International Israel education organization StandWithUs has invited singer-songwriter Elvis Costello to go on a five-star VIP tour of Israel to coincide with wife Diana Krall’s performance in August.
The offer was made after Co-stello canceled his June 30 and July 1 performances in Israel as “a matter of instinct and conscience” over its policy regarding the Palestinians.
“Misinformation about the Palest-inian-Israeli conflict is rife, particularly in Costello’s England where the press often misrepresents history and current facts on the ground,” said Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs. “Our mission is to correct this misinformation and educate the public so they can make informed decisions.
“We would like to do this for Costello, whose decision undermines peaceful coexistence instead of promoting it,” he said. “As a celebrity, he has a special responsibility to make sure his public positions are based on accurate information and are fair.”
StandWithUs urged Costello to consult with fellow Brit Paul McCartney, who rejected Palestinian and Arab pressure to cancel his 2008 tour, and with Madonna, who called Israel “the energy center of the world” before a crowd of 50,000 Israelis during her performance in 2009. — ynetnews.com