Here is musician Elvis Costello talking to Israel’s Channel 2 only a few weeks ago, expressing the view that he believes in cultural dialogue and that an artist should perform anywhere except for in totalitarian states which would censor the words in his songs.
Of course, Costello subsequently canceled his upcoming concerts in Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.
To quote the lyrics of one of Costello’s own songs:
Oh I used to be disgusted
and now I try to be amused
