Cat Power Cancels Israel Show Over Conflict With Palestineans

JERUSALEM -- American musician Cat Power has canceled her show in Israel, joining a list of artists shunning the country over its conflict with the Palestinians.

Charlyn Marie Marshall, better known by her stage name Cat Power, was to perform in Tel Aviv on Sunday.

But she tweeted on Friday that due to "much confusion" she felt she could not play for her Israeli fans and that she felt "sick in her spirit."

She had faced calls to boycott the Jewish state.

Elvis Costello and The Pixies have canceled their appearances, as did the British dance band Klaxon and the Gorillaz Sound System. Santana and Bjork also called off concerts, without explaining why.

Other musicians, such as Elton John, Paul McCartney and Madonna, have resisted the pressure.

Comments

[jammer0079]

24 minutes ago ( 5:31 PM)

I truly look forward to the day when Israel can be erased from the map. And, instead be replaced by; "The State of All Religious Fanatics Living Amongst Each Other in Harmony and PEACE".

[Farouk Althlathini]

11:16 AM on 02/17/2012

I think she did a great job in the face of Zionism!

[Bryan Puffinburger]

02:46 PM on 02/15/2012

Zionism is evil. Bottom Line. Just like extremism in any religion. So a country based on what is "theirs" because some book says so can go take a flying you know what.

[Trollstein]

07:10 AM on 02/13/2012

Why would she book the Israel concert in the first place? The sectarian war has only been ongoing for the past 92 years.
Makes you wonder if these activist/m­usicians are not booking the engagement­s--just to allow them to cancel them.

[TheEmptyMonty]

02:53 AM on 02/13/2012

Wow, it would be nice if the people in the comments here stopped talking about "pro-Israel" this, "pro-Palestine" that, and learned that ISRAEL IS A COUNTRY WITH COMPLEX INTERNAL POLITICS. There are elements within that society that do not want peace, and there are those which are willing to be conciliatory. It's just like ANY other country on the planet, it has a government, the government makes good policies and bad policies depending on who's in charge.

So don't come over here running your caveman mouth like "DURR, ISRAEL BAD" or "DURR, ISRAEL GOOD." Really, and how does the continued expansion of nationalistic parties like Yisrael Beiteinu fit into that narrative? Does the resurgence of Likud under Netanyahu give you any doubts about the legacy of Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan? Do yourself a favor and learn a little something about the region you *pretend* to care about.

[Trollstein]

07:25 AM on 02/13/2012

There was a TV news story the other day about a Mexican woman who was in the USA illegally. She had a child here who was legally an American citizen. The mother was arrested for using a false I.D., namely, in order to work in this country. Her child was taken from her while she spent three years in jail. Now her sentence is complete but her child was given up to adoption and is now living with an Anglo USA family. Problem? The mother never agreed to give her son up. What does this have to do with Israel?
What you call "expansionist" I call the natural parent. If the Mexican woman were to take her child without a court order, that would be (legally called) "kidnapping". Just as Israel is said to be "occupying" Palestinian territory. The Jewish people never agreed to forego their original rights to settle anywhere in Palestine--as guaranteed them in the various treaties and conventions that ended WW1. The entire amount of disputed territory in the West Bank could probably fit inside Brooklyn, NY and the total amount of disputed private property could probably fit inside Disneyland. Helps to keep things in perspective.

[Zernage]

09:32 AM on 03/16/2012

You do realize that many of these "guarantees" you mention were conducted behind the scenes and were illegal. It's the reason many of these guarantees, were never realized. It's also one of several big reasons WWII occured and why the German state declared war on jews. No, they weren't being just mindlessly anti-semitic, as you'd likely suggest, but could see politically just how certain of their own countrymen, of jewish descent, cost them a war they were winning-- as to create a state of thier own. When you live in a nation, but then use influence for decisions that are in your best interest, but not of the civilians of your host nation, you better expect to be mangled, no matter what your background.

[Zernage]

09:35 AM on 03/16/2012

Cont...

The real blame belongs to a few wealthy elitists, but very unfortunately a vast amount of jews of German, and Polish descent, etc., were innocent and killed by an angry, and abused nation, who were all too quick to blame all jews for the treason of a few elitist jewish-german businessmen. Germany was sold out, there's no denying it...but there's also no denying that the retaliation was horrific, incorrect in every sense of the word, and just as we see today in america...the blame went to everyone but the sociopathic businessmen that started the BS to begin with--who no more represent all Americans as that type businessman represents all peoples of jewish descent.

