Jewish Council distances itself from Lorde ad

The New Zealand Jewish Council has distanced itself from a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post, which calls singer Lorde a bigot and accuses New Zealand of prejudice against Israel.

The ad taken out by outspoken rabbi Shmuley Boteach's This World: The Values Network, comes after criticism prompted the 21-year-old to cancel an upcoming concert in Tel Aviv.

It says she's joining a global anti-Semitic boycott of Israel but still performing in Russia.

Jewish Council spokesperson Juliet Moses says the advertisment does not promote education or understanding.

She's disappointed Lorde cancelled her show, but says the singer shouldn't be bullied for doing so.

The Grammy winner last month cancelled a concert scheduled in Tel Aviv for June 2018 after criticism from activists in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.

The decision also came after an open letter written by two New Zealand fans argued the concert would show support for Israel's occupation of Palestine.

The advertisement in the Post says Lorde's decision showed how a "growing prejudice against the Jewish State" in New Zealand was "trickling down to its youth".

It cites New Zealand's choice in December to vote - along with 127 countries - in favour of a United Nations resolution calling for the United States to withdraw its decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

It also criticises New Zealand's co-sponsorship last year of a UN resolution which condemned continued Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory and caused a six-month diplomatic rift with Israel.

"While Lorde claims to be concerned with human rights, she hypocritically chose to proceed with her two concerts in Putin's Russia, despite his support for [Syrian president Bashar al-]Assad's genocidal regime," the ad reads.

"Let's boycott the boycotters and tell Lorde and her fellow bigots that Jew- hatred has no place in the twenty-first century."