The Wire

Recording artist Leonard Cohen is at the centre of heated dispute about whether International acts should perform in Israel. The Canadian singer had planned to do a concert for a Palestinian audience in the West Bank and a second concert for Israelis in Tel Aviv in September. But the plan is now in tatters with some pro-Palestinian groups condemning Cohen for agreeing to perform in Israel at all. These groups have been pushing for all international artists to boycott Israel because of on-going human rights abuses against Palestinians. Israel is currently the subject of a UN inquiry into allegations of war crimes in Gaza.