“Don’t Entertain Occupation, Cancel Your Concert in Tel Aviv” this is how Palestinians and boycott campaigns called on the Grammy Award-winning pop star and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Shakira, as she is due to perform in Israel on June 9 for the first time ever.

Update 30th May - The Colombian singer has announced that she will not be performing in Israel this summer. According to the Live Nation, the entertainment company that manages Shakira’s world tour said that Israeli media has incorrectly reported her concert in Tel Aviv, and that nothing had been confirmed.

Shakira who is of Lebanese descent, visited Israel in 2011. This is the first time she is set to perform there.

Palestinians used the hashtag “#DontEntertainOccupation” tweeting for Shakira to cancel her concert in favor of Palestinians to help in raising the voice of justice.

Some users used an image for her children comparing to an image for Palestinian child being dragged down by the Israeli forces, with the caption: “You can make a difference”.

Meanwhile, some people took advantage of Shakira’s Lebanese connection, reminding her of the Lebanese-Israel war of 2006 and the military airbases in Tel Aviv, not far off from Lebanon.

Several Palestinian organizations signed a letter released by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). The letter urges Shakira to cancel her performance as 60 kilometers away from her concert, there will be 2 million Palestinians caged by Israel in Gaza due to the Israeli illegal blockade.

The statement urges her as a Goodwill Ambassador at the UNICEF to be concerned over Israeli brutal acts of killing and use of lethal force against Palestinians.

As the brutality of the occupation in Palestine is becoming clearer for the international community, organizations of boycotting Israel have been receiving more positive response than ever lately. The latest was the New Zealand singer, Lorde, who responded to calls by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and cancelled a concert was planned in Israel in 2018.