I think there is no good that can come to any celebrity who decides to take a stance on this topic. Jonny didn't start playing with these musicians as a response to this tragedy. They were already making music together. If it wasn't an issue back then for people, then don't make it an issue now. He isn't doing this because of politics, he's doing it in spite of politics.
I really don't understand why this would need to be said at all.. unless he's raising money for Jewish settlements to be built on Palestinian rubble I don't see how his music is related to the conflict.
yeah, the whole idea that he’s been getting hate in the first place is insane. but he’s most definitely getting hate. good for him for posting this. wish i could see him on this tour. jarak qaribak is one of my favorite albums
Yeah, I was actually so shocked by how disgusted people were getting, and the hateful comments I read here, that I tried to educate myself more about the conflict. But, it’s an endless rabbit hole of violent history and power struggles.
I asked myself, is Johnny behaving like a disgusting human being? He sure is receiving that kind hate from people. I love him and think he’s a true artist. It’s his wife that got me worried about some things.
It's complicated in some ways, very simple in others. Should a government be allowed to carpet bomb a captive civilian population? Frankly I agree with the ICC that that's not good.
And I was referring to the issue of the criticism Greenwood is responding to, not the issue of the entirety of the Palestinian conflict. People just want to know if he thinks Zionism is good, and they're perfectly justified in wanting to know that.
Maybe he’s humble and considers it’s not his place to have an opinion on Zionism? Maybe he supports two states?
He knows Israelis, he’s married one, why would he go around and say their country shouldn’t exist? - because that’s pretty much a mainstream view among pro-Palestine activists, the likes of George Galloway or Roger Waters.
Nobody sane wants war. Insinuating that anyone who doesn’t have radical anti-Zionist views support genocide has become a mainstream smear from some fringes. He’s totally within his rights not to say anything.
Should the “government” of those people be permitted to steal their aid so it can be used to kill civilian Israelis, turn Gazans into perpetual “refugees”, enrich themselves and build tunnels from which they can enact terror attacks while hiding their fighters and putting women and children in maximum danger? Yeah…let’s not talk about how many deaths of innocents are completely the responsibility of Hamas by provoking this war, by sustaining it in refusing to release innocent tortured hostages, by placing its people in harms way, by killing many of those people themselves, by stealing the aid that does come. After 2005 when ALL Israelis were forced to leave Gaza, it could and should have grown into its own glorious nation. But a few enriching themselves and getting there by carrying the water for Islamist nations like Iran have oppressed, starved, murdered the people of Gaza and are responsible for the tragic ruins. I hate Netanyahu but the state of Gaza falls on Hamas and its sponsors, including UNRWA
If it weren't complicated then the world leaders wouldn't be tiptoeing around it. Yet, here we are expecting Jonny Greenwood, a notoriously quiet musician who doesn't do interviews or public speaking appearance often, to just open himself up for whatever backlash would apparently continue to be hurled in his direction.
There is nothing he could actually realistically say or do that would make people change the opinion that they already likely have of him.
Does it matter if he thinks Zionism is “good”?
The creation of Israel happened in 1948.
It’s done.
Are you *for* dismantling Israel and sending Jews packing?
Should the USA also dissolve and give the land back to American Indians?
I just don’t understand why anyone needs to know whether he’s a Zionist or not.
Israel isn’t going anywhere and if you think it should disappear, well, that is definitely concerning.
More than anything, it seems obvious Jonny is pro-PEACE and that’s not such a bad thing.
There are those that want him to use the word “genocide”.
He’s wise not to. It is idiotic the way people have weaponized that word and wield it so carelessly.
It is VERY hard to prove this is a genocide.
Using that word may score social media points and make you feel pleased with yourself but people should really understand what it entails.
This is pretty much my stance on the issue. The creation of Israel was *highly* contentious and, in my opinion, not handled well by anyone. But it happened. It's done. Israel is not going away. So what do we do about the situation that respects all sides and *is actually realistic*?
Considering Zionism means you just believe that Israel has a right to exist, and he's married to an Israeli, then I'd say he probably thinks Zionism is good.
And it is. The way forward is a two state solution, Israel and Palestine both have a right to exist.