[Rosanne Smithe]

05:05 PM on 02/12/2012

Relatively unknown "artists arrange for shows in Israel then cancel them. Great way to get a little press. Pretty chicken shiite if you ask me however. (rolling over to islamofascism and its built in racism)

[indieprncss75]

02:31 PM on 02/13/2012

I think it's ironic rosanne that you call these people unknowns and chicken shiiite that these award winning and platinum selling artists are supporting militant islams because they don't want to perform in Israel. Why aren't the Israeli's who are also killing Palestian and stearling land that is rightly theirs not to be blamed? Also, these artist are far from "unknown." Bjork is a HUGE artist with success all around the world as is Gorillaz, Pixies, Santana and Cat Power. Just because these people don't do what you want them to doesn't mean they are unknown

[Rosanne Smithe]

03:29 PM on 02/13/2012

PR is PR. The only reason to schedule a concert and then cancel , is to garner press coverage.

[shushuwu]

03:56 PM on 02/12/2012

Don't even know who she is, does any one else?

[makingsenseofitall]

03:52 PM on 02/12/2012

Good for her. It's about time more artists see the light. They can have Elton, Madonna, and McCartney as far as I'm concerned. Neither one of them is educated enough to give a crap how many people Israel kills or displaces in a day. They are old fogies just out to make a buck. Get rid of the Zionist and Israel wouldn't be a bad country. Of course get rid of AIPAC and the US would be a lot better place too.

[NewYorkLiberal]

11:43 PM on 02/12/2012

Exactly how many people do you think Israel does kill or displace in a day?

Apart from your worldview (which I disagree with), are you seriously comparing Cat Power to Elton, Madonna and McCartney?? I mean, I don't really buy into the whole "get your politics from a singer" thing as a reason to choose sides in a debate, but do you really want to harsh on some world class musicians because they don't agree with your political views?

[indieprncss75]

02:38 PM on 02/13/2012

cont:

The state of Israel refuses to allow Palestinian refugees to exercise their natural, legal and historic right to return citing three main arguments; first, that there is no space in Israel for the refugees to return, second, that the return of Palestinian refugees would threaten security and lead to conflict, and finally, that the return of the refugees would jeopardize the Jewish nature of the state. With regards to the first argument, recent research shows that 80% of the Jewish population of present-day 'Israel' resides on 15% of the land. The areas where Palestinian villages were demolished lie mainly uninhabited. Hence there is space. As for security concerns, Palestinian refugees broadly accept that exercising their right to return would not be based on the eviction of Jewish citizens but on the principles of equality and human rights. The final argument though is a testament to Israel's false claim that it is the only democracy in the Middle East. Israel is a democracy for Jews only, and this religion-based discrimination or oxymoron should not be confused with real democracy.

[makingsenseofitall]

05:53 PM on 02/14/2012

People of stature, whether they be artists, politicians, educators, etc. should be aware that people are watching them and how they act and what their political leanings are. I don't get my politics from them, I just disagree with their stance. After watching the poor performance of McCartney at the Grammys I wouldn't consider him a world class musician anymore. Same goes for Madonna.
As far as misplaced Palestinians (including Bedouins), with the Israelis building illegal settlements at a rate of 200 new units a month and demolishing olive tree orchards (a livelihood of the Palestinians) and homes, displacing 60-200 families per settlement and removing 1600 Bedouins from the outskirts of Jerusalem it don't take a mathematician to figure it out. How many do they hold as prisoners still? The number can't be proven because Israel won't release numbers of how many they have but estimates are still over 2000 of those who knows how many have died while being incarcerated. They never seem to give the bodies back for some reason. How many do the Palestinians have as prisoners ...........zero. I suggest reading Haaretz Israeli News. They seem to post where the new settlements are going up on a regular basis and how many Palestinian homes were destroyed in doing so.

