Rolling Stones join list of rockers playing Israel

The Rolling Stones have added a June 4 trip to Tel Aviv to the group’s 2014 tour itinerary, the veteran band’s first performance in Israel and the latest in a growing series of performances in the nation by major pop and rock acts.

“We are thrilled to announce the first-ever performance in Israel by one of the most influential musical groups of all time, which further adds to an already dynamic lineup of performances and festivals taking place in Israel this year,” Israel’s commissioner for tourism, North and South America, Haim Gutin, said in a statement.

Other concerts slated for Israel in coming months include performances by Justin Timberlake (May 28), the Pixies (June 17) and Neil Young (July 17).

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Young’s appearance in Israel has generated debate in his native Canada among groups on different sides of the longstanding dispute between Israel and Palestine. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East have urged Young not to perform, comparing the Palestinians’ situation to that of Native Americans in Canada, while the Creative Community for Peace has countered with a petition urging him not to boycott Israel.

The Stones are set to perform in Tel Aviv’s 50,000-capacity Hayarkon Park. Ticket information for the performance has not been announced.

The Stones’ seven scheduled performances in March and April in Australia and New Zealand have been postponed and await rescheduled dates following the suicide last week of fashion designer L’Wren Scott, singer Mick Jagger’s longtime girlfriend. Jagger organized and attended a private funeral service for Scott earlier this week in Los Angeles, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

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