6:22PM BST 27 Aug 2013
The 73-year-old singer became the latest high-profile act to come under pressure not to perform in Israel after activists in his native Wales used the title of one his most famous songs, "It's Not Unusual", to urge him to cancel the show at Tel Aviv's Nokia Arena on October 27.
The Cardiff Palestine Solidarity Campaign said its petition, "It's Not Unusual To Boycott Apartheid", had attracted more than 1,000 signatures.
It provoked a sharp retort from Israel's consulate in New York, which used the same song as the title of a mass email campaign, "It's Not Unusual To Love Israel". The counter-offensive calls on pro-Israel activists to swamp Sir Tom with encouraging messages on social media to go ahead with the concert.
"Over the past few weeks, Tom Jones has become the latest victim of a fringe campaign pushing for a boycott of Israel, which bullies artists and academics from coming to Israel," wrote Gil Lainer, the mission's consult for public affairs. "It is time to tell Tom Jones that no music fan should be punished because of the agenda of online bullies. We should send positive messages of love and support to Tom Jones on his Facebook and Twitter pages, with the hashtag £IsraelLovesTomJones."
In a letter to Sir Tom – who has performed in Israel several times in the past - the Cardiff Palestine Solidarity Campaign organisers draw parallels between Israel's treatment of Palestinians and racial apartheid in South African – comparing Tel Aviv to the once-notorious Sun City resort.
"People in Wales know you care about human rights and social justice," the letter says. "We ask you to reconsider and to cancel your performance in Israel, especially as you signed a pledge not to play in South Africa during its apartheid era."
The BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which advocates the international isolation of Israel in protest at its policies towards the Palestinians, has publicly supported calls for the concert to be cancelled.
"We hope Tom Jones will change his mind once he learns how his gig will be used to normalise Israel's on-going atrocities against the Palestinian people," said Omar Barghouti, a BDS founding member and Palestinian human rights activist.
Last week, Roger Waters, the former Pink Floyd frontman and a long-time BDS activist, issued an open letter urging fellow rock stars not to perform in Israel.
Several British stars, including Elvis Costello and Annie Lennox, have said they will no longer play there. Last year, Stevie Wonder, the American singer, cancelled a concert to raise funds for the Israeli Defence Forces after an appeal from Mr Waters.
Other artists have resisted pressure to cancel engagements. Eric Burden, the former lead singer with the Animals, went ahead with a show this month even after his manager said he would cancel because of "threatening emails" from anti-Israel campaigners.
Alicia Keys, the American singer, performed in Tel Aviv in July despite receiving an open letter from Alice Walker, author of "The Colour Purple", asking her not to play.
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