[atexasdem]

01:29 AM on 02/13/2012

Madonna I would expect to perform in Israel. She is after all very open and proud of her Cabala beliefs and I can respect that. Elton John when he performed at Rush Limbaugh's wedding showed what he's all about, cash. That's his own decision. McCartney on the other hand surprises me. He seems a very idealistic person and I wouldn't expect his idealism to allow him to perform in Israel.
Israel reminds me in so many ways of the old South Africa. Militarily unbeatable, Financially wealthy and convinced of the virtue and necessity of apartheid. While the boycott of international stars did nothing to bring down the Botha regime or to end apartheid it did make a statement. I would expect to see more and more international performers choosing to boycott Israel. Then again money does talk and like in the old South Africa huge paydays can overcome idealism.

[Trollstein]

07:08 AM on 02/13/2012

Israel is the only Jewish majority nation in the world. It sits on less than 1% of the Mid East and has a 25% Arab minority that has equal rights and votes.
I guarantee you that if South Africa had been the ONLY nation in the world where whites controlled the government, Nelason Mandella would still be in prison.

[DanielRomens]

01:57 PM on 02/12/2012

Could someone explain the severe reluctance to criticize any wrongdoing by Israel?

[VegasBabe]

07:36 PM on 02/12/2012

YES, I'd like to hear also!

[Bryan Bridges]

09:23 PM on 02/12/2012

Israel gets plenty of criticism. In fact, there are more critical articles written about Israel per capita than any other country. Many Israelis feel that most of the media is consistently biased against Israel (with headlines declaring that Israel has killed x number of Palestinians in an air raid and burying the fact that the dead were targeted while launching rockets from Gaza, etc.).

On the other hand, try to get some progressives to condemn suicide bombings by Palestinians or ant-LBGT policies or the second-class status of women or the genocidal anti-Semitism.

[Rosanne Smithe]

11:47 PM on 02/12/2012

There is no reluctance for criticism of Israel. Factually, it's an obsession among many.

[Naor]

01:45 PM on 02/12/2012

Good riddance. We don't need the likes of such artists in Israel anyways. Besides, I'd much prefer to listen to the likes of Elton John and McCartney!

[Bryan Bridges]

04:43 AM on 02/12/2012

Apparently, with all the attention given to it, Israel is the only country that does anything questionable in the whole world--worse than South Korea and Darfur.

Israel is attempting to come to a peaceful solution with the Palestinians and get them on the road to setting up the only self-governing state they've ever known. They withdrew from Gaza over five years ago, but Gaza has become a launching pad for rocket attacks run by kleptocratic terrorists. It doesn't give one much faith in a withdrawal from the West Bank. The situation would be easier and faster if the Palestinians laid down their arms and committed to a peaceful solution; if the Israelis laid down their arms, they would be annihilated. When the Palestinians are more interested in building their state than destroying Israel, there can be peace.

While Cat Power is only playing Utopias, she should have cancelled her concert in Turkey over their occupation of Cyprus and their refusal to recognize the Armenian genocide and their oppression of Kurdish autonomy and their homophobia, her concert in Switzerland over their involvement in slavery in the diamond and chocolate trades and their recent anti-Muslim laws and their recent anti-refugee law, her concert in Finland since that country has more judgments against it for violations in the European Court of Human Rights than any other, or Sweden which sterilizes transexuals, or California which voted with Prop 8 to strip gays of the right to marry.....

[Chipher]

05:59 AM on 02/12/2012

Just as the Feds are "attempting to come to a peaceful solution with the States and get them on the road to" repaying the Feds $15T daed busted flat borke unfunded debts.All you rennegade OWS_baggers should give up your gnus and just get over it and get back to work and pay more taxes or Feds will take your SSTF, because, like Israel, they wouldn't hurt a fly! It's just business!

[gakabani]

11:24 AM on 02/12/2012

you are a very ignorant person, ,......

[Bryan Bridges]

07:05 PM on 02/12/2012

And I guess your intellectual superiority is proven by your use of an ad hominem attack rather than debating my facts.

[Afterschool Carl]

04:33 AM on 02/12/2012

Cat Stevens?

[John Rathe]

04:51 AM on 02/12/2012

The lady cancels a concert and you wish death on her. Real classy.

[NewYorkLiberal]

09:42 PM on 02/11/2012

Who is Cat Power, and why should anyone care what she thinks?

[Zernage]

10:20 PM on 02/11/2012

A real liberal never excuses human rights violations. Do you understand the meaning?

[NewYorkLiberal]

10:41 AM on 02/12/2012

I totally agree. Which is why I focus on places and people in the world that really violate human rights, like Syria, Hamas, Saudi Arabia, china. The approximately half the world where women are treated worse than dogs, and there is non freedom.

