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THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS CALLED UPON TO CANCEL TEL AVIV GIG

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and more sign petition...

An open letter asking The Chemical Brothers to cancel their upcoming show in the Israeli capital Tel Aviv has been signed by a multitude of artists including Pink Floyd bassist, Roger Waters, Dinnerladies actor, Maxine Peake and playright, Caryl Churchill.

"Your recording company, Virgin EMI, may tell you that playing Tel Aviv on November 12 is a cool thing to do," says the letter, posted via Artists For Palestine UK. "But Tel Aviv’s hipster vibe is a bubble on the surface of a very deep security state that drove out half the indigenous Palestinian population in 1948 and has no intention of letting their descendants back in."

It continues: "If you go to Tel Aviv, your presence will be used by the Israeli authorities to reassure their citizens that all’s right with the world and nobody really cares that the Palestinians are suffering."

An accompanying public petition has collected over 7000 signatures, stating: "When international artists, such as The Chemical Brothers, perform at Israeli cultural venues and institutions, they help to create the false impression that Israel is a “normal” country just like any other. Artists both onstage and in the media make pious comments about “peace” and “coexistence”, whilst hinting that the occupied and occupier should “live side by side”.This doesn’t change the fact that artists that are performing in Israel are actually taking part in whitewashing the occupation and apartheid."

The Chemical Brothers have yet to respond to British media on the subject, although an article published by an Israeli paper quotes them saying: "Pressure was not applied to us. We will go to any place where young people want to see us playing. We are not really involved in all the rest.”

Tickets are currently on sale for the show, however it is not listen under upcoming shows on The Chemical Brothers' website.