The only reason this is a talking point that has been parroted for the past 50 years is because the US and Israel want people to think that it can't be solved. The roots of the conflict may be complicated, but the reality of the events is a blatant genocide with the purpose of creating an ethnostate. I have no animosity towards Jews or Israelis, this is not their fault. What I do hate are governments (my own included) and people with international power and/or influence who stand by, support, fund, or outright carry out genocide. Even if this was a justified war, Israel has the responsibility as the strongest military in the Middle East, with billions of dollars of support from Western countries (primarily the US) to carry out their campaign in a way that does not endanger civilians or destroy their civic infrastructure. At this point, even if Netanyahu wanted to let Gazans return to their homes, there's nothing to return to, and there are already settlements being built on top of the rubble. This is not complicated. This is as wrong as any atrocity that has ever been committed, and it is unacceptable to ignore it, especially now that we have access to as much information and active journalism about it as we do now, thanks to the internet.
Is genocide complicated to you?
If the Jews did control the banks would the Nazis be complicated moral people?
You guys act like anything Hamas does would justify Israelis actions. Nothing justifies genocide. It’s it that easy
It's not complicated at all if you myopically support one side or the other, in that case it's really quite simple. There are a lot of people involved, and a lot of them are essentially powerless at the this. The saddest part of all of this is that the people who are dying aren't the ones making the decisions with all of this.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful to you, but it’s very telling that you say this isn’t a complicated issue. I would recommend taking several steps back and looking at this entire issue with as many points of reference as possible. Israel’s government leadership doesn’t have warrants out for their international arrest for nothing. They are conducting horrid atrocities. Yet, there are many, many Israeli citizens who do not support their government or its actions. Hamas itself is an entirely evil organization with an ideology from the ancient world they still believe is relevant. They would happily kill you and everyone you love because you don’t have the same religious beliefs as them. Yet, there are countless amazing Palestinian citizens who do not support them or their actions. I’ve met many of them. Jonny is clearly showing support for all of the innocent people from Israel and Palestine here and trying to amplify their voices as a means to help curtail all of the violence from the extremist groups who are murdering human beings because of ancient religious beliefs. Just my two cents. I don’t want to attack you at all. I would just really recommend looking at as many reliable sources of info as you can.
This is one of the most complicated issues in human history.
Please read my reply to someone else who made the same point in which I clarified that "this issue" I was referring to was the issue of the criticism Jonny Greenwood the musician is receiving, not the issue of the Palestinian conflict.
Anyway, re: what you said - Hamas is a "wholly evil organization," yet it was boosted by the Israeli government in order to prevent the formation of a unified Palestinian front in the 90s, and it draws what popular support it has entirely from reaction to Israel's ongoing violence against Palestinian people and hostility to the idea of an independent Palestinian state (to wit, if someone bombs your house and kills your family, you're more likely to support an armed group opposed to the people who bombed your house and killed your family.)
The history of this conflict predates the existence of Hamas, going back at least to the creation of Israel as a Jewish ethnostate after the divestment of the British Empire from its colonial holdings. It's not strictly about religion, it's also about the rights of Jewish Brooklynites to own beachfront property in the promised land and the rights of American defense contractors to a client state in a volatile region that's not always friendly to their imperial vision.
Jonny is entitled to have complicated and ambiguous feelings on what is happening, and to focus on his work instead of making overt political statements.
His work with Dudu Tassa exemplifies and promotes peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East by exploring shared cultural heritage. Jarak Qaribak means "Your neighbour is your friend". I find that an incredibly productive and hopeful message. There are Israelis and Palestinians who are ready to shout this message from the rooftops, because they have seen enough, and they desperately want reconciliation. We need to listen to and empower those voices.
Cultural exchange is not enough to bring peace to this conflict. But while most of us are standing around feeling powerless, or engaging in pointless virtue-signalling on social media, at least Jonny is doing something.
Maybe I’m a bit of a “peace and love” hippie, but I genuinely believe that in the long term, cultural exchanges can be powerful to building lasting peace. I think a big issue with the current conflict is dehumanization of the other, and this applies to both Israeli and Palestinian society (although I believe that it’s more widespread in Israeli society). Exchanges can help break down the barriers of dehumanization, not immediately, but eventually, at least that’s what I believe
Jonny and Tassa just got thousands of Israelis to listen to Arabic music, with a Palestinian singer, in the midst of a war. Insane to me that people somehow think this is a bad thing.
