found itself in the midst of a storm following Israel's win in the competition this year. Irish fans have campaigned for Ireland to withdraw their entry from next year's competition.