Shakira's Tel Aviv concert: canceled or never even confirmed?

As it was announced earlier this month, international superstar, Shakira, was due to perform in Lebanon and Israel in July of this year.

But, according to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI,) her visit to Israel has been canceled.

"PACBI welcomes news that Shakira will not be performing in Tel Aviv, dashing Israel’s hopes to use her name to art-wash its latest massacre in Gaza," they wrote in a statement.

"Artists, especially UN Goodwill Ambassadors, have a moral duty not to be complicit in covering up human rights violations & apartheid." 

The UN Goodwill Ambassador and singer was scheduled to perform in Israel for the first time on July 9, and later in Lebanon on July 13th at the Cedar International Festival. 

Although no Israeli production company officially confirmed Shakira's concert, Israeli media outlets like Channel 2 News and Israel Hayom reported that the international pop-star has "signed a deal" to perform on July 9th.

On Monday, the news circulating online was confirmed to be false by Live Nation, the largest concert producer worldwide. 

"While no dates this summer will work, Shakira and Live Nation hope to bring a show to her fans in Israel in the future," the tweet read. 

In addition to that, her own website lists Lebanon among the tour dates, while Tel Aviv goes missing. 

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigners have posted multiple pleas online, urging Shakira to cancel her Tel Aviv concert since the news broke out in May. 

"As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, does it concern you that at least 12 Palestinian children have been slaughtered by Israel’s military in these peaceful demonstrations, including the 8-month-old Laila Ghandour, who was asphyxiated by Israeli tear gas dropped on her family more than 1 kilometer away from the fence?" read a letter released by PACBI on May 24. 

"A few kilometers from the Park Yarkon where you are scheduled to perform, thousands of Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli jails. One of them is a brave young girl named Ahed Al-Tamimi (17-year-old) who danced to the tune of your hit song 'la la la' with her two relatives and dreamt of growing up to become a football player." 

Although this would have been her first concert in Israel, Shakira did previously visit the country in 2011 with her ex-boyfriend Gerard Pique, where they met with then-president Shimon Peres in Jerusalem. 

Both musician Roger Waters and late scientist Stephen Hawking  were vocal on their political views against Israel and have publicly expressed their support for the BDS movement. 

Shakira will also be joining fellow New Zealand musician and singer, Lorde, in canceling a concert in Israel.

"I have had a lot of discussions with people holding many views, and I think the right decision at this time is to cancel the show," Lorde said at the time.  

"I’m not too proud to admit I didn’t make the right call on this one."

Most recently, Jewish actress Nathalie Portman, who was born in Jerusalem and later moved to the U.S., decided against visiting Israel to receive a prestigious award. 

Portman expressed that she "does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel." This was shortly after Israeli military responded violently to mass demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel border.