REPOST: Pitchfork on Radiohead's Anti-BDS Statement + Typical Cult Response
tl;dr for the Palestine Supporters: Chanting is lamer than creating art and dialog. Scapegoat is a lot fucking lamer than nuance. And Free Palestine has nothing to do with freedom or helping Palestinians.
The music scene is slowly dying thanks to a cancer that masquerades as “Palestine Support,” which does nothing to help Palestinians. I’d argue the root cause is that people are getting dumber. Dumb people need simple answers—scapegoats—for complex realities. They conform, copying fashion of who they think is cool, lacking the thought to be unique. I will continue trying to expose how bad this cancer has become, hoping we can reverse this artistic cannibalization before it leads to more hate, violence and subsequent cancelations.
Enter Radiohead. Radiohead’s first international shows were in Israel, thanks to Israeli radio DJ Yoav Kutner, who helped them establish their career by repeatedly playing Creep (back when the band was unknown and couldn’t book international gigs). The members of Radiohead got to see Israel’s beauty and learn firsthand about the complexity of the situation. Unfortunately, their haters refuse dialogue. Free Palestine is not about visiting the Levant to help til the soil. It’s about using Jews/Israel as the scapegoat for all societal issues, no matter which side you’re on.
I’m not going to pretend that Jews or Israel influenced this fantastic band’s early music. But to deny the Jewish and Israeli influence on their later music is so deluded, it can only come from people so clueless they parrot lies like “there was peace before 1948.” And I love to fixate on this lie, among their countless lies, because it exposes the two biggest issues with the Free Palestine oversimplification: 1. The lie requires a complete lack of historical knowledge, which would remind anyone that most wars, famine and pogrom predate 1948. 2. It reveals that the Free Palestine underlying ideology is that Jews are the thing keeping the world from a war-less utopia. The rest is irrelevant and inconsistent. Will that utopia be vegan and abortion-friendly, or a sharia state hell? It depends on who you ask.
Samantha Archer is POSITIVE that her Free Palestine is about vegan ideology. She’s not the only one. There are plenty of hateful bigots like Samantha Archer who impose their world views on a conflict.
I’m not a band historian, so I’ll certainly miss many of the links between Radiohead and Jews and Israel. But: band member Jonny Greenwood married a Mizrahi Jew of Egyptian and Iraqi descent, whose family escaped the Farhud, Sharona Katan. The band became inspired by MENA sounds and began collaborating with fellow peace activist and musician Dudu Tassa, who was born in Israel, the only country that was willing to rescue his Jewish parents, who also escaped the Farhud. (Don’t go ask Palestine Supporters what the Farhud was; I guarantee they don’t know or care.)
The TL;DR (for the Palestine Supporters) is that Radiohead worked on endless side projects with Arab and Muslim artists, always promoting peace. They talked about the Israel-Palestine conflict before Gen Z was born, before social media zombies made it the cause du jour. Radiohead and Dudu Tassa play Arab music with Arab singers, including ones who identify as Palestinian, and now they’re getting canceled by people who defend Palestine, not Palestinians, especially when Palestinians want peace with Jews.
Radiohead’s promotion of peace and unity—values essential to the art community—was quickly dubbed “normalization” by much of the Free Palestine movement. These activists again show they will boycott Israel even at the expense of Palestinian workers, like in 2021 when they proudly boycotted a fundraiser for Gaza (read about that here). Despite Radiohead’s members coming from communist- and socialist-minded households, despite their vocal hatred for conservative politicians (including Bibi and Trump), the “comrade” Palestine Supporters join the far right in rejecting any dialogue and throwing the peaceniks to the dogs. BDS supporters put a new, dangerous twist on Depeche Mode’s, “Words are very unnecessary; They can only do harm.”
I want to share Radiohead’s message first, but the real story is the response, which I’ll post after. Palestine Supporters made nuanced arguments about… jk. Free Palestine (TM) replied in emojis or insisting that Israel is committing a genocide, which the members of Radiohead should be held accountable for. They proved their double standards left and right. The comments I’m showing come from Americans and Brits who argue everyone on Earth is responsible for war crimes that the US and UK enabled, while they, US and UK citizens, are innocent. They want to censor Radiohead while sucking the toes of bigots like Eric Clapton.
