I have to confess a personal interest in this one. Depeche Mode headlined the first gig I ever went to, back in 1982 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. At the time, no-one would have predicted that, one quarter of a century later, they would be among the world’s supergroups, but that is what happened. And they will be kicking off their 2009 world tour in Israel.

As Ha’aretz reports, Depeche were supposed to have played in Israel in 2006, but canceled because of the war in Lebanon. Next year’s gig is likely to take place at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, where Paul McCartney played last week.

The political significance of this should be obvious. Artists and performers are being pressured to boycott Israel. By and large, they are refusing to do so. That fact encapsulates a critical, and very welcome, failing of the boycott movement, which seeks to emulate the campaign against South Africa. I doubt very much that Depeche Mode - not a very political band, but still relatively hip and with the occasional foray into protest songs (think of the slightly clumsy lyrics to “Everything Counts”) - would have played under the apartheid regime, although they’ve enjoyed success in post-apartheid South Africa. But Israel is not an apartheid state, and Yarkon Park is not Sun City.

Like those who have played in Israel before them, Depeche Mode have understood a simple truth: boycotts will not bring peace.