I am deeply saddened by his decision. If “there are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act”, then cancelling performances you agreed to before the acts were publicized and there were no “interpretations”, can only be seen as a cowardly political act brought on by political coercion and the propaganda he labels “falsehoods”. Since he is turning his back on Israel and the Jews, possibly the most persecuted people on this planet, can we assume that he has succumbed to Palestinian propaganda? I hear it’s all the fashionable rage among his contemporaries!
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It is only in Israel that any political comments on his behalf would not be met with potential death threats and rioting and the “hysterical language of politics” so often found in the Islamic world. You would think that he might have respected this and voiced his performances as just that, a musical performance that has no political bearing.
Does he not realize there are countries in the Islamic world where his music would not be welcome, where his words would be censored? Should we now interpret his willingness to play in Islamic countries as being pro-Islamic? How can this decision to perform in Islamic countries, but not Israel, not be interpreted as a political act?
Early in his career, Mr. Costello, or the King of America, as he “vainly” likes to call himself, was labeled a misogynist. As the Islamic world harshly denies half its population even the most basic human rights and dignities, can we infer in his preference not to play in Israel, an agreement with the misogynistic horrors of Islam? We are talking about upwards of a half a billion women! Do those half a billion women mean less than three million Palestinians? Surely they suffer more by their sheer numbers, if not deplorable conditions?
In all of the Islamic world, there are maybe two countries that even make the list of “free” countries. And even these countries punish “subjective” immoral acts such as drinking alcohol, premarital sex or an adulterous affair with severe corporal punishment, incarceration and sometimes death, most usually aimed at women, and wholly in deference to religious dictates. But Elvis Costello says he is an atheist? When he plays in Turkey, does he play “Dust”?
Mr. Costello constantly speaks with contempt for conservative American leaders. During Bush’s term he lambasted the president as a war monger every chance he got, and yet, he cozies up to Obama, who has only escalated the war in Afghanistan which has resulted in a skyrocketing of casualties on both sides and a further escalation of terrorist attacks and attempted attacks on Western nations. Perhaps, with Iran now having nuclear weapons, Mr. Costello feared that the annihilation of Israel, so often promised by the Muslim world, might take place? Or is Mr. Costello the “fashionable” kind, blowing in the wind to the dictates of what is cool? War is not good under Bush, but it’s “cool” under Obama!
Mr. Costello has also spent much of his professional life backpedalling racist remarks he made of contemporaries by declaring that he was drunk at the time. Should we add to his many hatreds now, that of the Jewish people? Is not his refusal to comply with a promise, a sign of anti-semitism of the Jewish variety?
At the crossroads of his life, Elvis Costello is a confused, scared little coward who would betray his heritage in a heartbeat rather than honor a commitment? Given his track record in marriage, yes, perhaps this is the case? Perhaps he’s not so much a coward as a betrayer! One thing for sure, in my book, he definitely knows how to be dumb.

How mixed up Elvis Costello must be He writes
“”Then there are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent,” he wrote.
“I must believe that the audience for the coming concerts would have contained many people who question the policies of their government on settlement and deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation or much worse on Palestinian civilians in the name of national security.”
“Sometimes a silence in music is better than adding to the static and so an end to it,” he also wrote.
Yet by his very action in cancelling his appearances in israel, without having seen the reality at first hand, he is guilty of making a political statement that “a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung”
Does he and those who call for boycotts and anti Israel rhetoric really think this helps the Palestinian people in any way at all. Doing something positive for them rather than just campaigning negatively against Israel who is not responsible for their suffering which has been brought on them by their own leadership’s total rejection of making peace with Israel for the past 62 years, would be a far better option.
I hope those who condemn the cancellation will ensure that they do not support Costello in any way again.

It is funny that Mr. Costello takes side without even questioning himself if his action is to bring peace supporters to justify him or whether is action just motivates the terror.

As someone who was always a left wing person I ask myself if I want sallow people like Mr. Costello on our side.
Being a left wing person is hard enough knowing that the Palestinians do not want only the occupied territories but the whole country. (and declare it quite openly)
Now do I want people like Costello telling me that it’s either looking for way to live with the Palestinians or hosting him..
I can tell Costello to look into himself and ask whether when he’s performing in the US means that he supports all the US government actions automatically?.

English is not my mother’s tongue but, sadly, as Costello fan, I think the right word to describe his recent action is “Hypocrisy”

As a longtime fan of Elvis Costello, I’m really glad to see that he has made the decision not to play in Israel. it would be like playing in apartheid South Africa when it was being boycotted.

it’s so important for artists to take a stand on issues like this, and not let their fame and presence be used to legitimize a state like Israel, which is now being recognized around the world as an apartheid state, with different treatment for Jewish Israelis on the one hand and Palestinians on the other.

Thank you, Elvis, for adding your voice to the struggle of the Palestinian people! it is a great inspiration to people struggling for justice around the world.

Anyone who follows the situation in Israel and Palestine knows that so far the situation is ruled by ‘might makes right’ and not by morality, international law or diplomacy. Mr. Costello had 2 choices: to play and pretend that the current situation is acceptable or to boycott the country with the financial and military upper hand and therefore letting the powers that be that things are in fact not ‘OK’.
He has refused ‘to play sun city’ and if that brings any winds of change, then we should all join in applauding him.

I’m amazed by the stupidity of the zionist attempt of counter-propaganda. The first two comments here were also posted on several other websites at about the same time, sometimes under different names (check out: http://straight.com/article-324496/vancouver/elvis-costello-cancels-two-concerts-israel or http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=141043411701&topic=14837 among others). What a waste of time and energy. While this may indeed sadden Elvis Costello, how is this supposed to make him change his mind?

We all agree that boycott is an option that should be considered only in very special cases. This year only, Santana, Gil Scott-Heron and Elvis Costello have cancelled their israeli tour, showing that, indeed, Palestine IS a very special case where the international community, including artists, have to take a stand.

It is a pleasure to see that the boycott call is growing, daily joined by more individuals, including public figures, artists, scientists etc. It is an even greater heart warming to read the words written by Costello to explain his decision. May this inspire his collegues, fans and, eventually, our governments to put an end to israeli apartheid and occupation!