Tunisian singer says show canceled over 'normalization' with Israel

Emel Mathlouthi, a Tunisian singer who rose to prominence during the Arab Spring revolution, said Wednesday that an upcoming show of hers in the North African country was canceled for supposed “normalization” with Israel.

The 41-year-old was set to perform at the Hammamet International Festival in Tunisia next week, but it was canceled “with no official reason,” she said in a statement posted on Instagram.

"We believe that our latest tour in beautiful Palestine has sparked an unjustified controversy accusing me of normalization” with Israel, the performer added.

In July, Mathlouthi performed in east Jerusalem, as well as in the West Bank’s Bethlehem and Ramallah. She did not perform in Israel proper. Artists who perform in Israel often face fierce resistance from the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.

Mathlouthi told AFP that said she had been subjected to a “big misinformation campaign” and that she “just did shows with Palestinians for Palestinians.”

Palestinians "don't want to be isolated. They want artists like me that come from other Arab countries that speak Arabic" to perform for them, she urged.

The BDS movement backed Mathlouthi, saying it "distinguishes between artists who entertain the oppressors, art-washing apartheid on the one hand, and artists who stand with the oppressed."

"She should be commended and not condemned for what she did," said Suhail Khoury, general director of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music at Birzeit University and who invited Mathlouthi to perform.

"She is a great singer, and Palestinians love her. She was outstanding, probably one of the best performances that Palestine has ever seen,” Khoury added.