Andrea Bocelli concerts in Indonesia to proceed despite opposition from Muslim clerics

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Two upcoming concerts by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in Indonesia will go ahead despite opposition from the country’s top Muslim clerical body over the singer’s past support for Israel, the organizer said Tuesday. Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and has long been a strong supporter of Palestinians. The Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s most influential body of Islamic scholars, demanded on Oct. 10 that organizers cancel Bocelli’s performances at the UNESCO-listed Borobudur Temple on Oct. 31 and in Jakarta on Nov. 3. The council cited Bocelli’s past support for Israel, including his participation in a 2010 fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Israel Defense Forces and a 2022 concert in Tel Aviv. Despite the objection, Bocelli s concert promoter Shoemaker Live said the concerts would take place as planned. It argued that they would support Indonesia s tourism and culture secto