The recent dust-up between Thom Yorke of Radiohead and a group of musicians, actors and politicians that includes Roger Waters has spilled over into a petition making accusations about Waters political views.
A letter was published to Radiohead in April calling for them to call off their concert in Tel Aviv, citing Israels treatment of the Palestinians and supporting the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) campaign.
Waters later responded in a letter to Yorke saying that he did not mean for his comments to be “confrontational”.
The dialog (or lack thereof) didn’t go unnoticed by a group called “We Don’t Need No Roger Waters” who have put up a petition on change.org calling him out and for the ending of the BDS policy. In the petition wording, they also go on to point out Waters has “an extensive history of espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories, speaking about the “extraordinary” power of the “Jewish lobby” and going so far as to compare Israeli treatment of the Palestinians to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany.”
So far, the petition has been signed by over one thousand people.
The full text of “We Don’t Need No Roger Waters” statement:
Roger Waters has been a leader of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign within the cultural arena. He has lobbied countless artists to refuse to perform in Israel, while publicly criticizing others for doing so. In 2013, Waters appeared on stage in a Nazi-like uniform, with a pig-shaped balloon emblazoned with a Star of David and symbols of dictatorial regimes. Waters has an extensive history of espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories, speaking about the “extraordinary” power of the “Jewish lobby” and going so far as to compare Israeli treatment of the Palestinians to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany.
While Waters speaks about “tear[ing] down [] wall[s],” he is one of the leading musicians today erecting the very walls that hinder peace in the region and fuel hatred. This hatred not only affects the State of Israel, but Jewish communities worldwide, as well as all those who care about human rights and democratic principles.
BDS leaders often claim that the purpose of the BDS movement is to champion Palestinian rights. However, this is highly misleading. As illustrated by extensive research and documentation, the objective of BDS is the complete elimination of the State of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. It seeks not to condemn specific Israeli government policies, but to unjustly target Israelis, Jews, and all those worldwide who stand in support of the Jewish state. The tactics of utilizing immoral double standards and strategies of demonization and delegitimization are all expressions of contemporary antisemitism.
Music is intended to transcend political barriers and promote cultural exchange, pluralism, and diversity. Instead, Roger Waters is promoting hate. We, the undersigned, therefore boycott Roger Waters until he renounces antisemitism in all of its forms, including the unjust boycott of the Jewish state.
