Elvis Costello won’t get out of bailing on Israeli dates that easily. In a letter to the musician, Alive, the Israeli artist booking agency that got the bespectacled singer-songwriter, basically asked Mr. Costello: "dude, don’t you listen to NPR, watch the BBC, or read Jewcy.com? There’s a war going on here Elvis. Are you that much of a schmuck that you don’t pay attention to the news that you didn’t realize that?"
The real version of the letter is a bit more formal, but you get the point:
"Back in February, when you confirmed the performances in Israel, you were surely aware of the situation in the Middle East . . . and the long-standing conflict between the two nations. . . . Music should be a voice of peace and brotherhood, a unifying force and should not be turned off merely because the background noises seem too loud."
(Via Politics Daily)