Lana Del Rey has defended her decision to perform in Israel.
The 33-year-old singer is set to play at the inaugural Meteor Festival, which takes place in Upper Galilee’s Pecan Park from September 6-8, but she insists her upcoming performance is "not a political statement" – after many artists boycotted the country in protest at the nation’s occupation of Palestine.
In a statement posted to her Twitter account, Lana wrote: "I understand many of u are upset that we’re going to Tel Aviv for the Meteor festival…what I can tell you is I believe music is universal and should be used to bring us together.
"I would like to remind you that performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to the politics there just as singing here in California doesn’t mean my views are in alignment w my current governments opinions or sometimes inhuman actions.
"If you don’t agree with it I get it. I see both sides. But me and my band have been performing all over the world for months out of the years for close to 10 years now together. And we’re about to travel to a place that many big bands are playing this year and at this festival. We don’t always agree with the politics of the places we play within or even in our own country- sometimes we don’t even feel safe, depending on how far abroad we travel- but we are musicians and we’ve dedicated our lives to being on the road.(sic)"
The ‘Summertime Sadness’ hitmaker insists she is "doing [her] best", and maintains her that her intentions are "better" than most.
She added: "I’m just stating that I’m a simple singer, i’m doing my best to navigate the waters of the constant tumultous hardships in the war-torn countries all over the world that I travel through monthly. For the record I’m doing the best I can and my intentions are better than most peoples that I know (sic)"
Last month, Alanis Morissette performed a show in Israel, and told the crowd she loved being back in the country.
She said: "It’s so great to be back here with you, we missed you so much."
Beforehand, the Canadian star hadn’t played in Israel since 2012, which came just a few weeks after a cease-fire was introduced to end an eight-day conflict involving Israel in the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip.
At the time, Alanis came under pressure to cancel her planned appearances, but she instead refused and spent several days touring the country.
Lana Del Rey defends Israel performance
