Will Justin Bieber Turn a Blind Eye to Apartheid "Israel's" War Crimes?
3 Min Read
With Bieber set to perform in “Tel Aviv” in October 2022, activists and human rights organizations are urging him to cancel his show.
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Codepink's banner urging Bieber to cancel his performance in "Apartheid 'Israel'"
Renowned Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is being called on to cancel his scheduled performance in occupied Palestine.
Bieber is set to perform in “Tel Aviv” within apartheid "Israel" on October 13, 2022, right after two performances in South Africa, a former apartheid state which was also subject to international boycott from cultural figures and businesses due to its illegal colonial practices.
The irony does not end here, as the singer’s tour is inaptly called the “Justice World Tour”, a title that describes the main value the Israeli occupation refutes when dealing with Arabs in general, and Palestinians in particular.
As a response, US grassroots organization Codepink started a petition requesting Bieber to refuse the blatant trespassing of human rights perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinians by canceling his show.
No, no, no, @justinbieber don’t go to apartheid Israel! Sign the petition asking pop star Justin Bieber to support Palestinian rights by canceling his Oct 2022 performance in Israel. https://t.co/oHIWPbTrLA
— CODEPINK (@codepink) November 15, 2021
In its open letter, Codepink stressed the fact that “‘Israel’ is practicing apartheid” as the occupation “dispossesses Palestinians from their lands, demolishes Palestinian homes, subjects Palestinians to checkpoints, child imprisonment, and numerous daily humiliations and violence.”
Codepink went on to elaborate on the recent string of Israeli attacks on Palestinian society as it designated six Palestinian civil society human rights organizations as “terrorist” organizations without providing any proof whatsoever.
Read More: Israeli Claims Against Palestinian NGOs Are Unsubstantiated
Furthermore, the letter mentioned how the occupation has been spying on Palestinian activists’ phones, its criminal arrest and trial of 12 years old Palestinians by a juvenile military court, and its blockade over Gaza which turned the city into “an open-air prison”.
Codepink expounded on the repercussions of either his decision to perform in the occupied lands or cancel his performance, by saying: “If you choose to follow through with your performance in Tel Aviv, it will be seen as an endorsement of Israel’s brutal military occupation and disregard for Palestinian rights. Canceling your performance, on the other hand, would send a strong message that Palestinians, like all people, deserve equal rights and freedom.”
Artists like Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Patti Smith, and Damon Albarn’s virtual band Gorillaz have previously boycotted “Israel” either by canceling their concerts or refusing to play there in the first place, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in protest of “Israel’s” atrocious human rights record and apartheid practices.
With the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement gaining traction, even major literary figures akin to Sally Rooney have started taking powerful stances by boycotting Israeli agencies and associations altogether.
The rise in awareness regarding the Palestinian cause across the globe begs the following question: Will Bieber do the right thing and cancel his show or will he cave in to the Zionist mob and perform in “Israel”?
