Israeli court fines New Zealand activists over cancelled Lorde concert

Back in December, Lorde announced her intent to perform an Israel, a decision that sparked backlash from the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement. One noteworthy open letter, penned by Nadia Abu-Shanab and Justine Sachs for New Zealand's The Spinoff, caught Lorde's eye. The op-ed asked her to “join the artistic boycott of Israel." She responded to the authors on Twitter and eventually cancelled the concert.

Today, AP reports that an Israeli court has ordered Sachs and Abu-Shanab to pay over $12,000 for allegedly convincing Lorde to cancel the Tel Aviv gig. Three ticketholders filed the suit back in January, claiming the cancellation caused "emotional distress." Following the court's decision, lawyer Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, reportedly remarked how “no one can boycott Israel without paying for it."