Fans and Palestinian Rights Activists Welcome the Cancellation of Pharrell Williams’ Tel Aviv Concert
Ten-time Grammy award-winner Pharrell Williams has announced that he is cancelling his scheduled concert in Israel, and it makes many human rights supporters “Happy!”
Williams’ decision comes after Palestinian rights activists around the world, from the USA to South Africa, delivered letters to the artist, urging him to respect the international cultural boycott of Israel, called for by the absolute majority of Palestinian civil society, including the most prominent artists and cultural figures. In addition, hundreds of activists held a protest outside his South African concert last year, urging him to end his involvement with the retailer Woolworth’s, which is linked to Israel’s brutal and illegal military occupation practices against the Palestinians.
Since 2005, Palestinian civil society and their supporters worldwide have called on artists of conscience not to play in Apartheid Israel and to heed the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) which aims to restore the UN-stipulated rights of the entire Palestinian people by ending global complicity with Israel’s regime of occupation, colonization, and apartheid. Many artists like Roger Waters, Sting, Lauryn Hill, the late Gil Scott Heron, Snoop Dogg, Coldplay, Lenny Kravitz, Cassandra Wilson, Elvis Costello, Cat Power and Faithless have respected the picket line by cancelling their Israel shows.
Human rights activists worldwide hope that Williams doesn’t play in Israel in the future and invite him to learn about Israel’s regime of oppression and the effective, nonviolent global BDS movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality.
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel
BDS South Africa
U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
BDS Houston
Birzeit Society
U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
Dream Defenders
Jewish Voice for Peace
Friends of Sabeel – North America
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within (Israeli citizens for BDS)
Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel
Al-Nakba Awareness Project
Albany-Corvallis Friends of Middle East Peace
Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine
Arab Americans of Central Ohio
BDS-LA
Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights
Chico Palestine Action Group
Citizens for Justice in the Middle East
Citizens for Justice in the Middle East of Kansas City
CodePink Washington
Committee for Palestinian Rights (Howard County, MD)
DelNATO
Free Radicals
Green Mountain Solidarity With Palestine
Helena Service for Peace and Justice
Jewish Voice for Peace – Bay Area
Jewish Voice for Peace – Los Angeles
Justice for Palestinians
Keep Hope Alive, Bay Area
Lutherans for Justice in the Holy Land
MidEast: JustPeace
Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign
New Hampshire Veterans for Peace
North Texas BDS
Palestine Media Project
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church
Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine
St. Louis Jewish Voice for Peace
United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
Utahns for a Just Peace in the Holy Land
Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
