French singer Helene Segara denies Carthage Festival booking after removal over alleged pro-Israel links

French singer Helene Segara has denied being booked to perform at Tunisia's Carthage International Festival after organisers removed her from the programme following an online backlash over her alleged ties to pro-Israel organisations.

On Wednesday, the festival said it had cancelled her concert, which was scheduled for July 31 in the northern city of Carthage, citing its “firm stance” in support of the Palestinian people.

“The administration of the Carthage International Festival announces that it has decided to cancel the scheduled performance of Helene Segara as part of the 59th edition of the festival,” it posted on social media. “The festival reaffirms its commitment to Tunisia’s firm stance in supporting the brotherly Palestinian people in their quest to fully reclaim their rights and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Segara, who is a judge on La France a un Incroyable Talent – the French version of the global Got Talent reality series – responded with a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday, stating that while initial discussions took place with the festival’s management, she had not been contracted to perform.

“To my great surprise, I later found out that my appearance at the festival had been publicly announced, even with a nice poster – without me having signed any contract whatsoever,” she said. “I came home after filming France’s Got Talent at 10pm, and it was too late to contact anyone.”

Controversy surrounding Segara’s disputed concert stemmed from accusations that she participated in fundraising events linked to the Unified Jewish Social Fund (FSJU), a major French Jewish welfare organisation.

Activists claimed these events supported social projects overseas, although, according to the organisation’s website, its activities are entirely based in France.

The FSJU have not made a statement about the situation and festival organisers were not available for comment.

Segara, whose 30‑year singing career has produced French hits such as Je Vous Aime Adieu and Il y a Trop de Gens qui t’Aiment defended her humanitarian work in a social media post, describing her involvement with orphanages in the region and beyond.

“My heart has no borders. I crossed the Moroccan desert to deliver medical supplies. I crossed the Laotian jungle to bring school supplies to children who had nothing. I have been godmother to an orphanage in Morocco. I have been godmother to neonatal children in Beirut,” she said.

“I have very often sung voluntarily on hundreds of stages and multi‑artist events for associations in all countries, without any political agenda and I’ve done so from the very beginning.”

The Carthage International Festival will run from July 19 to August 21 and features performances by Lebanese pop stars Nancy Ajram and Najwa Karam, Emirati singer Ahlam, Lebanese-French jazz trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf and Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf.

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Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

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