Kehlani and Jonny Greenwood & Dudu Tassa Shows Canceled By Opposite Ends Of Israel/Palestine Divide

In the last few days, shows by Oakland-based R&B artist Kehlani in New York and performances by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood with Dudu Tassa in the U.K. were canceled due to a growing political divide over the Israel-Palestinian conflict, which come at the deeply-rooted problem from different ends of the political spectrum.

Kehlani (who uses she/they pronouns) has been outspoken on Palestinian human rights and was scheduled to perform on June 26 as part of Central Park SummerStage’s “Pride With Kehlani” benefit, but was pulled yesterday under advisement from the New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office. The artist was also slated to headline at Cornell University as part of the school’s annual Slope Day, which celebrates students ending their last day of classes, which was canceled last week.

“We have been notified by the Mayor’s Office that they have concerns for security and safety issues,” SummerStage wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “Those concerns are due to the controversy surrounding Cornell University’s decision to cancel Kehlani’s concert at the University, as well as security demands in Central Park and throughout the City for other Pride events during that same period. We strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds. However, the safety and security of our guests and artists is of the utmost importance… While artists may choose to express their opinions, their views may not necessarily be representative of the festival.”

Kehlani is outspoken both onstage and on social media about their views regarding the rights of Palestinian people. Following her cancellation at Cornell, the singer took to social media to say, “For the millionth time, I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide, I am anti- the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti- an extermination of an entire people, I am anti- the bombing of innocent children, men, women – that’s what I’m anti.” Kehlani also posted that she only learned of the SummerStage cancellation via Instagram.

SummerStage itself was recently impacted by actions of the current Trump administration, with the venue’s NEA grants being cut.

Read More: Central Park SummerStage Among Those Affected By NEA Cuts

Meanwhile, Jonny Greenwood and Dudu Tassa’s shows at Bristol Beacon’s Lantern Hall and London’s Hackney Church in June were pulled from the opposite end of the political spectrum. The duo were scheduled to perform in support of their album Jarak Qaribak (translating to Your Neighbour Is Your Friend). The record features Arabic love songs and was recorded in Tel Aviv, Oxfordshire and across the Middle East and with Middle Eastern musicians.

“Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves,” Greenwood and Tassa said in a statement. “This cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don’t find that anything positive has been achieved.”

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, claims the performances were “art washing genocide” and put pressure on the venues to cancel their shows.

“The campaign which has successfully stopped the concerts insist that ‘this is not censorship’ and ‘this isn’t about silencing music or attacking individual artists’… Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing,” continued Greenwood and Tassa. “For some on the right, we’re playing the ‘wrong’ kind of music – too inclusive, too aware of the rich and beautiful diversity of Middle Eastern culture. For some on the left, we’re only playing it to absolve ourselves of our collective sins.”