Most bizarrely, Palestine Supporters insisted that Radiohead are “cry babies.” Their behavior is so ridiculous, it feels like a South Park joke (Radiohead call a bully a cry baby after he learns his parents died; the joke is how callous it would be to poke fun of someone directly affected by a situation, when you’re not remotely affected). Move past the fact that Radiohead’s music is emotional. I’ve cried to it! Move past the fact that a war (which they refer to as a genocide) is exactly the kind of thing you should cry about. As Radiohead point out, thes are people who protest Kneecap and Kehlani need to perform tax-sponsored concerts. They don’t want people calling for intifada (indiscriminate bus bombings) to be canceled, but rather Jewish and Palestinian peaceniks singing in Arabic on a multicultural stage.
To me, there’s nothing “crybaby” about passionately writing something in a world of hashtags and slogans. It’s “crybaby” to whine and repeat placcards you heard on the school yard from the bullies. Nuance is adult. Radiohead is rock and roll, while the mindless people attacking them are sheep who don’t even attend concerts. We need to stop letting posers—people stylizing themselves based on the latest trends, eager to make every cause about themselves—have a loud say on anything. Posers don’t define what’s cool.
Below is the Pitchfork piece on Greenwood and Tassa’s statement, which you can read here:
https://pitchfork.com/news/jonny-greenwood-and-dudu-tassa-release-statement-after-bds-campaign-prompts-concert-cancellations/
Jonny Greenwood and Dudu Tassa Release Statement After BDS Campaign Prompts Concert Cancellations
Shows in Bristol and London were pulled due to protests in solidarity with Palestine. The duo, which recently performed in Tel Aviv, calls the outcry “censorship and silencing.”
Jazz Monroe; May 6, 2025
Jonny Greenwood and Dudu Tassa say “censorship and silencing” led to the cancellation of their two UK concerts next month under pressure from the the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. The Radiohead musician and Israeli singer are longtime collaborators, but have faced renewed criticism over their willingness to keep performing in Israel as the nation’s military levels neighboring Gaza. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) supported protests against the UK concerts on the grounds that Greenwood and Tassa were “artwashing genocide.”
A statement on social media attributed to Greenwood, Tassa, and their musicians said the two venues, Bristol Beacon and Hackney Church, had “received enough credible threats to conclude that it’s not safe to proceed.” Those claims are unsubstantiated, PACBI notes, saying the shows “were cancelled following peaceful BDS pressure.” Pitchfork has emailed the venues to clarify the nature of any threats and how they have been linked to the BDS movement, as Greenwood and Tassa imply.
The duo’s statement continues, “Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing. Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves.”
PACBI, which helped found the BDS movement, has argued in a string of statements that Greenwood and Tassa’s ties to Israel go beyond cultural exchange. The campaign to boycott their tour was prompted by a Tel Aviv concert, in May 2024, when the duo performed “on a night that genocidal Israeli forces massacred displaced Palestinians in their tents in Rafah, burning them alive, just a short drive away.” Greenwood, in a statement last year, argued that BDS is “silencing Israeli artists for being born Jewish in Israel.”
Responding to today’s statement, PACBI noted that the duo recently performed at Tel Aviv club Barby, which, in 2014, handed out T-shirts to Israeli Defense Force soldiers reading “Fuck you, we’re from Israel,” after the IDF’s massacre of Palestinians in Shejaiya. PACBI added that it is calling for the boycott of “future shows by Greenwood’s other projects, including Radiohead, unless they convincingly distance themselves, at a minimum, from his consistent, shameful complicity in artwashing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”
The record Greenwood and Tassa are touring—Jarak Qaribak, Arabic for Your Neighbour Is Your Friend—is primarily an album of Arabic love songs, featuring singers from Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Iraq, their own statement notes. Nour Freteikh, a Palestinian singer, also appears on the record, along with guests from Egypt, Dubai, and other Middle Eastern countries. Greenwood and Tassa say that while critics on the political right say their music is “too inclusive, too aware of the rich and beautiful diversity of Middle Eastern culture,” those on the left argue that they are “only playing it to absolve ourselves of our collective sins.” They continue, “We dread the weaponisation of this cancellation by reactionary figures as much as we lament its celebration by some progressives.”
