Stevie Wonder has pulled out of a concert in Los Angeles benefiting Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, citing the current tensions in the Middle East.
“Given the current and very delicate situation in the Middle East, and with a heart that has always cried out for world unity, I will not be performing at the FIDF gala,†Mr. Wonder said in a statement to Reuters. “I am and have always been against war, any war, anywhere.â€
The concert, scheduled for Thursday and also featuring the producer and musician David Foster, was to raise money for the United States-based charity, whose mission, according to its Web site, is “to provide for the well-being of the men and women who serve†in the Israeli military “as well as the families of fallen soldiers.â€
Mr. Wonder, who said he would be making donations to organizations that support Israeli and Palestinian children with disabilities, noted his role as a United Nations “messenger of peace†in his statement to Reuters. His scheduled appearance had also generated an online petition drive, organized by groups urging a “cultural boycott†of Israel, urging him to drop out of the concert.
