The New Zealand Jewish Council has distanced itself from a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post, which calls singer Lorde a bigot and accuses New Zealand of prejudice against Israel.

The ad taken out by outspoken rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s This World: The Values Network, comes after criticism prompted the 21-year-old to cancel an upcoming concert in Tel Aviv.

It says she’s joining a global anti-Semitic boycott of Israel but still performing in Russia.

Jewish Council spokesperson Juliet Moses says the advertisment does not promote education or understanding.

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A full-page advertisement has been taken out in the Washington Post calling Kiwi musician Lorde a bigot and accusing New Zealand of prejudice against Israel.

The ad on the fifth page of the paper’s December 31 edition – taken out by outspoken rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s This World: The Values Network – criticises the 21-year-old for joining “a global anti-semitic boycott of Israel” but still performing in Russia.

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Lorde has cancelled her show in Israel after facing criticism.

Fans had demanded the Kiwi songstress join the Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement which is making a stand against Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.

The Grammy award-winning star had announced her world tour on Twitter, confirming she’ll perform in Tel Aviv next year on June 5.

But Israeli media reported today that she had cancelledd the show.

“We regret to announce the cancellation of the Lorde concert in Israel planned for June. The tickets already bought will be reimbursed within 14 business days. As to the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the show, Lorde is expected to publish a statement via Twitter soon.”

Lorde has not yet tweeted herself.

Israel’s Culture Minister is calling on Lorde to reverse her decision.

Miri Regev has dubbed the cancellation ridiculous, and is urging the 21-year-old Aucklander to reconsider.

Lorde has joined a growing list of artists who now refuse to perform Israel, in protest of the country’s treatment of Palestinians.

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UNGA vote on Jerusalem

New Zealand has further entrenched UN discrimination against the only Jewish state by voting with the mob, against sovereign nations being allowed to declare their own capitals.

There are 193 member states of the United Nations. Of these, 125 – the Non-aligned movement, which includes the 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation – are inherently anti-Israel and anti-democratic. It is little wonder that there are disproportionately more resolutions passed against Israel than any other country (by a ratio of 20:1) when countries like Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela dictate the agenda.

And New Zealand “joined the bullies” in voting for the resolution, as Israel Institute of New Zealand director, Dr David Cumin, told RadioNZ.

Australia and Canada, our traditional allies, abstained from voting along with 35 other nations, including five EU nations that broke EU consensus. Nine countries voted against the resolution and a further 21 did not vote at all. The vast majority of the 128 positive votes were from the 125 Non-aligned movement countries.

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The spokesperson for a Palestinian human rights group is pleased Lorde has acknowleged the concerns around playing a concert in Israel next year, she says.

New Zealand pop star Ella Yelich-O’Connor, known by the stage name Lorde, is set to play in Tel Aviv in June as part of her Melodrama tour.

However, she has been criticised over the move and urged to reconsider.
On Twitter, Lorde acknowledged criticism of the Tel Aviv concert, and said she was considering all her options and learning all the time.

New Zealand Palestinian Human Rights Campaign said Lorde’s concert would be seen as an endorsement of the Israel government and its treatment of Palestinians.

Spokesperson Janfrie Wakim said the show would be in breach of a cultural boycott supported by 170 Palestinian groups.

“Playing there, performing there, would be seen to be breaking the boycott and so she will be seen to be supporting Israeli policy and that is something that we abhor.

Ms Wakim said very few Palestinians would be able to attend Lorde’s concert.

“They can’t even get to their religious sites from the West Bank or Gaza. Gaza is blocked off and the restrictions to enter Israel are extremely tight for West Bank Palestinians.
“Arabs who live in Israel may be able to go if they can afford it but they are discriminated in that country too.”

Ms Wakim said a sporting and cultural boycott had been very effective in South Africa and Palestinians faced a similar regime in Israel.

New Zealand Friends of Israel Association spokesman Tony Kan, however, said the concert provided an opportunity for disparate communities to come together.

“I think the concert should go ahead because what you’ll have is Lorde fans there and there will be Arab Lorde fans and there’ll be Jewish Lorde fans and they’ll be non-Jewish and non-Arab fans.

“It’s an opportunity for them to get together and celebrate something in common, which is the love of music, and well isn’t that a great thing.

“It helps to breakdown the distrust and it demonstrates to people that ‘hey, we can actually interact with one another and we don’t have to be at each other’s throats’.”

Mr Kan said discouraging Lorde from playing in Israel trampled on her freedom of expression as an artist.

New Zealand was one of the countries to vote in favour of a non-binding resolution at an UN General Assembly emergency session that calls on the United States to rescind its decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

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Three Israeli men have been sentenced for trying to smuggle millions of dollars worth of the drug MDMA, or ecstasy, into New Zealand at the start of the year.

They arrived at Auckland International Airport from Singapore on January 3, where X-ray machines discovered packs of MDMA crystals hidden under wooden false bottoms of their suitcases.

Victor Borisenko, Vladislav Pischako and Guy Shalom, all aged in their mid-twenties, were convicted for importing a Class B controlled drug and each sentenced to eight years and three months in prison (Get to Know Yourself and Avoid Relapse to avoid jail).

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Lorde says she is “considering all options” after backlash against her decision to perform in Israel.

Activists against Israel’s control of Palestine have been trying to stop musicians from touring Israel.

Lorde announced on Tuesday that she would perform in Tel Aviv mid-2018. She was immediately met with a backlash online.

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Kiwi pop star Lorde is being criticised for scheduling a concert in Israel, with some fans calling on her to boycott the country while others are applauding the move.

The ‘Green Light’ hitmaker announcing her Tel Aviv gig is confirmation she won’t be joining other artists in the controversial Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) Movement, which “works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians”.

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New Zealand singer and songwriter Lorde will be hitting the stage in Tel Aviv next summer, bringing her unique brand of pop to thousands of Israeli fans.

The singer, whose real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, is best known for her international hits, including “Royals,” “Team” and “Yellow Flicker Beat.”

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