A Shaka festival promotional graphic. Photo: JNS.org.

JNS.org – American celebrity rappers Fat Joe and Tyga, who were slated to headline the Shaka music festival in Rishon Lezion on Thursday, cancelled suddenly on Sunday, citing the “security situation.”

The pair were set to be joined by a lineup of Israeli hip hop artists.

The sudden loss of the two top performers led to the cancellation of the entire festival. Ticket holders were informed that they would be able to secure refunds. Shocked fans expressed their disappointment on social media, with many asking “what security situation?”

Over the past several years, many musicians and other artists have come under pressure from the BDS movement to not perform in the Jewish state. It is unclear if the BDS movement played a role in this cancellation.

The performance was to be the first in Israel for Tyga and Fat Joe, both Grammy-nominated performers in the rap category. Last year’s Shaka Festival featured rapper Sean Paul, who performed for 15,000 attendees.

Many major performers have played in Israel this summer, including Alanis Morissette, Enrique Iglesias, Ozzy Osbournes, Rinto Starr, Maluma, Flo Rida and Jason Derulo.