Charged with alleged support for the country, Thom Yorke says that his band will no longer play there: “they want to take what I did and erase me”
In recent times, the Radiohead faced a certain level of controversy related to Israel. Pro-Palestine movements even recommended a boycott of the group’s first shows since 2018, scheduled for the coming months. Now, the members respond to the accusations.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Times, Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood defended their political positions. They also lamented the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) initiative that advocates sanctions against Israel.
Thom said:
“It keeps me up at night… They want to tell me what I’ve done with my life and what I need to do, and I think that’s nonsense. People want to take what I’ve done, which means a lot to millions of people, and erase me. But that’s not for them to take away from me – and I don’t think I’m a bad person.”
Yorke recently clashed with a pro-Palestine protester during a solo show in Melbourne after he made statements in favor of the people of the Gaza Strip during the performance. The musician interrupted the performance, argued with the person and left the stage, only to return minutes later. Shortly after this episode, the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist posted a text on Instagram in which he stated that he was shocked that such a reaction had been seen as complicity in Israel’s actions.
During the interview with The Times, Yorke stated that Radiohead will no longer play shows in the region because he strongly disagrees with the government’s policy. Benjamin Netanyahu. Furthermore, he told a story of how he realized he was being used by the Israeli regime in 2017, when the group played in Tel Aviv.
“I was at the hotel when this guy, clearly a big shot, came up to thank me. I was horrified, really, because the show was being co-opted. So I see what they mean. At the time, I thought the show made sense, but as soon as we got there and this guy came up to me? I’m out.”
Even so, the vocalist was uncomfortable with the extremes people go to when demanding Radiohead’s pro-Palestinian stance. Some would even have demanded the removal of Jonny Greenwood from the group, as the guitarist is married to an Israeli – the artist Sharona Katan – and has a project with the local musician Dudu Tassa.
Yorke said:
“Recently some people shouted ‘Free Palestine’ at me in the street. I spoke to one guy. His line was: ‘You have a platform, you have a duty and you need to distance yourself from Jonny’. But I said: ‘Me and you, in the middle of the street in London, shouting at each other? The real criminals, who should be in the Hague Court, are laughing at us fighting each other in public and on social media – while they go on with impunity, murdering people’.”
The musician expressed respect for the public commotion over the situation, but criticized this type of behavior. He called this practice a “witch hunt” and an “expression of powerlessness.”
Criticisms on the left
While Thom Yorke adopted a less political point of view in his statements, Jonny Greenwood was more angry with one side of the spectrum. The guitarist is the biggest target of controversy in this whole situation.
Despite the Radiohead singer’s promise not to play in Israel, Greenwood and Tassa performed in the country until last year. Criticized for this, the British musician blamed the entire controversy on movements on the political left and right.
He stated:
“The left looks for traitors, the right for converts, and it is depressing that we are an easy target.”
Greenwood and Tassa’s project consists of reinterpreting Middle Eastern love songs, in an attempt to show a common place between cultures. The duo’s first album, Jarak Qaribak (Arabic for “Your neighbor is your friend”), came out in June 2023 and featured Israeli, Egyptian, Lebanese and Palestinian musicians. They are working on a successor.
He defended himself:
“It’s crazy that I was afraid to admit that. Still, it seems progressive to me – booing at a show doesn’t seem brave or progressive. Yes, some people refer to my work as ineffectual, hippie, tilele. And I kind of see their point. But when is it described as sinister or evil? I’ve been doing this for 20 years.”
The guitarist also reported that he attends protests against the Israeli government, and the local mood is extremely contrary to the Netanyahu administration and the minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir. However, it’s not like you can drop everything.
“I spend a lot of time there with my family and I can’t just say, ‘I’m not making music with you assholes anymore because of the government.’
Finally, Greenwood said he was only ashamed of having dragged the other members of Radiohead into this situation. He refused to apologize for working with Arab and Israeli musicians.
The rest of Radiohead
The other members of Radiohead also made some statements on the matter. When the group was criticized for playing in Tel Aviv in 2017, guitarist Ed O’Brien demonstrated his support for the Palestinian cause and expressed that the band should have also performed in Ramallah, the capital of the West Bank.
Meanwhile, the drummer Phil Selway repeated in the same interview with The Times the thankless position the group finds itself in. In their view, they cannot fully join the BDS movement because that means abandoning Greenwood.
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Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
