Mira Awad Quits Israeli Independence Day Concert

Arab-Israeli singer Mira Awad, who jointly represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest last year with Israeli singer Achinoam Nini (Noa), has pulled out of the Zionist Federation’s Israel Independence Day concert in London.

Although her manager, Ofer Pesenzon, claimed that death threats were behind her decision to cancel, Awad has used her Facebook page to set the record straight.

She wrote, “While I was busy with Dancing with the Stars, my manager Ofer Pesenzon was approached with a request for a concert with Noa in London, with me as a special guest.

“Ofer agreed, thinking it would be a good opportunity for me to expose my music, and more importantly, spread the more-than-ever relevant message that Noa and I try to convey. Later on, the date of the show was set for Israel’s Independence Day.

“The minute I heard about this concert, I asked Ofer to cancel my participation, out of consideration for the complexity of this date for me.

“Ofer understood my emotions for the subject, and admitted he had done wrong in scheduling the show without thinking of the repercussions, and immediately started working on cancelling my participation out of respect for my request. It took time and lots of explanations, but he managed to do it.”

This isn’t the first time Awad has stirred up controversy. When she was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision in 2009, some Arabs and Jews protested unsuccessfully against her inclusion.

Noa will perform in the Independence Day concert alone, and X-Factor finalist Stacey Solomon has been added to the show.