More than 100 artists sign letter in support of Lorde's Israel boycott after backlash

Published in The Guardian, signatories in the open letter offered their solidarity to Lorde and commended her for her decision and “right to take a stand” after she cancelled her concert in December.

Lorde's decision was received with an outpour of support, but she was still subject to criticism, with some media outlets referring to her as an anti-Semite. 

Washington Post carried an advertisement in their newspaper calling the 21-year-old singer a bigot and saying she is "ignoring Syria to attack Israel".

The Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, Itzhak Gerberg, had invited Lorde to the embassy for a meeting days after she cancelled her concert.

Gerberg claimed Lorde had "succumbed to the supporters of a small fanatic group" BDS that "spreads hatred and animosity”.

The nonviolent BDS movement says it is inspired by the campaign that targeted South Africa's apartheid regime and is seeking an end to Israel's brutal occupation of the West Bank.

Israel sees BDS as a strategic threat and accuses it of anti-Semitism – a claim activists firmly deny, calling it an attempt to discredit them.

But the movement, which adheres to peaceful resistance, aims to pressure Israel to adhere to international law and human rights by lobbying various states, institutions and personas to understand its oppression of Palestinians and take action as a result.

BDS operates by pressuring corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with Israel with supporters saying activities are aimed at promoting a Palestinian statehood.