Gilberto Gil (Patrick Hamberg)

Palestinians are hailing the decision by Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil to pull the plug on a performance in Israel this summer.

Meanwhile, dozens of artists are declaring their support for the cultural boycott of Israel following the latest Israeli mass killings of civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip.

They include bands such as Portishead, Wolf Alice and Slaves.

In a coordinated eruption of support for Palestinian rights following Israel's massacre in Gaza, tens of bands, including @wolfalicemusic, @PEACE4EVEREVER, @Portisheadinfo and @Slaves, are endorsing the call for a cultural boycott of Israel en masse. Follow #ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/JabLC43gOT — PACBI (@PACBI) May 22, 2018

“We warmly welcome Gilberto Gil’s cancellation of his concert in Tel Aviv, the center of Israel’s regime of occupation and apartheid,” PACBI, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, said on Monday.

“We thank Gil’s fans in Brazil and across Latin America whose outrage over Israel’s latest massacre in Gaza and support for Palestinian human rights seem to have played a decisive role in his decision.”

We warmly welcome legendary Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil's decision to cancel his July 4 concert in Tel Aviv as Israel continues to implement its shoot-to-maim-or-kill policy against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. https://t.co/ZJ67HCSpRx pic.twitter.com/paXyElrI0S — PACBI (@PACBI) May 22, 2018

The Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported Monday that Gil took the step because of the “conflict in the Gaza Strip.”

The previously advertised 4 July concert in Tel Aviv no longer appears on Gil’s tour schedule.

Gil had played in Tel Aviv in 2015, when, accompanied by another Brazilian music legend, Caetano Veloso, he defied appeals to refrain from performing there.

A few months later, Veloso announced that he would “never go back” to play Israel, and Gil’s cancellation now was a “belated show of solidarity,” said PACBI.

“We want Gil to know that we never held any grudge. And as our daily resistance shows, our hope never dies.”

The Jerusalem Post had considered Gil’s expected arrival this summer along with a number of other big-name acts to be a blow to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights.

The newspaper Haaretz called Gil’s cancellation a “win for BDS.”

Indy bands back boycott

On Tuesday, there was a wave of announcements via Twitter by bands that they would back the boycott, using the hashtag #ArtistsForPalestine.

Many posted a pledge that “As long as the Israeli government commits war crimes against the Palestinian people we support their call for a boycott of Israel as a means of peaceful protest against the brutal occupation.”

“Artists are endorsing the cultural boycott of Israel en masse after Israel’s massacre of Palestinians in Gaza,” PACBI stated. “Israel may be drunk with impunity, but like apartheid South Africa after the Sharpeville massacre, Israel is being held accountable for its crimes.”

Artists are endorsing the cultural boycott of Israel en masse after Israel’s massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. Israel may be drunk with impunity, but like apartheid South Africa after the Sharpeville massacre, Israel is being held accountable for its crimes. #ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/vQp7gqcPJy — PACBI (@PACBI) May 22, 2018

The music industry publication NME put the number of artists backing the pledge in the hundreds.

Wolf Alice, Shame, Portishead and more lend support to #ArtistsForPalestine, calling for a boycott of Israel https://t.co/1m5ehS7UZH pic.twitter.com/6ySF8vo2bR — NME (@NME) May 22, 2018

Here are some of them:

As long as the Israeli government commits war crimes against the Palestinian people we support their call for a boycott of Israel as a means of peaceful protest against a brutal and bloody occupation. #ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/egWNAxFlE2 — Wolf Alice (@wolfalicemusic) May 22, 2018

As long as the Israeli government commits war crimes against the people of Palestine we support their call for a boycott of Israel as a means of peaceful protest against a brutal and bloody occupation. #ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/fcZEUovsvO — Slaves (@Slaves) May 22, 2018

As long as the Israeli government commits war crimes against the Palestinian people we support their call for a boycott of Israel as a means of peaceful protest against a brutal and bloody occupation. #ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/b19YIC69Ph — PEACE (@PEACE4EVEREVER) May 22, 2018

#ArtistsForPalestine - Humans are humans, no matter the Georgraphy, no matter the History, no matter and no argument - Everyone deserves Freedom. https://t.co/hILlDFiPwB — Lots Holloway (@lotsholloway) May 22, 2018

So long as challenges to Israeli state policy are dismissed as essentially anti-Semitic, no progress can be made towards a just standard of living for all peoples in this area of the global community. #ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/UFYonFurhF — Lady Bird (@ladybirdthisis) May 22, 2018

Fun fact this band wouldn’t exist without Palestine solidarity groups cos that’s how Jack & I met! I owe so much to people who’ve taught me the truth of the occupation and hope initiatives like this show the world that artists support the Palestinian struggle!#ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/fxn9x1nYMe — suggested friends (@suggestedfronds) May 22, 2018

