Helen writes:
Elvis Costello cancelled the Israeli leg of his tour to protest their treatment of the Palestinians.
I love Elvis. I want Elvis, like literally. But this one of the stupidest things I have read in way way long time.
This is a Kesha level dumbass move.
Dear My Darling Elvis,
Were you not aware of Israeli and Palestinian discord at the time of the booking?
How about since your days as a wee lad ……….ITS BEEN GOING ON SINCE BIBLE TIMES!
Apparently this unrest is news to him…
Here’s a quote which dumbed down my idol to a horrid embarrassing low;
“Then there are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent,” he wrote.“I must believe that the audience for the coming concerts would have contained many people who question the policies of their government on settlement and deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation or much worse on Palestinian civilians in the name of national security. … Sometimes a silence in music is better than adding to the static and so an end to it.”
The sentiment is fine. The stance behind it honorable. But the sudden pull out as if this friction just fired up.. is blush worthy.
Iman writes:
I am Arabic and I find Costello’s actions baffling. If he is so upset about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians why doesn’t he boycott the States? After all, it is the States lend lease pacts with Israel which gives the tiny Israel (3M people facing 70M) the weapons to protect themselves.
But that is a slippery slope.
Once you decide where you are playing based upon the actions of a people’s country you end up playing your basement every night.
Would EC play China? Russia? How about Germany, it is barely a generation since the blitzreik over London?
Of all the villains in all the world, how dya make Israel, a country whose people were on the verge of extinction, the villians of anything? Surrounded on all sides, Israel is in a constant fight for its existence and you wanna boycott them??
But even if Israel had the human rights record of, say, China? Is that any real reason not be play there. Unless there is a boycott I don’t see it.
What’s next? Perhaps Costello can chose the individuals he wants to watch him perform? We can give our police records along with our money.
EC should be thoroughly ashamed of himself.