Making A Stand

Elvis Costello returns to what he calls "the nearest thing I have to a home town" late next month for a sell-out concert at the Phil. It's part of his world tour, although two dates have already been deleted from the itinerary, two concerts he was due to play in Israel (http://www.elviscostello.com/news/it-is-after-considerable-contemplation/44 ).
"It is a matter of instinct and conscience," Costello asserts in explaining that the situation in the Palestinian territories makes it impossible for him to perform in Israel.
It's encouraging to see Costello resume his willingness to speak out on contentious & controversial subjects. The reality in the Palestinian territories is that a state of de facto apartheid exists, imposed & enforced by the Israeli authorities; the chasm in living standards, health & education provision, unrestricted travel & many other aspects of daily life between the Palestinians & the Israeli settlers is grotesquely reminiscent of South Africa before institutional racism bit the dust.