After the shocking violence in #Gaza we're proud to stand up with so many artists in a call to #BoycottIsrael

We can no longer stay silent while so many suffer in "the worlds largest open air prison..after 50 years of occupation & 10 years of blockade"#ArtistsForPalestine pic.twitter.com/nFeOtpeF8K — 𝐂 𝐈 𝐑 𝐂 𝐀 𝐖 𝐀 𝐕 𝐄 𝐒 (@CircaWaves) May 22, 2018

WE SUPPORT THIS IN PERPETUITY AND WITHOUT CONDITION



#artistsforpalestine pic.twitter.com/WOp5knKDDY — Algiers 🌹🇵🇸🇪🇭 (@AlgiersMusic) May 22, 2018

Israel Festival boycotted

And last week, Tiago Rodrigues, the artistic director of Portugal’s national theater canceled his participation in the Israel Festival in Jerusalem next month and announced his support for the cultural boycott.

“I have decided not to present my show at the Israel Festival in June because I believe it is the only way to ensure that my artwork will not serve to justify or support a government that commits deliberate human rights violations and is currently violently attacking the Palestinian people,” the author, actor and director stated.

Thank you, Tiago Rodrigues, for your principled solidarity with the Palestinian people. We are deeply moved by your principled position. We urge other artists who are scheduled to participate in the Israel Festival (24 May - 9 June) to do the same. https://t.co/mFOmChvuDA — PACBI (@PACBI) May 19, 2018

Rodrigues said that he initially accepted the invitation believing “that the people of a country and its political administration are not the same thing.”

But he said he subsequently realized that the Israel Festival was explicitly being used to celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary and therefore to whitewash decades of crimes against Palestinians.

Also, two British acts, singer-songwriter Richard Dawson, and the band Shopping, have announced their withdrawal from this year’s Pop-Kultur festival in Berlin, because it is sponsored by the Israeli embassy.

We sat down with Brian Eno at his studio in London earlier this week to hear his thoughts on Berlin, the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) Movement and Pop-Kultur festival. #popkulturfestival #popkultur2018 #popkulturberlin Full video: https://t.co/05jMR5WTMm pic.twitter.com/cVlqCmDVyb — Boycott Pop-Kultur Festival (@BoycottPKBerlin) May 11, 2018

Richard Dawson withdraws from music fest over Israeli embassy partnership. "Even if performing at @popkulturberlin meant I was endorsing such a government in only the very slightest of ways, I cannot in good conscience lend my music or my name to this.” https://t.co/02DiUxn5Cb pic.twitter.com/HEYz00cSHD — PACBI (@PACBI) May 21, 2018

Activists will be aiming to encourage more performers to do the same, since last year more than half a dozen acts withdrew.

Electronic music icon Brian Eno has given his support to the call to boycott Pop-Kultur.

Boycott Eurovision

In Ireland there continue to be calls to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, which Israel is due to host following the victory of its entrant Netta Barzilai this year.

Last week, Charlie McGettigan, who won Eurovision for Ireland in 1994, told national broadcaster RTE that the 2019 competition should be moved to another country. If that did not happen, Ireland should not send an entry.

McGettigan expressed horror at how US and Israeli officials celebrated the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on 14 May, while Israeli snipers massacred dozens of Palestinians in Gaza.

“It was dreadful yesterday seeing Netanyahu and the Trumps celebrating while people are dead,” McGettigan said. “It’s frightening.”

And Frances Black, a singer and senator told a prime time television audience that Ireland should not go to Eurovision because Israel’s use of the competition was “political.”

Frances Black speaks out about her experience in Gaza last week and why we should be boycotting next year’s Eurovision.

The Tonight Show, Monday to Thursday at 11pm on TV3. #TonightTV3 pic.twitter.com/VfYihJiTYv — The Tonight Show (@TonightVMT) May 16, 2018

“I definitely think we should boycott it,” Black said. “I just came back from Gaza and I saw the injustice that’s going on over there and the way people are being treated. This is the biggest injustice that’s going on in the world today.”

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Mícheál Mac Donncha had already called for a Eurovision boycott.

Iceland: Over 21000 (6.5% of the entire population!) have sign petition to boycott #Eurovision 2019 in Israel due to the government's violations of Palestinian human rights. https://t.co/fcLjkZPDEw pic.twitter.com/nOVqvf0eoF — PACBI (@PACBI) May 17, 2018

More than 25,000 people have also signed a petition calling for Iceland to boycott the contest.

While not all of the signers necessarily live there, that is equivalent to about 7.5 percent of Iceland’s population.