Natalie Imbruglia cancels Israeli gig after activist pressure

Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia has cancelled a concert in Israel after a campaign by pro-Palestinian activists.
The Torn singer, 42, was scheduled to perform in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on 1 March (17), but it is now listed as “cancelled” on Facebook and sales have been frozen on ticketing websites.
She had been the subject of sustained campaigning from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, whose activists aim to convince the public and celebrities to avoid buying products or economically engaging with Israel due to its government’s alleged mistreatment of the Palestinian people.
Activists from BDS group Don’t Play Apartheid Israel, who had bombarded Natalie’s Facebook account with messages highlighting allegations of cruelty against Palestinians, hailed their campaign as a success.
“After a solid campaign by concerned groups and Indigenous people, Natalie Imbruglia has cancelled her gig in Israel which was scheduled for March 1, 2017,” a post on a Facebook page promoting their effort to stop Natalie’s gig read. “The campaign was co-ordinated by Don’t Play Apartheid Israel with an accompanying Facebook page.”
The BDS movement is supported by some musicians, most notably Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, but has also met with opposition from stars including Israeli-born KISS rocker Gene Simmons, Jon Bon Jovi, punk icon John Lydon and reggae star Ziggy Marley.
Fatboy Slim, Radiohead, Pixies, Justin Bieber, Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, Guns N’ Roses, and Nick Cave all have concerts in the country lined up for 2017.
Representatives for Natalie did not respond to a request for comment on whether the cancellation of her concert was related to the BDS activists’ campaign.