Indonesia's most influential Islamic religious body is pressing authorities to cancel two upcoming concerts by internationally acclaimed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, citing his longstanding support for Israel and his past involvement in events benefiting the Israeli military.
According to The Associated Press, representatives of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) met government officials on Wednesday to formally express their objections to the performances, which are scheduled for October 31 at Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, and November 3 in Jakarta.
The council, Indonesia's highest body of Islamic scholars, first announced its opposition to the concerts on October 10.
During Wednesday's meeting with the Ministry of Tourism, council representatives discussed Bocelli's Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour Indonesia, particularly the planned performance at Borobudur Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country's most prominent historical landmarks.
The organization argued that Bocelli's record of supporting Israel was inconsistent with the values of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country.
“Giving a platform to a figure who has funded or supported military actions linked to humanitarian abuses in Gaza runs contrary to the values of the Indonesian nation and MUI’s religious guidance," the council said in a statement quoted by AP.
The MUI specifically pointed to Bocelli's participation in a 2010 fundraising event in Los Angeles benefiting an organization that supports the Israel Defense Forces, as well as his performance in Tel Aviv in 2022.
Bocelli, 68, who lost his sight at the age of 12, has maintained connections with Israel despite repeated demands from pro-Palestinian Arab activists that international performers boycott the Jewish state.
Beyond his concerts and charitable activities, Bocelli has also established personal connections with Israelis who survived captivity at the hands of Hamas following the October 7, 2023, terrorist massacre.
One of those survivors is Yaffa Adar, whose abduction became one of the most widely recognized images of the Hamas attack.
Video footage from October 7 showed Adar surrounded by terrorists as she was taken into Gaza on her mobility scooter.
After learning that Adar had found comfort in memories of his music during her captivity, Bocelli wrote her a personal letter and invited her to attend any of his concerts, offering to cover the expenses himself.
In December of last year, Bocelli also hosted former Hamas hostage Segev Kalfon at his residence in Miami.
Although Bocelli is not Jewish, his public support for Israel and his personal gestures toward former hostages have drawn criticism from organizations advocating cultural boycotts of the country.
The controversy surrounding his Indonesian appearances comes against the backdrop of Indonesia's longstanding diplomatic position toward Israel.
Jakarta does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, although previous reports have indicated that the two countries have engaged in discussions about potentially normalizing ties.
Former Indonesian President Joko Widodo previously urged Muslim countries to unite against Israel.
Current President Prabowo Subianto has taken a different approach, indicating that Indonesia would be prepared to establish diplomatic relations with Israel if it recognized “Palestine" as an independent state.
The two Indonesian concerts are part of Bocelli's international tour commemorating the 30th anniversary of his breakthrough album, “Romanza".
The album helped establish Bocelli as a global star and featured “Con Te Partirò," one of the best-known songs of his career.
The campaign against his appearances is not limited to Indonesia.
Last week, pro-Palestinian Arab organizations in Jordan also called for the cancellation of Bocelli's scheduled November 27 concert in Petra, the country's renowned ancient city.
The Jordanian branch of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement is among the groups demanding that the performance be canceled, accusing Bocelli of supporting Israel and its military.