Pretoria – Pro-Palestine activists in South Africa are threatening to disrupt international superstar Justin Bieber’s scheduled “Justice World Tour” concerts in Cape Town and Joburg – if the “Sorry” hitmaker does not cancel his upcoming Israel trip.
The 28-year-old Canadian pop star recently revealed that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological disorder which has caused him to have partial facial paralysis.
This week, the “Peaches” singer cancelled his planned performances in New York, but there was no update on the international tours, including the October 13 performance in Tel Aviv’s Ganei Yehoshua in Israel. The youthful artist has previously performed in Israel twice.
However, #Africa4Palestine activists in South Africa have drawn a line in the sand, threatening to cause mayhem if the musical icon makes it to Israel.
“Africa4Palestine youth activists have purchased a large number of tickets and promised to disrupt his upcoming “Justice World Tour” concerts taking place in Cape Town on 28 September 2022 at the DHL Stadium and in Johannesburg on 1 October 2022 at the FNB Stadium,” said #Africa4Palestine spokesperson Tisetso Magama.
“Bieber is being called on by #Africa4Palestine, Palestinian civil society, as well as progressive Jewish Israelis to respect the boycott of apartheid Israel and cancel his 13 October 2022 concert in Tel Aviv.”
The pro-Palestine group said it has also written to Bieber, expressing their “concerns”.
“In the 1980s, an artist was on the wrong side of history when she or he crossed the picket line and performed in apartheid South Africa. Likewise, today, an artist has crossed the picket line when he or she performs in apartheid Israel,” said Magama.
“Since the launch of the cultural boycott of Israel in 2005, thousands of artists across the world have cancelled their Israeli gigs and refused to perform in apartheid Israel, including a host of global superstars such as Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, Lauryn Hill, Chuck D, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lorde from Australia, Salif Keita of Mali and many others.”
Magama said Bieber would face “serious backlash” if he did not cancel the tour of Israel.
“We call on Justin to do the right thing and cancel his performance in Israel or face a serious backlash because South Africans and many across the world will not accept a “Justice” tour which includes Apartheid Israel,” said Magama.
Bieber’s international tour was originally planned to begin in May 2020 and later in 2021 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, South Africans were divided after Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane chose to partake in the Miss Universe pageant hosted in Israel.
Several organisations, politicians and activists had called for Mswane to boycott the pageant. But the Miss South Africa organisation stuck to its guns, insisting that the pageant was not political and the activists were seeking to bully Mswane.