[dondon119]

07:26 AM on 03/16/2012

Liberalism:
"a political philosophy that advocated smaller government and greater individualism, much as modern conservatives do today".

Today leftists stole the name 'liberal', and they are guided by "wisdom of the stage".
As usual for the communists.

[Lovelife85]

07:39 PM on 02/11/2012

People are seeing Israel for what it really is.... Illegal immoral occupier

[shyhon]

08:43 PM on 02/11/2012

Occupying what? When did Palestinians "own" Palestine?
Answer-Never.

In 1922 after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire that ruled Greater Syria for four centuries (1517–1917), the British Mandate for Palestine was established. Large-scale Jewish immigration from abroad, mainly from Eastern Europe took place during the British Mandate, though Jewish immigration started during the Ottoman period. The future of Palestine was hotly disputed between Arabs and Jews. In 1947, the total Jewish ownership of land in Palestine was 1,850,000 dunams or 1,850 square kilometers, which is 7.04% of the total land of Palestine. Public property or "crown lands", the bulk of which was in the Negev, belonging to the government of Palestine may have made up as much as 70% of the total land; with the Arabs, Christians and others owning the rest.
In 1950 Jordan annexed the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Only the United Kingdom formally recognized the annexation of the West Bank, de facto in the case of East Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip the Arab League formed the All-Palestine Government, which operated under Egypt occupation.

[Zernage]

12:22 AM on 02/12/2012

You do realize that Israel has illegal settlements on others land, right. I'm not talking about Israel proper, but their new settlements which violate various past agreements. So when you say Israelis aren't occupying anything, you show that you know little on the subject. You can't debate without the facts, and you are light on those.

[Chipher]

06:02 AM on 02/12/2012

And the Balkans was always part of the Hapsburg Empire, so let's have some schnapps before we roll into Poland, err, Eastern Austria-Hungary!

[shyhon]

08:48 PM on 02/11/2012

Article 24 of the Palestinian National Charter of 1964, which established the Palestine Liberation Organization,[28] stated: "This Organization does not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the Gaza Strip or in the Himmah Area" (i.e. the areas of the former Mandate Palestine controlled by Jordan, Egypt and Syria, respectively).

Israel captured both territories in the 1967 Six-Day War, besides other territory belonging to Egypt and Syria. Since then these territories have been designated Israeli-occupied territories. Immediately after the war, on June 19, 1967, the Israeli government offered to return the Golan Heights to Syria, the Sinai to Egypt and most of the West Bank to Jordan in exchange for peace. At the Khartoum Summit in September, the Arab parties responded to this overture by declaring "no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel."

PLEASE NOTICE TWO THINGS
1. THE OTTOMANS HAD PALESTINE, THE BRITTISH HAD PALESTINE, EGYPT HAD PALESTINE. PALESTINIANS NEVER HAD PALESTINE.
2. AFTER THE SIX DAY WAR, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT OFFERED TO RETURN THE GOLAN HEIGHTS TO SYRIA, THE SINAI TO EGYPT AND THE WEST BANK TO JORDON IN RETURN FOR PEACE. ALL PARTIES DECLARED;

NOT PEACE WITH ISRAEL, NO RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL AND NOT NEGOTIATIONS WITH ISRAEL.
So, I think they all can stuff it. Israel tried. They said no. They were stupid, but I guarentee you, Israel is not.

[ZuzuUSA]

08:59 PM on 02/11/2012

Your response is full of misleading information represented as facts and honestly I don't know where to start correcting. I suggest you go back to history books, and analyze what you said with common sense to realize what you have said is far right.

And by the way, I am have Jewish. So don't label me with any labels.

[Zernage]

09:06 PM on 02/11/2012

For you to state that million of humans, were NOT displaced, only indicates that you are into lies pushed by intentionally vague propoganda, and likely a jewish fanatic. Moreover, none of your post can explain all the new illegal settlements imperialist zionists have established as of late, and you can't excuse the many human rights violations Israel has been cited with by the U.N., as of late. You sound like an insane right wing american trying to defend torture and otherwise bad actions...FAIL.

[nothingwrongwiththem]

07:30 PM on 02/11/2012

she's not needed

[Zernage]

08:25 PM on 02/11/2012

Neither is Israel.