Palestinian singer Dalal Abu Amneh has boycotted an invite to the Dubai Expo 2020 over the United Arab Emirates’ normalization with Israel, The New Arab reported.
The singer, who says she declined many other official invitations to perform in the UAE, refused to perform at the six-month-long world fair due to the country’s “persistence in ignoring the feelings and rights of the Palestinian people”, as per a statement on her verified Facebook page.
In her post, Abu Amneh made reference to Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s attendance at the expo, where he delivered a speech on Monday and was welcomed with the Israeli national anthem. Herzog became the first-ever Israeli head of state to visit the UAE.
“This rejection was done out of our duty to take a clear position against everything that contradicts… the Palestinian cause,” Abu Amneh’s statement read.
For Palestinians, olive harvesting season is always special. It’s a major source of income, and a tradition that goes back hundreds of years & a symbol of resilience in the face of occupation.
Dalal Abu Amneh’s folk singing encapsulates the joy of it all: pic.twitter.com/mbRclu8rQO
— Elias Jahshan | الياس جهشان (@Elias_Jahshan) October 23, 2021
The singer noted her decision stemmed from personal convictions that she does not impose on anyone, as she highlighted every artist’s freedom to determine their career path according to their “personal principles, and the human values on which they were raised”.
Abu Amneh stated she would welcome future invites from other events in the UAE that do not clash with her beliefs, in order to continue to spread the voice of the Palestinian cause and “keep it alive in the souls of the honorable”.
On December 18th @UNESCO will celebrate #ArabicLanguageDay with a special concert featuring @Dalalabuamneh from Palestine and other musicians who are carrying a message of peace & interreligious dialogue .
Find out more: https://t.co/bX9MWA3Yu2 #ArabicLanguage pic.twitter.com/hH9V39S5Kj
— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳😷 (@UNESCO) December 17, 2019
The UAE was the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Israel under a US-brokered accord in 2020.
Surveys in the Arab world have shown sustained opposition to normalisation deals with Israel, which have been slammed as betraying the Palestinian cause.
(The New Arab, PC, Social Media)
