Back in 2017, the British band Radiohead performed in Tel Aviv, Israel, a show that drew criticism from pro-Palestinian activists and major musical figures like Roger Waters and Thurston Moore.
Now, however, lead singer Thom Yorke is saying he has little interest in playing in that country.
“Absolutely not,” Yorke said in a recent interview with the band in The Times. “I wouldn’t want to be 5,000 miles anywhere near the Netanyahu regime but [guitarist] Jonny [Greenwood] has roots there. So I get it.”
Greenwood, who is married to Israeli artist Sharona Katan and has also collaborated with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, took a different tack.
“I would also politely disagree with Thom,” Greenwood said in the article. “I would argue that the government is more likely to use a boycott and say, ‘Everyone hates us—we should do exactly what we want.’ Which is far more dangerous.”
The interview took place prior to the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Greenwood has previously joined protests in Israel calling for the removal of Netanyahu, and Yorke has been openly critical of the prime minister.
Yorke also spoke about the pressure he feels from activists who suggest the band is complicit in the attack on people in Gaza and call for fans for to boycott the band.
“This wakes me up at night,” he said. “They’re telling me what it is that I’ve done with my life, and what I should do next, and that what I think is meaningless. People want to take what I’ve done that means so much to millions of people and wipe me out. But this is not theirs to take from me—and I don’t consider I’m a bad person.”
Last year, while performing a solo show in Australia, Yorke was heckled by someone in the audience who shouted at Yorke about the death toll in Gaza and asking, “How could you be silent.” Yorke responded by walking off the stage (he later returned to finish the show).
“Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing the government,” Yorke said on X at the time of the 2017 concert, in response to critics. “We’ve played in Israel for over 20 years through a succession of governments, some more liberal than others. As we have in America. We don’t endorse Netanyahu any more than Trump, but we still play in America.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.pennlive.com ’
