Boycott Off

AMMAN // A summer festival featuring popular Arab singers and international celebrities has drawn the ire of Jordanian political parties and Islamists over the alleged involvement of an advertising company that was reported to have organised Israel’s 60th anniversary celebrations this year. Jordan’s professional associations, dominated by Islamists, have called for the musicians and stars to boycott the event.

But the ministry of tourism and the Jordan Tourism Board, the bodies overseeing the cultural event, deny they had solicited the co-operation of the French company, Publicis Groupe, a leading advertising and communication firm that has a presence in Israel. The company has also denied any involvement in the festival or that it organised Israel’s celebrations.

A spokesman for the Jordan Tourism Board also said none of the Arab singers, including Amr Diab, an Egyptian pop star, and Elissa, a Lebanese singer, had pulled out. “They were first considering [boycotting], but now, when they got the accurate information from us, everything is on track,” she said.

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