Jennifer Lopez ignores BDS campaign, goes ahead with Israel performance

Despite the fact that a huge campaign called on Jennifer Lopez to cancel her "It's My Party Tour" concert in Israel, the star still went ahead with it. 

The international performer arrived in the occupying state on Tuesday with her two children and Baseball star fiancé Alex Rodriguez. Her scheduled performance took place two days later in Tel Aviv's Park Hayarkon. On Thursday, just hours before her concert, Lopez was filmed touring Israel. Both the star and her partner documented their time there via Instagram Stories. Their posts, captions, and visit as a whole angered many. 

Lopez posted an image along the beachside with the caption: "The motherland Israel!!! First time here. I'm in love!! Energy off the charts!!" 

This post, in particular, went viral on social media angering hundreds of Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) activists who had campaigned against the event. Another post that infuriated people was one uploaded by A-Rod on Instagram. In it, he hailed Israel as an "incredible country." 

Hundreds of BDS supporters had also urged Lopez to backtrack on her scheduled concert via the hashtag "#JLoDontGo." Unfortunately, the campaign fell on deaf ears. 

Some tried to push the agenda, claiming those who demanded Lopez cancel her concert are "haters and anti-semites." But we all know they are not. They're simply anti-apartheid, standing against an illegal occupation that has subjected Palestinians to decades of injustice. 

Many took the time to express their disappointment in the singer's decision, accusing her of ignoring the Palestinian cause. Others took to social media to remind her of the plight of an entire population. 

In 2017, New Zealand musician and singer Lorde canceled her scheduled performance in Israel, just a week after it was announced.

At the time, the internationally acclaimed performer cited an "overwhelming number of messages and letters" asking her to reconsider her choice of location for the concert. She was praised by many for reconsidering her decision to perform in Tel Aviv and standing by the Palestinian cause.

The singer is not alone in choosing to cancel concerts in Israeli territories. 

Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, Thurston Moore, Lauryn Hill, and many other performers have refused to perform in the country after joining the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel in the past.