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Kehlani declares ‘I am anti-genocide’ after Cornell pulls the plug on campus concert

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R&B artist Kehlani sticks to their stance regarding the conflict between Israel and Gaza, even after losing a chance to perform at Cornell University due to it.

Kehlani, who’s been vocal about supporting Palestinians, spoke directly about her views in an Instagram video following Cornell University’s decision to cancel their concert. Initially set to headline the university’s annual Slope Day event on May 7th, the invitation was withdrawn by president Michael Kotlikoff last week due to concerns that Kehlani had expressed anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiments in her performances, videos, and social media posts.

On Sunday, the artist who performed “After Hours” expressed, “Once more, I’ve been requested and labeled as needing to clear up and make a statement about something I’ve addressed numerous times: I am neither antisemitic nor against Jews.

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The well-known R&B artist, Kehlani, will not appear for a concert at Cornell University anymore, as the university has called off the event due to allegations of ‘antisemitic’ and ‘anti-Israel’ viewpoints that have arisen during the conflict in Gaza.

They stated clearly, “I stand against genocide. Specifically, I am opposed to actions taken by the Israeli government that could be considered genocidal. This includes any attempts to wipe out an entire people or the indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians – children, men, and women.

In the video they shared, Kehlani discussed their past collaborations with the group Jewish Voices for Peace and expressed a commitment to learning and working together with significant Jewish activists who are fighting against the ongoing atrocities towards Palestinians.

Kehlani, who has expressed criticism towards Zionism and publicly supported Palestinians by appearing with a Palestinian flag in her music video for “Next 2 U,” is one of several entertainers who have faced criticism for their pro-Palestinian views in recent times. This group also includes the Irish rap trio Kneecap, as well as actors Rachel Zegler and Melissa Barrera. Recently, Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian co-directors of the Academy Award-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was violently attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and later detained by military and police forces. This incident occurred only a month after the grandeur of the awards ceremony.

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The Northern Irish band mentioned on social platforms that those particular messages were intended to be shown during their Weekend 1 performance too. However, the messaging about the U.S.-supported genocide in Gaza apparently failed to appear on the screens.

It’s uncertain at this point who will take over as the headliner for Cornell’s Slope Day celebration, which is less than a week away now. In their video message, Kehlani appeared unfazed by Cornell’s decision, stating “I want to make it clear that I believe God has plans for me.

Kehlani stated, ‘That won’t halt anything I’m currently engaged in, but since this issue persists as a way to muffle me, to disrupt things in my professional journey, I feel it’s necessary to make things clear. I refuse to accept that as a means to alter the trajectory of my life.’ In simpler terms, she doesn’t believe that such attempts will succeed.

In a recent post, the artist behind “Gangsta” and “Nights Like This” stated that they are encountering further attempts to restrict their performances. The singer asked critics who want to deny them opportunities to base their stance on their Zionism rather than connecting support for Palestinians with antisemitism.

“All this because we want people to stop dying,” Kehlani said.

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2025-04-29 00:31

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