The Palestinian Authority this week informed the Clare College Choir from Cambridge, England that its performances in eastern Jerusalem and Bethlehem had been cancelled after it dared to perform last week with the Israeli Camerta Orchestra.
The ban came after the London-based Palestinian Solidarity Campaign circulated a petition against the choir over its "indifference to Palestinian suffering," evidenced by its willingness to perform with and for Israelis.
According to the boycott group, the Clare College Choir's appearance in Israel had helped to promote it "as a normal state," which the Palestinians and broader Arab world find unacceptable.
The choir's director, himself a professed supporter of the "Palestinian cause," said he was taken aback by the ban.