Indonesia’s Muslim council urges cancellation of Andrea Bocelli shows over Israel ties

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s top Islamic council met with government officials Wednesday to voice its opposition to two upcoming concerts by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, arguing that the singer’s past support for Israel is incompatible with the views of many in the Muslim-majority country.

The Indonesian Ulema Council, or MUI, the country’s highest and most influential body of Islamic scholars, demanded the cancellation of Bocelli’s scheduled performances at the UNESCO-listed Borobudur Temple in Central Java’s Magelang city on October 31 and in the capital Jakarta on November 3.

The council, which initially announced its opposition on Saturday, met with Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry to discuss Bocelli’s Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour Indonesia, including the Borobudur performance at one of Indonesia’s most iconic historical sites.

The council said its objection is in response to Bocelli’s past support for Israel, including his participation in a 2010 fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Israel Defense Forces and a 2022 concert in Tel Aviv.

“Giving a platform to a figure who has funded or supported military actions linked to humanitarian abuses in Gaza runs contrary to the values of the Indonesian nation and MUI’s religious guidance,” the council said in a statement.

Public sympathy for Palestinians is widespread in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, and it does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Jakarta has long been a strong supporter of a two-state solution, which would see a Palestinian state established alongside Israel.

Tourism Ministry Secretary Bayu Aji said the discussions with MUI were aimed at reaching a consensus.

“The government’s stance is clear: we support Palestine, and there are directives from the MUI leaders that we will try to communicate further,” Aji said, ”But if the MUI has already made a statement, we will certainly be aligned with the MUI’s decision.”

At the local level, police in Magelang on Wednesday withdrew a recommendation to issue a permit for the Borobudur complex concert. Opposition from several Islamic groups has also intensified, adding pressure on the event organizers.

Neither Bocelli nor the concert organizers have made a public response to MUI’s objections.

Last week, pro-Palestinian groups in Jordan also called for a boycott of Bocelli’s November 27 concert in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra.

“It is unacceptable for Petra — one of the most iconic sites in Jordan and the Arab world — to become a platform for someone who has raised funds for the occupation army,” said the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in Jordan, one of the joint signatories of the boycott call.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.