Happy days as Pharrell Williams announces Tel Aviv gig
Get Lucky hitmaker to play Israel despite opposition from BDS lobby.
Patrick Maguire is a reporter at the Jewish News.
Israeli revellers look set for a Happy summer – after pint-sized hitmaker Pharrell Williams announced a one-off concert in Tel Aviv.
The pop maestro – known and loved for his sunny soundtracks to the blockbuster Despicable Me film series and infectious chart-toppers such as Get Lucky and Blurred Lines – will play in Rishon Lezion Park on July 21st.
Williams’ decision to stage a leg of his international tour in Israel comes despite a wave of opposition from Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) supporters over his partnership with South African shopping chain Woolworths, whose retail offering includes Israeli-made goods.
An open letter from BDS supporters issued last year – when rumours of an Israel gig first surfaced – accused the star of being “indifferent to the suffering of Palestinian children”.
But the spate of criticism has left Williams undeterred – with the 10-time Grammy winner issuing an invitation to Israeli fans in the form of a video montage of national landmarks set to his own music.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
