Sam Smith Tel Aviv Concert Canceled

British singer-songwriter Sam Smith will no longer perform at Tel Aviv’s Summer in the City Festival next month, organizers announced on Friday.

“Due to unforeseeable technical and logistical problems on May 31, the concerts of that evening (including Sam Smith) will not happen," event organizers said in a statement.

This comes after the U.S.-based Palestinian advocacy group Adalah Justice Project launched a campaign asking Smith to cancel the gig. The petition was signed by over 11,000 activists.

Writing as “concerned fans who have been rooting for you and all of the beautiful queer and trans joy, abundance, and freedom dreaming you’ve offered,” the petition asked Smith and their representatives not to cross the international BDS picket line and “stand in solidarity with Palestinian queers and all Palestinians fighting for their human rights and dignity.”

“Despite Sam Smith’s team citing ‘logistical problems’ as the reason behind their cancellation, we know the truth: pressure from activists, organizers, and supporters of the BDS movement played a crucial role in this outcome,” the Adalah Justice Project said in a statement.

“Our collective efforts have made it clear that artists cannot remain neutral when it comes to human rights violations and apartheid,” Adalah added.