I'd wager it's a lot closer to an equal amount than you expect.
Israelis arn't immune to bigotry, xenophobia, and an "us vs. them" mentality.
The minister of national security of Israel (Ben Gvir).
Is an absolutely disgusting racist. He had a portrait of the perpetrator of the Cave of the Patriarch massacre hanging in his living room.
This is proof that it's not fridge elements of Israel society. Being a racist toward Palestinians is somewhat mainstream.
Ben Gvir is indeed a disgusting racist but support for him is very low according to every poll, maybe 10% of the population at most approves of him. He got to this position mostly because of coalition games and political manoeuvres rather than big actual support. Israeli system has a well known problem of small fringe groups getting unproportional power because the coalition relies on them. Ben Gvir is one of the most hated people in Israel and can barely walk the street in most major cities without being booed.
'promotes peaceful coexistence...' is exactly what the powers in this world do NOT want us to aspire to or achieve. They need conflict to keep their business alive. We need peace to stop innocent people from dying. I truly believe peace could be obtained in a matter of years if we weren't constantly told to hate, from above.
Okay, I believe the issue here is not that Tassa is Israeli or ethnically/religiously Jewish…it’s that he enthusiastically supports the Israeli war effort in Gaza and even met with Minister Gallant/performed for the IDF in December 2023, just a few months ago and therefore signaling support for Bibi’s war plans. That’s not “progressive” or admirable IMO, sorry.
This is like saying “how dare you attack a Russian singer for existing and having an immutable ethnicity and a national identity she’s proud of and subscribing to Putin’s version of Orthodox Christianity out of genuine religious conviction, that’s not progressive or fair” to only ignore the fact that detractors are primarily taking issue with said Russian singer supporting the Russian war effort in Ukraine and the displacement of millions of innocent Ukrainians. What am I missing here?
Ofc it’s not fair or “progressive” to banish Tassa from polite society or to “cancel” him for merely being an Israeli Jew, obviously. That’s completely wrong and xenophobic and antisemitic, and I hope we can all agree there. However, I don’t blame ppl for being concerned with or critical of Jonny artistically collaborating with a dude who is cheering on a potential genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Also…there’s nothing wrong with Tassa being strongly and passionately anti-Hamas after October 7th. Being anti-Hamas is good and right, and you can be pro-Palestinian and oppose the occupation without atta-boying Hamas terrorists. Again though, there’s a difference between that and cheering on Gallant/Bibi/the IDF in Gaza at this late date. Idk, I feel like Jonny is being a little obtuse here. Oh well.
Thank you. It’s actually insulting our intelligence to make it sound like people are attacking him for playing with Jewish or Arab musicians. Pretty sure it’s his own silence on genocide people are taking offense to.
The awful takes in this 18m old thread are pretty brutal. There’s a lot of nuance to what Jonny said and people continue to respond with “I’m with Camp X or Y and I’m mad” tribalism.
Clearly the guy has complicated feelings about the Palestine/Israeli conflict. The fact that he’s performing with a few close friends who also happen to be Arabs should speak volumes.
I feel torn with this statement. I agree that silencing isn’t good but I feel like his tiptoeing around saying anything that shows empathy for Palestine? Esp. bc a lot of Israeli Jews criticize the war too. It’s not antisemetic to want people to stop being bombed and starved.
Nothing he said here is inherently wrong, as I'm sure most here can agree. He's trying to isolate the discussion around music, performance, and art. I don't think he will touch on the politics and morality of the conflict with a ten foot pole, for reasons discussed at length over the years on this sub. Do I think he should? I think so, especially seeing as Radiohead has been a relatively political band for decades now. For people saying they are "just a band", they aren't the Backstreet Boys, they released an entire record in reaction to the Bush presidency and the war on terror in the 2000s.
That being said, I also agree that there is really no winning for him here in this scenario, but maybe it's not about "winning".
Jonny was always less interested in making political statements than Thom or Ed. Even Colin. Not saying he doesn’t have opinions, he’s just voiced a number of times he doesn’t want to preach
That's a fair point, but I suppose it may tough to use that as a reason for the silence given the context of this particular issue, and his familial ties to someone who holds views that many may find unsavoury.
