Pixies dump Israel following storming of flotilla

Given that Israel seems to enjoy being condemned, as it fuels the sense of hard-done-bys in the world's most Emo nation, the news that the Pixies and Placebo have pulled out of next week's Tel Aviv festival probably won't have much effect.

The Pixies haven't even confirmed that they've made a political decision, instead:

blaming "events beyond our control"

Given that most events in the Middle East seem to be beyond anyone's control, that's probably fair enough.

Interesting, though, that the bands were happy to accept the bookings at a time when Israel was still blockading Gaza, destroying the local economy and throwing hundreds of thousands into extreme poverty.