Alicia Keys Rejects Boycott and Will Perform in Israel

American singer Alicia Keys has confirmed she plans to go ahead with her scheduled concert in Tel Aviv next month, despite calls to cancel the show for political reasons. Keys said in a statement to The New York Times that “I look forward to my first visit to Israel. Music is a universal language that is meant to unify audiences in peace and love, and that is the spirit of our show”. A campaign kicked into gear in March for her to cancel her plans, just days after she confirmed her summer performance. Alice Walker, the renowned author of “The Color Purple” and a proponent of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel, even published an open letter urging Keys to cancel the gig.