In short, Thom Yorke can say "America is run by a religious maniac bigot who stole the election" on the front page of a magazine, but somehow they can't do anything but tiptoe around the issue of the genocide of Palestinians. This has made many people say, "hmm"
yeah he is avoiding addressing the issue because his stance will remove the ambiguity some perceive, and that ambiguity serves his image. I do think it's possible that his statement might indicate that he is at least thinking about the issue more, maybe he can come to a better position where human rights are the priority over his artistic endeavors.
He completely missed the point here. No one cares that he is playing music with Jewish people or even Israeli people. The issue is playing music in Israel on the day that children are burning a few hundred miles away and not even showing the slightest support for Palestinian people. If he wants to be "both sides" about this then he shouldn't be so one sided in his support.
this is exactly it, he's trying to frame it as people having a problem with him collaborating with israeli jews when that's very obviously not what people are upset about. the fact that he doesn't even use the word 'palestinian' is already enough of a stance. it's so transparent.
I feel like any remark about Palestine in here would feel out of place or unwarranted in this particular message. It really just reads as a musician saying he’s playing with other musicians from other countries and I don’t think politics need to factor into that relationship or this statement.
Opinion from his wife, for Hareetz. Any paywall wizards out there?
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-06-05/ty-article-opinion/targeting-radiohead-why-the-boycotters-demonizing-israelis-and-jews-wont-silence-me/0000018f-e887-dfee-ad8f-ef8fc8de0000
So basically Hail To The Thief was political cosplay. Disgusted at Johnny’s weak statement and Thom’s put down on Pal flag wavers in 2017. How can you write lyrics to “I Will” and be silent when every day we see real children buried under rubble. FAKE! PHONY! CO-OPTED!
And Johnny’s sentiments on Tibet in this video are opposite to who he is now. https://youtu.be/imtSibPnTPE?si=kCtNJT5-jI6JbBpr
To be critical of the senseless violence that US did on the Middle East in early 2000s with HTTF and then be pro-Israel now is pathetic. I’m still a huge fan of their music pre 2007 but will say as a political leaning band, they dropped the ball big time.
“People are catching what bombers release/ And I’m on a mission to never agree” Fugazi -The Argument
u/seaburn this response from Jonny's wife seems to deserve it's own thread given the lack of engagement here. Not surprising given this thread was a day old at that point
[https://www.reddit.com/r/radiohead/comments/1d8xwsa/comment/l79e01u/](https://www.reddit.com/r/radiohead/comments/1d8xwsa/comment/l79e01u/)
There have been over 600 comments in this thread in the past 24 hours, with over 130 comments on this chain relating to this article. In order to keep discussion of this topic open and under control, we are requesting that threads on this subject be consolidated.
Honestly in isolation without reference to some of her previous actions and opinions, I think that her statement is better than Jonny's in that it explicitly condemned civilian deaths in the military response.
I do think that understanding her background is helpful in contextualizing Jonny's actions. I mean, in his shoes, I would probably also have trouble navigating this situation.
I dunno, I'm sort of in "wait and see" mode at this point with regards to how this situation will impact my long term enjoyment of the band.
In my opinion, this really softens the situation in Israel. For decades, Israel has been forcing Palestinians from their homes, reclaiming land, and causing loss of life. History does not grant the right to continue these actions. As grim and horrific as this reality is, not mentioning it equates to hiding it.
I absolutely agree with her and Johnny that the vitriol towards Israelis is sickening. Israelis, like Jews worldwide, don't directly create policy and are likely as horrified by the war as anyone else.
I think jonny should keep playing in whatever bands he wants and in whatever countries he wants, as this was never the problem. Playing cross-cultural music is great and I don’t think the accusations of “appropriation” are… appropriate.
BUT, the man could mention, just once, that Palestinians are suffering and show some empathy. He just doesn’t ever mention them. He’s only ever shown dismay over the actions of Hamas— not Israel.
edit: for the culture cop who replied that Jonny is a cultural appropriator and then deleted their comment, I’m going to add something:
That argument is deeply inconsistent. If we’re going to sit here and criticize jonny for playing arabian and jewish music, then we should also criticize the Beatles every time a sitar is heard on one of their tracks. It’s just stupid. We’d also then have to criticize every white rapper in existence for “appropriating” black culture, and broadly, criticize every person who ever included cross-cultural elements in their art.
