Spinner

Elvis Costello Cancels Israel Gigs

Elvis Costello has become the latest music star to call off concerts in Israel, citing what he described as the "intimidation" and "humiliation" of Palestinians.

The British artist announced via his website that he had cancelled the gigs set for June 30 and July 1. "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," he said.

In response, Israeli sport and culture minister Limor Livnat lambasted Costello's decision, AFP reported. "An artist who boycotts his fans in Israel is not worthy of performing in front of them," he said.

Costello follows in the wake of Gil Scott-Heron, who withdrew from a gig in Tel Aviv under dramatic circumstances – after protesters interrupted his show at the Royal Festival Hall, London.

Meanwhile, UK fans of the bespectacled singer are in better luck as he is due to follow up a solo set as part of London's Meltdown festival with a short tour. Dates at Birmingham (June 21), Oxford (June 23) and Cardiff (June 24) follow the same one-man format, before he rejoins his current band the Sugarcanes in Liverpool (June 28).

All the AOL Music info you want to know

Ronnie Wood Snubbed Led Zeppelin…

Spinner

Mark Milan/FilmMagic The Rolling Stones have cycled through their fair share…

Ex-KISS Guitarist Ace Frehley on the…

Noisecreep

Ace Frehley It all goes back to 1977, when KISS hit the stage at Nippon…

'Think Like a Man' Movie Premiere:…

The Boombox

Getty Images The stars hit Hollywood Thursday night (Feb. 9) to celebrate the…

See all AOL Music »

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

348 Comments

Filter by:
HEChicago

I am American, born and raised here, and I am a Muslim. I was raised with my religion and I think it's unfortunate at how obvious it is through things such as comments on this worthless piece of news at how easy our country's people are influenced by hatred, the media, and what THEY think is right. WAKE UP, people!!!!! Don't listen to your parents or what the news says. Dig deep and find that thing called a conscience buried within your hatred. I just came from Israel this year and must say I had an amazing time. The Palestinians and Israelis treated me quite well (although obviously not when I entered Israel and they saw my arab name on my passport), but I digress. I and any REAL muslim completely finds any act of terrorism to be a ticket straight to hell. These people are as indicative of muslims as the KKK are of Christianity. The time of "it's yours vs it's mine" is long gone. My conversations with my many jewish friends have led me to believe that indeed it is simply ignorance that has fueled this battle for so long. So, I implore you to recheck your "history" of religion rather than the "history" of land. We will all meet the same god one day (in case you are confused allah is the arabic word for god - the SAME god. it's like hola is hello in spanish) and in Islam we are told that it is our good deeds that grant us eternity in paradise. I cannot believe that all of you have so little respect for yourselves and whatever faith you follow to post such abhorrent comments. P.S. Check your Palestinian facts, too. For all of you who claim to be so familiar with the holy land, you would know that many Palestinians are Christians. This is not about religion, but rather about what is right. WHat the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinians is what the Germans and the world did to the Jews during the Holocaust. I suppose they do say experience is the best teacher. Go talk to Dr. Norman Finkelstein to get a reality check.

May 21 2010 at 5:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
john davies

Scott, That is classic blame the victim At least you admit that the critism of Israeli policies is world wide.

May 21 2010 at 1:27 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to john davies's comment
Scott

JD,

I don't care what the world thinks. If Israel/Palestine were Arab vs Arab the world would remain silent. Hitler murdered 6 million Jews and the world was silent then. Was the world right?

Before 1947 no one referred to themselves as "Palestinian." Palestine was the name Romans gave Israel when they conquered it 4,000 years ago to erase any Jewish presence, just like the Arabs have tried to do since 1947 when Israel was reborn.

It is Arabs who have launched war after war. In 1947 the people who now refer to themselves as "Palestinian" fled their own advancing armies. The Arabs who stayed are part of Israel now, and have better lives than Arabs in any other country, in a society that has rule of law, women's and minoritie's rights, etc.

How are the Pals victims JD? I'll tell you. Their Arab brothers put then in sewage-strewn refugee camps for 60+ years and left them there; that's how! But that's not Israel's fault. The only side here that's shown it is willing to compromise for peace is Israel. Arabs have no interest in ending the conflict as long as Israel remains a State.

