As both fans of Tame Impala and passionate supporters of human rights we urge the band to cancel their July 11th concert in Rishon Le Ziyyon (to a segregated audience) as a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people. This decision may well have been a purely managerial one, but we wish to appeal directly to Kevin Parker to reconsider playing in Israel this summer.

Israel is a rogue, apartheid state with an atrocious human rights record. According to Human Rights Watch, this stems from the 'severe and discriminatory restrictions on Palestinians’ human rights', principally its land, air and naval blockade of Gaza and policy of building unlawful settlements in the occupied West Bank. As such, the renowned scholar Noam Chomsky has described its treatment of the Palestinians - including its recent campaign of unlawful detention, imprisonment & even murder of Palestinian children - as being 'much worse' than the policies of South African apartheid regime (please see this article for a comprehensive list of Israeli human rights abuses: http://bennorton.com/an-incomplete-list-of-israels-violations-of-human-rights/

Since 2005 the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) has appealed to “people of conscience” to impose “broad boycotts” against Israel as part of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement. This call has been extended to bands and artists, as they have the ability to send a bold and clear message that this is not business as usual. In recent years, the likes of Elvis Costello, Manfred Mann, Brian Eno, Lauryn Hill, Faithless, Manic Street Preachers (and perhaps most prominently) Pink Floyd's Roger Waters have all refused to play in Israel and we would now strongly urge Tame Impala to do the same.

Most importantly, Israel must NOT be treated as a legitimate touring destination for artists and musicians whilst it continues to illegally occupy Palestinian land and deprive the Palestinian people of their most basic civil liberties.