The band and management made the decision late in the afternoon August 13, when further U.S. government warnings about traveling to the area made them the feel trip was simply too dangerous.

A suicide bomber had killed 15 in a Jerusalem pizza parlour on the 9th and another had injured 15 more at a Haifa restaurant on the day before the band announced its decision.

Promoter Shuki Weiss said, “I’d arranged for cordons of security and I think Hayarkon Park on August 28 would have been the safest place on Earth, but I still fully respect and understand the act’s attitude.

“It would definitely have been a fantastic event as Red Hot Chili Peppers is the band in Israel at the moment, there were banners for them waving in the street, there’s been TV specials and that’s without us even pushing for them.”

More than 20,000 of the tickets had been sold which, according to Weiss, is incredible as there’s not usually an advance sale remotely near to that for such a show in Israel.

Emma Banks of Helter Skelter, agent for the act, said, “All of the band were really determined to go and I know they would have, but over the weekend, the U.S. state department gave out another warning telling American citizens not to travel to Israel, and these warnings have to be taken seriously.”