Demi Lovato went “against all advice” and apologized for glorifying her trip to Israel

Since returning to the United States earlier this week, Demi Lovato has been gushing about her recent trip to Israel via social media. The singer called her visit “absolutely magical,” expressing on Instagram that she had “never felt such a sense of spirituality or connection to God.” However, some followers took her trip to Israel as Lovato choosing a side in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and criticized her for her apparent political stance.

Lovato took to her Instagram Stories on October 2nd to clarify her intentions for visiting Israel and apologize for any hurt or confusion she had caused.

"I accepted a free trip to Israel in exchange for a few posts," Lovato wrote in her Stories. "No one told me there would be anything wrong with going or that I could possible be offending anyone."

In an October 2nd Instagram post, Lovato enlightened her followers to the fact that this trip was offered to her and not necessarily planned in advance. “I am an American singer. I was raised Christian and have Jewish ancestors. When I was offered an amazing opportunity to visit the places I’d read about in the Bible growing up, I said yes,” she wrote in the caption.

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"With that being said," she continued via her Stories, "I'm sorry if I've hurt or offended anyone, that was not my intention. Sometimes people present you with opportunities and no one tells you the potential backlash you could face in return. This was meant to be a spiritual experience for me, NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT and now I realize it hurt people and for that I am sorry."

She apologized for not being more educated on the current situation in Israel and thinking that her visit would be seen as solely spiritual. “I’d rather get in trouble for being authentic to myself, than staying quiet to please other people,” she said, stating that she went “against all advice” warning her not to acknowledge the criticism.

It’s clear that Lovato used this trip to Israel to connect with her faith and her ancestry.

She visited religiously historic sites and culturally significant exhibits like Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

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Lovato is known for being transparent and honest with her fans and followers, so we’re not surprised to see her apologizing now. It’s heartening to see that Lovato had a spiritually uplifting experience while in Israel, and that she has been inspired to educate herself more on the politics of the region.