WASHINGTON, July 25, 2013 (WAFA) – American activists Thursday strongly criticized Singer Alicia Keys for performing in Israel, saying her visit included some serious violations.

Human rights advocates revealed new information that they say showed that Keys went a step beyond ignoring the fundamental human rights of Palestinians and chose to stand with the Israeli occupation and oppression.

Keys performed in Tel Aviv on July 4 despite a wide call for a cultural boycott of Israel, letters from novelist Alice Walker, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, Defense for Children International, and the Israeli group Boycott!, and a petition signed by 16,000 people, all calling on her to cancel her show as she would have in the apartheid South Africa era.

Keys sang a duet at her concert in Tel Aviv with Idan Raichel, a self-described “cultural ambassador” for Israel.

Later she reportedly visited “Thank Israeli Soldiers,” an organization that aids Israel’s occupation army and supported a May 2010 Israeli attack that killed a US citizen.

Keys also allowed her name to be repeatedly used by the Israeli government to prop up Israel’s declining global image.

Anna Baltzer from the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation explained, “Keys claims to support human rights, and she talked about playing to unify audiences in ‘peace and love,’ but instead her actions conveyed support for Israel’s government, military occupation and elites that impose a violent, discriminatory regime of oppression and apartheid on the Palestinian people.”

Andrew Kadi from the Steering Committee of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation added, “We are not aware of any meaningful interactions that Keys had with Palestinians, despite many efforts to reach out and raise her awareness about Israel’s multi-tiered system of oppression.”

M.S.