Israel’s third election in one year is affecting not only Israeli citizens but also singer Lionel Richie, whose show in Tel Aviv is scheduled for March 2, 2020, the same day as the elections to the 23rd Knesset.
According to Israel Hayom, the show’s producers have had to change the start time of the show so that the Israeli public can vote in the election, watch Richie on stage and still have time to come home and watch as the television stations publish their exit polls. As such, the show will begin at 7:00 p.m., an hour and a half earlier than scheduled.
Richie’s show in Israel was originally scheduled for September 12 and had already been postponed to March.
Richie decided to go ahead with the Israel show despite pressure from the radical leftist group Code Pink calling on him to cancel the concert in what it called “apartheid” Israel. The famous singer responded by blocking Code Pink on Twitter.
Many artists who have scheduled shows in Israel in recent years have been pressured by anti-Israel, pro-BDS activists to boycott the Jewish state and cancel their shows.
While some of the artists have caved in to the pressure and cancelled their shows, others have gone ahead with their performances. This past summer, pop star and actress Jennifer Lopez performed in Israel for the first time.
Her manager told Israeli television that while Lopez had been pressured to cancel her Tel Aviv concert, she refused to bow to the pressure.
Other artists to have resisted pressure to cancel shows in Israel include Australian rocker Nick Cave who even criticized the BDS movement.
In addition to Cave, Radiohead played in Tel Aviv in 2017, defying boycott calls. Popular rhythm and blues artist Alicia Keys and pop duo Pet Shop Boys are among the artists who have also performed in Israel in recent years, amid calls to cancel their show.