{
  "id": 9473634,
  "title": "Boy George stands with Israel, so where are the rest of the world's artists? - editorial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/boy-george-stands-with-israel-so-where-are-the-rest-of-the-worlds",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T03:08:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-909489"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nine years ago, Chrissie Hynde, frontwoman of The Pretenders, appeared at an Israeli arena celebrating Israel. In today's climate, such a scenario is almost unimaginable. International artists have largely shunned Israel, with some even fueling antisemitic accusations.\n\nEd Sheeran's attempt to navigate the \"Free Palestine\" controversy by expressing empathy for both sides led to his vilification by the pro-Palestinian community. Boy George and Michael Rappaport, however, have unreservedly supported Israel since the October 7 massacre. Rappaport has visited Israel multiple times and plans to perform there next week, while George recently released a song in honor of the Nova music festival victims and announced his own upcoming visit to Israel.\n\nDespite the widespread condemnation of Israel, influential artists like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon remain silent. It is understandable why some might avoid the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but those who do stand up against the demonization of Israel deserve commendation. Boy George's performance in Tel Aviv, much like Hynde's nine years ago, exemplifies such courage. However, the glaring question remains: where are the rest of the artists?",
  "summary": "In November, when he performs at the same arena that Hynde did nine years ago, George will undoubtedly reenact the flag-waving scene, and the crowd will once again shake the rafters in pride.",
  "key_points": [
    "Boy George supports Israel after 2021 massacre",
    "Michael Rappaport visits Israel multiple times",
    "Other artists remain silent on Israeli-Palestinian conflict"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Boy George's unconditional support for Israel, like Chrissie Hynde's nine years ago, highlights the rarity of artists courageously taking a stand against the demonization of Israel.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "How Ireland v Israel become the world’s most controversial fixture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/how-ireland-v-israel-become-the-worlds-most-controversial-fixture",
        "published": "2026-09-24T06:13:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}