On Tuesday New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde announced she would be taking her upcoming 'Melodrama' world tour to Israel.
While some were happy about the news, others were critical of the musician’s decision and called for her to cancel.
If Lorde does pull out of the June 2018 performance in Tel Aviv she would join a long list of pop stars that have chosen to boycott Israel out of support for Palestinian sovereignty.
Stevie Wonder, Roger Waters, Brian Eno, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, The Klaxons and the Pixies are among the musicians that have previously cancelled Israeli tour dates as part of the 'Boycott, Divest, Sanctions' (BDS) movement.
In its own words, the BDS movement aims “to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.”
For supporters of the boycott, performing in Israel is an endorsement of the current relationship between the Israeli government and the Palestinians.
For others, denying Israelis the opportunity to see their favourite artists in concert is unfair.
Lorde’s announcement comes just weeks after US President Donald Trump attracted wide-spread condemnation and sparked protests in the region after announcing that the US embassy would move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Earlier this year Australian musician Nick Cave refused to cancel his performance in Israel because he wanted to "make a stand against those people who are trying to shut down musicians, to bully musicians, to censor musicians, and to silence musicians."
