Media mogul Simon Cowell cancels judging gig on 'X Factor Israel'

English media mogul Simon Cowell has canceled his upcoming gig as a judge on X Factor Israel, confirmed Variety.

The decision comes weeks after Israel intensified its offensive on Palestine, triggering a worldwide call for a stop to Israeli apartheid.

A representative for Reshet, the production company behind X Factor Israel, had earlier told Variety last week that Cowell’s staff had “legitimate concerns” about him participating in the show in light of the recent spate of the offensive. However, on Sunday, they said that Simon Cowell “canceled for his own reasons.”

Cowell’s own representatives have not yet responded to Variety’s requests for a comment on the situation, despite a close source being quoted by a Jewish News report as saying that Simon Cowell is “bitterly disappointed”.