Enrico Macias concert banned due to his support for Israel

Turkish authorities announced Wednesday that they have banned a concert by French singer Enrico Macias, scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, following calls to protest against the artist over his pro-Israel stance.

The Istanbul governor's office said in a statement that it wanted to prevent any demonstration at the concert "against the genocide by the terrorist state of Israel in Gaza and its supporters," while nonetheless considering the protests themselves legitimate.

"For more than sixty years, I have had the privilege of singing in Istanbul and Izmir, two cities that I am especially fond of for their extraordinary audiences," the 86-year-old artist told AFP in response.

"I am deeply surprised and saddened not to be able to meet my audience, with whom I have always shared values of peace and brotherhood," he added.

In an interview with French media outlet Legend, published in mid-August on YouTube, the artist — who has repeatedly defended Israel's response to the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 — said he "has always sung for peace between Jews and Muslims. Always."

"I am the first Jew to have brought Jews and Muslims together," he claimed. "My problem is that I cannot stand the violence of terrorists. And if there was violence on the Israeli side, it is because of Hamas," he added, stressing that he has "nothing against the Palestinians."

The singer, born in 1938 to an Arab Jewish family in Constantine, has never returned to Algeria since he left in 1961, due to the systematic outcry from some of the political class who criticize his support for Israel.

"I remain hopeful. If fate allows me to return to Algeria, I will not refuse," he told AFP in spring 2023.

With more than 60 years in music and 150 songs to his name, Enrico Macias has helped popularize Arab-Andalusian music. His hits such as "Enfants de tous pays" and "Les gens du nord" are part of the francophone music heritage and have been heard in many countries.