#BDSFail – Jon Bon Jovi Will Perform in Israel
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by Adam Levick
Jon Bon Jovi. Photo: Wikipedia.
Last year, we commented on a story in The Independent written by their Jerusalem correspondent, Alistair Dawber, about the cancellation of a previously scheduled performance in Israel by Eric Burdon (frontman for The Animals). The paper said the cancellation was, according to his manager, because of death threats Burdon received from BDS activists.
The Indy report included this passage:
The issue of artists giving performances in Israel is controversial. In recent years, Jon Bon Jovi and the South African band Ladysmith Black Mambazo have cancelled concerts in support of the BDS – or Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – movement.
So, is it true that Jon Bon Jovi cancelled concerts in Israel due to BDS?
In our post, we explained:
Aussie Dave [at Israellycool] posted a video of Bon Jovi being interviewed on the BBC earlier this year, prior to a live performance on BBC Radio, which includes a comment that contradicts claims of the boycott proponents. We’ve cut the longer video down to the 20 seconds relevant to the question at hand.
So, unprompted, Bon Jovi clearly stated his desire to perform in the Jewish State.
A slam dunk in our argument that Bon Jovi definitely is not a supporter of BDS?
Well, no, not quite.
To prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt, we were hoping that the wildly successful American rocker would schedule a performance in Israel. And, sure enough … per The Times of Israel on June 7th:
The rock group Bon Jovi is close to sealing a deal for a long-awaited one-off concert in Israel, Hebrew media reported Sunday.
The band, one of the most successful to ever emerge from the US, was said to be ironing out final details for a show in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, likely scheduled for October 3.
Full details of the date and location, including when tickets are to go on sale, are expected to be released on Tuesday.
In 2010 Jon Bon Jovi, 53, declared his intention to bring the band to Israel as part of a concert tour at the time, but the performance never materialized.
So, now we can finally say with confidence: #BDSFail #BritishMediaFail
Adam Levick is the managing editor of UK Media Watch, an affiliate of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).
