Celtic fans urge Rod Stewart not to break 'cultural boycott' of Israel

Fans of Scottish football club Celtic have launched a petition urging Rod Stewart, a lifelong fan of the team, to cancel an upcoming concert in Israel.

Celtic supporters are demanding Stewart reconsider playing Tel Aviv on 14 June as part of a worldwide tour.

The club's fans are known for their support for the Palestinian cause – last year it faced a fine after fans waved Palestinian flags during a match against an Israeli team.

In response, fans set up a fundraising campaign called #matchthefineforpalestine, which aimed to ensure that the fine would "make a positive contribution".

That campaign raised more than £172,000 for two Palestinian charities within a few days, dwarfing the eventual £8,615 fine handed down by UEFA, European football’s governing body, for the fans’ behaviour.

The club was fined £16,000 in 2014 over a similar incident during a match against Iceland’s KR Reykjavik.

Stewart’s planned concert in Tel Aviv will the final leg of his worldwide tour. He previously played in Israel in 2010.

The petition expresses shock at Stewart’s “decision to breach the international cultural boycott of Israel. It was signed by more than 1,500 people in its first 24 hours.

“Israel openly uses culture as a form of propaganda to justify its illegal occupation of Palestine. Just as South African anti-apartheid activists called for an international boycott which led to the downfall of the apartheid regime, Palestinians are asking for a boycott of Israel as part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign.”

Stewart had not publicly responded to the demand by the time of publication.

A number of international artists have come under pressure from pro-Palestine activists to cancel concerts in Israel.

Roger Waters, formerly the bassist in British band Pink Floyd, has led a campaign calling on fellow artists not to play inside the country.