True or not, J-Lo’s scheduled performance in Israel has organizers preparing for a campaign
Jennifer Lopez’s scheduled performance in Tel Aviv this upcoming summer isn’t confirmed but if true it would be her first time doing so in the Apartheid State.
Lopez and her publicist have not responded to PiA’s request to confirm the show, but the mere rumor has caused an outcry on social media and has forced activists to act.
“We hope Jennifer Lopez joins the growing number of artists who are refusing to let their cultural work and celebrity whitewash Israeli apartheid. As a Jewish American organization we take responsibility for educating–emotionally and intellectually–our communities about the power and necessity of cultural boycott, and reminding them why it is such a powerful, principled, beautiful form of protest,” Jewish Voice for Peace’s Stefanie Fox said.
The hashtag #cancelTelAviv has flooded Lopez’s Twitter feed following the Haaretz report on Feb 1 that she could possibly perform in Israel. Hundreds of people tweeted to her official page sharing graphic images of victims of Israel’s occupation of Palestine, even though she has not confirmed or denied the show.
This is not the first time Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists have campaigned to encourage an artist to cancel a performance in Israel. Artists like former Pink Floyd front runner Roger Waters and Fugees vocalist and human rights activist Lauryn Hill have cancelled shows in Israel due to the success of campaigns like the one JLO might face.
