LOS ANGELES: As singer Lana Del Rey's announcement of her first performance in Israel elicited a backlash, she defended her decision saying she believes music is universal and is a tool to bring people together.
The singer has been added as a headliner for the inaugural Meteor Festival, set to take place at Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan, outside of Tiberias in the upper Galilee region of Israel, reports variety.com.
The 33-year-old took to her Twitter account and wrote: "I believe music is universal and should be used to bring us together. Performing in Tel Aviv is not a political statement or a commitment to the politics there just like singing here in California doesn't mean my views are in alignment with my current government's opinions or sometimes inhuman actions."
Western artists who perform in Israel often face protests and social media criticism from believers of the BDS movement, which calls for "boycott, divestment and sanctions" against the country. Among the most vocal proponents of the stance is Pink Floyd's Roger Waters.
Rey said: "If you don't agree with it I get it. I see both sides. But me and my band have been performing all over the world for months out of the years for close to 10 years now together. And we're about to travel to a place that many big bands are playing this year and at this festival."
Rey is to perform on September 7.