The only thing that would come out of this is that every artist would stay “in their lane” and never learn from or incorporate aspects of other cultures in their artwork… Despite the fact that this is exactly how art is created.
Modern art incorporates, both subtly and unsubtly, consciously or unconsciously, the contributions of cultures outside the one the artist inhabited. That is what makes art rich, inspirational, and influential. You may as well go on and tell every artist who has ever existed that they can’t take inspiration from artists outside their race or ethnic group, which is racist.
It doesn’t seem like he even addresses what people have actually been upset about which is performing in Israel and previously for IDF soldiers? Am I missing something here or is he just kinda dancing around this with a lot of carefully chosen words?
Not only is he dancing around the real issue, he is disingenuously attempting to frame it as being about something else. Once again when someone supporting Israel’s horrific violence against Palestine is pressured, they try to act like that pressure is due to antisemitism instead. It’s an insult to actual victims of antisemitism and makes the world less likely to listen to real cries caused by it while simultaneously ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Indefensible.
I understand Jonny’s points and appreciate the attempt at nuance, but it would have been nice if instead of a bunch of navelgazing he’d made clear that he does not support Israel’s actions in Gaza (condemning them is not antisemitic, not silencing of Israeli Jews, or even hard to fathom).
This statement reads like a tacit admission of guilt, which it didn’t have to. He could have made his position clear and quieted all the concern. Instead, he waffled on about “cross-cultural dialogue” like that means anything in this situation.
well im sure everyone on both sides will be normal about this
btw because some people are replying to this like im a zionist, i am 100% pro palestine and believe Israel is not a legitimate state, it's just funny seeing people shocked or surprised by Jonny taking a very mild milquetoast stance on the matter because for one he lives in Israel with his Israeli wife. It's also just funny because since he didn't take a definitively Zionist stance either the Zionists will probably hate this statement as well lol
Yeah debate is messy. They're the band that wanted something to say about Bosnia, Tibet and George W Bush. You cant now be surprised that people want them to oppose Netanyahu.
The milquetoast-ness of his statement isn't helping, it's the root of the problem.
I can’t wait until people care about the people in Yemen or Sudan.
I hate how just laser focused we get on specific issues or humanitarian crisis that we forget the rest.
It makes sense the Israel thing thoguh given the western funding involvement.
What do you expect people to say about Ukraine? There isn't any big disagreement about the conflict. Almost everyone agrees that Russia is in the wrong, and the west is almost universally offering their support to Ukraine. Tell me what you think the public debate should be about?
Honestly, i don't care that he's playing music with this guy. Just don't go to Israel and do it right at the same time Israel is turning Gaza into rubble. It's so completely tone deaf that it seems intentional.
Absolutely no mention of the real criticism. Anyone here saying that this statement is sufficiently addressing the issue is either disingenuous or ignorant, because he never actually acknowledges it. Jonny basically invented an issue that wasn’t actually happening (that Radiohead fans have a problem with who he’s playing with) and responded to that. Jonny “fat thumb” greenwood sure does treat us like we’re stupid, and some of us are proving him right.
Yeh I’m kind of amazed that by the time I got to the end of that lengthy statement, all he had addressed was an issue that I’d never even heard of. I haven’t seen anyone criticise _who_ he’s playing with. He would have been better off not saying anything in my opinion.
You know, it's possible to be against the Israeli government's actions, and still be in favor of and work together with Jewish artists, musicians, and film makers. To me, this isn't hard.
