US singer Beyonce slammed for Renaissance film screening in Israel amid Gaza war

US singing sensation Beyonce is facing criticism from fans and pro-Palestinian activists for screening her 'Renaissance' concert film in Israel, amid the country’s brutal military campaign in Gaza.

'Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce', which will be screening globally beginning on 1 December - including in  Israel - details the making of her record-breaking 2022 album and subsequent stadium tour which happened earlier this year.

The film will also include behind-the-scenes footage, as well as appearances from her family and other well-known musicians, but its release comes amid Israel's indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza which has killed nearly 15,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. 

Thousands more are feared trapped under rubble, while the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned diseases could kill many more Gazans if the dire health system is not urgently repaired.

And since Beyoncé and her team have chosen to double down as capitalists and not heed our calls to cancel the film in Israel, I’ve canceled my tickets like I said I would, and I urge everyone to do the same. We gave them ample time and a deadline, they just don’t care. https://t.co/0Q6bNjs2Q1 pic.twitter.com/CeqBFFHjL4

— jeremyyy🇵🇸🇨🇩🇸🇩 (@hellyeahjeremy) November 25, 2023

Many fans have condemned Beyonce for not pulling the film from Israeli cinemas, with some saying they will boycott the screenings or cancel previously purchased tickets.

"I’m genuinely so disappointed that Beyonce and her team gave the Palestinians the middle finger and decided to still move forward with releasing her film in Israel," one user on X, formerly Twitter, said.

Another user urged: "Pull #RenaissanceFilm out of Israel @Beyonce. You see us. You hear us. You will be successful either way, so just do it because it's the right thing to do."

Many have also expressed surprise that 'Renaissance' will be screened in Israel, after she cancelled two concerts in the country in 2016 following a campaign by the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) group.  

Fellow pop star Taylor Swift also screened her concert film - The Eras Tour - at Israeli cinemas last month, receiving a similar backlash for the move.