Lana Del Rey promises to visit Palestine ahead of Israel festival gig

[dar0ck]

Lana Del Rey has vowed to visit Palestine after ignoring pleas to scrap her upcoming Israel concert.

The singer was criticised by pro-Palestine campaigners for refusing to pull out of a performance at the Meteor Festival in Lehavot HaBashan’s Pecan Park next month (Sep18), but recently insisted her decision had nothing to do with politics or picking sides in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"I would like to remind you that performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to the politics there just as singing here in California doesn't mean my views are in alignment w (with) my current governments opinions," she tweeted on Sunday (19Aug18).

And Lana took to Instagram on Tuesday, to confirm she would be performing at the festival, adding: "My views on democracy and oppression are aligned with most liberal views.

"We will still be playing our show in Israel. That being said, I understand the concern towards showing support to the Palestinians too. So I just wanted to let you know when I’m in Israel I will be visiting Palestine too and I look forward to meeting both Palestinian and Israeli children and playing music for everyone. I want peace for both Israel and Palestine."

She also addressed Pink Floyd star Roger Waters, who has been vocal of his support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which promotes a cultural boycott of Israel.

"I read your statement about taking action even when you believe in neutrality," she wrote. "I totally understand what you’re saying and this is my action."

Earlier on Tuesday, Waters wrote to the singer via Facebook, hoping to "clear a couple of things up" adding: "Palestine is a unique situation in that the BDS picket line exists at the request of Palestine civil society as a whole. To respect it as I, and many others do, is a political act of support for the Palestinian people in their struggle for basic human rights.

"To cross it, conversely, is a political act in support of the apartheid state that would deny them those basic human rights. Even if in your heart of hearts you believe yourself to be neutral. As Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu rightly says, 'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor'."