Greenwood and Tassa draw comparisons between their show cancellations and the international backlash against the Irish rap trio Kneecap, who broadcast messages at Coachella condemning Israel for “committing genocide against the Palestinian people.” Footage was later unearthed of a member of the group saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and calling for the death of Conservative members of Parliament. (Kneecap have since apologized, claiming the latter footage was taken out of context and they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah; UK terror police is investigating the trio.) A statement by artists including Massive Attack, Pulp, and Fontaines D.C. condemned the “concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” Kneecap. Greenwood and Tassa’s statement responds, “We have no judgement to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours.” In his Red Hand Files newsletter, Nick Cave appeared to concur with the notion that defending Kneecap while denouncing Greenwood and Tassa amounted to “hypocrisy.”
The duo’s statement concludes, “We feel great admiration, love and respect for all the performers in this band, especially the Arab musicians and singers who have shown amazing bravery and conviction in contributing to our first record, and in touring with us. Their artistic achievements are toweringly important, and we hope one day you will get to hear us play these songs—love songs mostly—together with us, somewhere, somehow. If that happens, it won’t be a victory for any country, religion, or political cause. It’ll be a victory for our shared love and respect of the music—and of each other.”
Greenwood has well-established roots in Israel, dating back to a Pablo Honey–era tour of the country that Radiohead members have cited as the first time they were treated like superstars. On the tour, Greenwood met his wife, Sharona Katan, an Israeli artist of Egyptian and Iraqi descent. Their nephew, the Israeli Defense Force sergeant Reef Harush, was killed in combat in Gaza in 2024 at the age of 20. One of Greenwood and Tassa’s concerts in Israel that year was a benefit for Harush.
Statement by Jonny Greenwood, Dudu Tassa And the musicians
In case you still didn’t read Radiohead’s statement, linked to in the story above, I’ll copy it below before proceding to the response:
“With regret, our shows in Bristol & London, due to take place on June 23rd & 25th have been cancelled. The venues and their blameless staff have received enough credible threats to conclude that it's not safe to proceed; promoters of the shows can't be expected to fund our, or our audience's, protection.
The campaign which has successfully stopped the concerts insist that "this is not censorship" and "this isn't about silencing music or attacking individual artists." But its organizers can't have it both ways. Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing. Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won't help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves. This cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don't find that anything positive has been achieved.
The record we are touring features singers from Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Iraq. The group's ancestral and musical roots are centuries old: in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Turkey, and all across the Middle East — each of the members brought together by a shared love of Arabic song, regardless of where exactly they all happened to be born. The silencing campaign has demanded that the venues "reaffirm (their) commitment to ethical, inclusive cultural programming." Just not this particular mix of cultures, apparently.
We believe art exists above and beyond politics; that art that seeks to establish the common identity of musicians across borders in the Middle East should be encouraged, not decried; and that artists should be free to express themselves regardless of their citizenship or their religion — and certainly regardless of the decisions made by their governments.
This project has always had a difficult, narrow channel to navigate. We find ourselves in the odd position of being condemned by both ends of the political spectrum.
For some on the right, we're playing the 'wrong' kind of music — too inclusive, too aware of the rich and beautiful diversity of Middle Eastern culture. For some on the left, we're only playing it to absolve ourselves of our collective sins. We dread the weaponisation of this cancellation by reactionary figures as much as we lament its celebration by some progressives.
And yet, meekly agreeing to be silenced without some response feels wrong. As the artist's statement supporting Kneecap says: "As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom ... In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people." Nor should anyone. We have no judgement to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours.
We agree completely with people who ask: 'how can this be more important than what's happening in Gaza and Israel?' They're right — it isn't. How could it be? What, in anyone's upcoming cultural life, is?
We feel great admiration, love and respect for all the performers in this band, especially the Arab musicians and singers who have shown amazing bravery and conviction in contributing to our first record, and in touring with us. Their artistic achievements are toweringly important, and we hope one day you will get to hear us play these songs — love songs mostly — together with us, somewhere, somehow. If that happens, it won't be a victory for any country, religion, or political cause. It'll be a victory for our shared love and respect of the music — and of each other.
Jonny Greenwood, Dudu Tassa And the musicians”
The Blind Response
Radiohead continues to champion peace and unity between Arabs and Jews—humanizing people who are otherwise treated like a monolith by their haters. The band also stands up for the rights of artists they don’t agree with. Their message is love, not hate.
The timing of this incident coincided with NYC’s SummerStage canceling antisemitic artist Kehlani after public outcry that she was inciting violence. Unlike the complaints against Radiohead—who support dialogue and once performed for the IDF, prompting Palestine Supporters to threaten concertgoers—the complaints against Kehlani were about actual incitement. Kehlani has repeatedly refused to condemn Hamas, instead chanting “Long live the Intifada” for over 18 months. Radiohead lived through the Intifada. They don’t support the blind bombing of buses, fast food restaurants, and other places where low-income workers gather, even if the targettted attacks of low-income workers are in the name of “Freeing Palestine.”
Palestine Supporters like racist white lady Megan Scanlon from New York insisted that canceling Kehlani’s tax-funded concert was “fascist censorship.” That very same day, Megan argued it was right to boycott Radiohead. I’m only calling her out first because her name popped up early in multiple posts, complaining that canceling Kehlani is literal fascism, and that Radiohead should be canceled.
But let’s look at even more of the comments, so you can understand the cult-like nature of this movement, where “Free Palestine” means whatever they want it to mean. You should notice how many people openly admit they didn’t bother reading anything. The replies include dozens of, “I’m not reading that” and “tl;dr Free Palestine,” alongside slightly more modest admissions of ignorance. This is exactly what we’ve come to expect: absolutely no dialogue. They’re telling you, “Free Palestine supports censorship.”
User thatmancbird (also goes by tmbpersonal), who’s profile says, “✨️ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪɴᴊᴜꜱᴛɪᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ʟᴀᴡ, ʀᴇꜱɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴅᴜᴛʏ” thinks she really knows about “kikkkes.” Much like Dan Bilzerian, his ugly superfan thinks they’re “not antisemitic, just antizionist.”
To prove this is the most zombie like cult: jkcarlisle21 echoed the illiteracy with “i aint reading all that or sorry that happened free Palestine”. joacist, “ain’t read that, free Palestine”. bierko, “We ain’t reading all this .. free {Ba’ath Flag}”. bernard loopkin, “Ain’t reading all that crap, Free Palestine”. And I don’t know if this is better or worse, neustoy pretended to read it, saying, “Silly words. He doesn’t even talk about Palestine”
classwarhooligan1312, the fakest of fake Marxists, wrote, “Cry harder and die mad about it”. lpquig, “Someone call the fucking wahmbulance. Free Palestine {Ba’ath Flag}” bristling, “boo fucking hoo”. danielgantner_, “what a pussy, free Palestine”. themightytoos, “Boo frickin hoo. Free Palestine from Nazi Zionist Israel”. nicolebtv13, “Cry harder”.
carrowccinco (Gareth) writes, “Ashamed I ever like this band honestly. Free Palestine.” Because an ugly ass Irish radio broadcaster can’t enjoy any music associated with someone who supports Jews! mommasmashley writes the typical “Free Palestine {Ba’ath Flag} emoji” and got 1400+ likes for it, because she’s neurospicy and fits their ideal useful idiot.
For sure a bot n888ture really gets straight to the Free Palestine message, “I hope Jonny and his mr burns2death” This account has 0 posts and 2400 “followers.” I encourage you to click on these people’s profiles and see they’re very often accounts like this, with 0 posts, 0 reason to follow, and yet either with 1000s of mysterious followers, or few followers and following 1000s. The point is it’s poser shit.
