“It’s a shame, because you were lied to. You became another one in a series of people being used by Palestinian terrorist organizations without knowing the facts.”
By AMY SPIROUpdated: SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 04:36Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid penned a letter on Monday to singer Lana Del Rey after she canceled an upcoming appearance in Israel.“You’re sitting in New York after canceling your performance in Israel because of pressure from Roger Waters and other vocal BDS activists,” the MK wrote. “It’s a shame, because you were lied to. You became another one in a series of people being used by Palestinian terrorist organizations without knowing the facts.”Lapid did not relate to the fact that Del Rey rejected a plea from Waters last month, and never claimed to support a boycott of Israel. In announcing her cancellation over the weekend, the singer-songwriter wrote that it was “important for me to perform in both Palestine and Israel and treat all my fans equally,” but that she could not line up a show for Palestinians in time.Nevertheless, Lapid took it upon himself to offer the singer “a list of facts they kept from you.” That list included Israel’s multiple offers of peace deals to Palestinians over the years; the disengagement from Gaza; the Arabs who serve in the Supreme Court, the IDF and the government; and the persecution of homosexuals in the Gaza Strip – “The LGBT community are threatened with hanging (Did Roger Waters tell you that? Maybe it’s worth asking him?),” he wrote.Del Rey reportedly directly reached out to the Meteor Festival – scheduled for this weekend in Israel – and asked to appear. For several weeks she seemed determined to play despite the pressure, telling Waters: “I read your statement about taking action even when you believe in neutrality, I totally understand what you’re saying and this is my action.”But 10 days later, Del Rey said she was instead “postponing my appearance” in Israel. The singer also scheduled a concert in Israel in 2014, but canceled amid the outbreak of Operation Protective Edge.A spokesman for Lapid said the letter was sent on Monday to Del Rey’s management.“Lana, isn’t it a shame to let the lies of others decide for you?” he wrote. “You gave up on the opportunity to see the reality for yourself and to use music as a tool to connect and spread love.”The MK called the singer naive, and said that BDS activists “are using you to harm Israel but do their best to hide behind the language of peace and love. The only way to fight their lies is to learn the truth.”
