Radiohead is being threatened with a boycott from a pro-Palestinian pressure group after the British band’s guitarist was accused of “artwashing of Gaza’s genocide”.
It came after, Jonny Greenwood performed with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa at the Barby club in Tel Aviv and played music from their 2023 album of reworked Arabic love songs.
Greenwood rejected calls for him to cancel a European tour with the Israeli rock star because of the war in Gaza.
He said the threat of “grassroots measures” from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement was “unprogressive” and “silencing” on Tuesday.
“Silencing Israeli artists for being born Jewish in Israel doesn’t seem like any way to reach an understanding between the two sides of this apparently endless conflict,” Greenwood said.
“I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worthwhile.”
He added that those musicians were “far braver” than “those who are trying to shut us down, or who are now attempting to ascribe a sinister ulterior motivation to the band’s existence”.
Thom Yorke calls BDS protestors ‘offensive’ and ‘patronising’
Greenwood’s Tel Aviv performance on May 26 reportedly came a day after he attended protests calling for the release of the hostages in Gaza and for new elections in Israel.
Soon afterwards, the BDS movement, which applies pressure on artists not to perform in Israel, said on social media: “Palestinians unequivocally condemn Jonny Greenwood’s shameful artwashing of Israel’s genocide.
“We call for peaceful, creative pressure on Radiohead to convincingly distance itself from this blatant complicity in the crime of crimes, or face grassroots measures.”
Greenwood is married to Israeli artist Sharona Katan. The Jerusalem Post reported she had lost a nephew who was serving in the Israeli army during the war against Hamas.
Tassa’s family moved to Israel in the 1950s to escape anti-Semitism in Iraq and his grandfather was one of the most famous Iraqi composers of the 20th century, whose music remains popular in the Arab world today.
He said Greenwood was “an amazing person who is always willing to take risks for peace and justice”.
Radiohead have performed in Israel throughout their career, despite protests from some fans and activists. Their hit Creep was first successful in Israel after initially failing to make an impression elsewhere.
Frontman Thom Yorke called BDS protesters “offensive” and “patronising” after criticism of a 2017 Radiohead show in Israel.
“The person who knows most about these things is Jonny,” he said but later added that: “playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government.”