What should Israel do JD rockets are launched from Hamas in Gaza. When missiles are launched by Iran and Syria through their hezbollah proxies in Lebanon? Or when Arafat sent hundreds of homocide bombers? Nothing?

The Palestinians are a sick society. Who wouldn't be after being fed the manure they've ingested from their leaders the last half century. You think Israel is the problem JD? Thank God it will never happen but if Israel were ever to be vanquished by it's neighbors -- well, you think there is war in the Middle East now?

May 21 2010 at 2:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Scott

The Israeli-Arab conflict is the defining moral issue of our time. It astounds me not only how many bigots there are in the world, but how many fools there are as well. The crimes that Israel is accused of worldwide on a daily basis -- apartheid, genocide, land-grabbing are not the practices or desires of Israel, only Her enemies. The Arab-Israeli conflict is impervious to Israeli concessions. So those who boycott Israel and think they are speaking from a higher moral ground are blaming the victims and siding with the criminals. Boycotting Israel and calling for her destruction are one and the same.

May 20 2010 at 1:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Scott's comment
Rose

This is one of the only articlate remarks in this whole site, so thanks Scott for bringing some clarity to the situation.

May 20 2010 at 1:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lawrence of the Desert

Elvis's Israeli ticket sales weren't quite what he expected?

May 20 2010 at 12:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
don stack

Why did Elvis Costello cancel his concerts in Israel? The answer is simple...crappy ticket sales but he couldn't admit that soooooooooo....he makes shit up so he can get in the news.

May 20 2010 at 11:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gena

I applaud people who have conviction and take a stand for what they believe it. I may not agree but he is being true to himself.

May 20 2010 at 9:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
randielise

I think it is Elvis's constitutional and conscientious right to boycott israel, and it is MY constitutional and conscientious right to boycott him AND his lovely wife, DIANA KRALL (whose music I love)!

May 20 2010 at 8:56 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brance

People learn to hate jews for their ACTIONS, not for what they believe religiously. One needs only to pick up a newspaper these days and find a jew who is not only screwing others, but even his own kind ie. MADOFF.

May 20 2010 at 6:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to brance's comment
infidel

Ya know Brance, I got an email notification that you responded to me and I couldn't find it. Doesn't matter because as I perused the comments I noticed you were all over the place like weeds in a hot wet climate.

OK, I get it.......you really hate the Jewish State. You really don't see the violent pathology of your beloved so called "Palestinians" who the Jordanians slaughtered and the rest of the Arab world exploited. When you hate the Jordanians who murdered their fellow Jordanians and curse the Toad Of Beruit, Arafat, I'll assume you're not a creepy lonely pothead who hates your mirror.

What will drive you crazy is I can't find your response.

May 20 2010 at 8:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
brance

Infidel: No one cares what you say because it is nonsensical. You don't know me at all. I could care less about the "Jew State." What I care about are the Jews who are manipulating this country. They need to be dealt with in a serious manner. Starting with the politicians. We vote them out. Then we move on to the SOBs who are controlling the banking system. Then on to removing the 3 Supremes from the court. Now you know my mind, infidel.

May 20 2010 at 9:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rose

Wow the hate that is fuming across these comments is awful. There is no sign of wanting peace at all, only anger and more anger and more anger. These must be some really disturbed people and their inner world must be truly disturbed for them to all write such things. More animla like than human beings with compassion.
Stop blaming eachother, and start making peace or we shall all end up as a cloud of smoke!
Nothing good can come of pointing the finger in the other direction.
Start listening and if you can open your hearts.
It doesnt matter if your Jew or Muslim, Christian or Budhist.
For the children it matters that you open yourself up to the idea of peace, and let go of hanging on to the past and who did the worst things to whom.
That is the behaviour of children in a playground, slinging things at eachother.
There is nothing wise, or adult or compassionate in these dsturbing slinging matches.
Grow up all of you and start making the world a better palce to live in. One by one each one of us has a part in this. YOur anger only spreads outwards if thats what you carry in your heart, like a pebble thrown into the ocean it ripples outwards. On the other hand if you deal wth your anger and replace it with love that is what you can send out to the world.

May 20 2010 at 1:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brian

Elvis Costello is expressing his opinion, its what we do in a democratic society.

May 20 2010 at 1:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply