Singer Lauryn Hill cancels Israel concert

NEW YORK: R&B star Lauryn Hill said she has cancelled an upcoming performance in Israel because she was unable to organize a parallel concert in the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
“When deciding to play the region, my intention was to perform in both Tel Aviv and Ramallah,” the singer-songwriter said in a statement on her website on Monday. “Setting up a performance in the Palestinian Territory, at the same time as our show in Israel, proved to be a challenge.”
Ramallah is the capital of the West Bank, territory conquered by Israel in 1967 and that Palestinians see as central to a future state. Hill, a former member of the Fugees known for songs like “To Zion,” “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and “Everything Is Everything,” was scheduled to play at the country’s largest open-air venue at Rishon Lezion on Thursday, May 7.
The singer added that she was hoping for healing and equanimity in the region, and “the openness necessary for lasting resolution and reconciliation.” Concert organizers in Israel were not immediately available to comment on Hill’s decision. Officials in Ramallah, meanwhile, did not comment on the move.
The decision followed a concerted effort by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) pressure group to get her to cancel her Israel appearance, although Hill did not mention the campaign.