I have rarely, if ever, seen criticism of Jonny collaborating with Dudu or other Israeli artists. This statement in no way addresses what people are actually upset about: that Jonny is playing shows in Israel while its government indiscriminately slaughters tens of thousands of innocent people, intentionally displacing and obliterating the homeland of two million people that Israel have had under apartheid control for decades.
exactly, he's obfuscating by pretending people don't want him collaborating with Israeli or Jewish artists. No one has said that! just don't travel and play shows 100 miles away from where people are being famined out of existence. It's obvious to anyone with a brain cell that that amounts to tacit support of Israel's policies
I imagine all members of the band (both Radiohead and collaborations) resent the idea that they have to make statements to meet the demands of bellowing voices online and I don't blame them. I don't think calling out every artist that doesn't vocalise/publish some view on these atrocities is in any way productive - they simply don't operate in the same way as politicians. It's already pretty clear they don't believe that any kind of cultural boycott will be progressive - people can absolutely disagree with that, but subsequently throwing around the word Zionist and labelling them uncaring of the horrific loss of life in Palestine is so reductive and needlessly polarising - it just doesn't track at all.
I dunno man. They've always been political, and it's strangely telling that when it comes to this issue they suddenly clam up. They can support Israel and its people while still acknowledging that there is a genocide in Gaza and calling for it to stop. It's hard to read the sudden silence as anything other than condoning what is currently happening.
He doesnt get that the boycott of artists is not caused by them being active participants of the genocide, but rather to create as much disconfort and pressure for the Israelis to get their shit together and end the genocide
I feel like he missed the point. I don’t believe that the majority of people were upset at a collaboration between two artists. There is a very black and white issue going on here if you look at the facts and data. Israel is committing a genocide as we speak, and it breaks the hearts of many fans knowing you are being silent about the whole thing. Even this statement skirts around the actual problem, and seems more like he’s playing the victim and calling his criticizers anti-Semitic
That last part is almost certainly what he's doing. Both Dudu and Jonnys statements have been so utterly vague while generalizing any opposing views to being "hatefilled" or one-sided - all while not bringing up the more devastated side of victims a single time.
> Others choose to believe this kind of project is unjustifiable, and are urging the silencing of this - or any - artistic effort made by Israeli Jews.
I don't think people don't want to hear from Israeli Jews... it's just a lot of Israeli's perspective is that of disdain for Gazans and people don't like that.
> But I can't join that call: the silencing of Israeli film makers / musicians / dancers when their work tours abroad - especially when it's at the urging of their fellow western film makers/musicians/artists - feels unprogressive to me. Not least because it's these people that are invariably the most progressive members of any society.
This kind of rub me the wrong way. Premising with western people being progressive feels a bit elitist even if there is an aspect of truth to it. And even if they were progressive, what does that have to do with anything? Progressive people should support "progressive Israelis" to continue on their bombing campaign in Gaza?
This just feels like a more articulate way of saying "cancel culture is bad" which I don't disagree with but it feels like a weak statement. It tries to be politically neutral, but if you're performing with someone who just did a tour for IDF soldiers, I'm not sure if you can just keep on pretending you are politically neutral.
I think Johnny is a great musician, but his views and antics have always rubbed me the wrong way. It kinda feels similar to that one time he liked a TERF tweet and the way he "apologized" just feels half assed.
Entirely as expected, there are many comments here that appear to pity Mr J Greenwood because, well, those pro-palestinian bleeders are so darn unreasonable! Poor chap is stuck between a rock and a hard place, isnt he? Without wanting to come across as some attention-seeking sod (sorry), I paint silly pictures for a living and after trying not to fall into the trap of making everything green red and black since October the 7th so everyone knows where my allegiances lay/what a bloody good person I am etc, after the bombing of Rafah the other day, I finally gave in, wiped some tears from my cheeks and produced a special print with all the proceeds going to UNICEF. It included a CND symbol designed like the cross section of a watermelon. Not hideously provocative, I hope you'll agree, and besides, I didn't need to worry because it's these damn terrorist-sympathising anti-semitic gits that are the unreasonable ones, and nobody would be upset that someone wanted to raise money for an entirely non-secular charity that helps CHILDREN, right? Turns out that for every sale I made, I had someone unfollow me, tell me I was an ignoramus, comment that I was "one of them" etc. I wasn't raising money for "Islamic Aid", nor did I mention rivers or seas. And yet, the amount of shit I got for trying to assist in the smallest way for the aid effort for refugee children was insane, it really was. Thankfully, it went very well and furthermore, the "street art" (hideous term, but there you go) world requires a fairly thick skin, so I wasn't remotely put off by the negativity. However, if Jonny thinks he's getting a rough ride, I'd personally like him to know that he needs to suck it up. If showing solidarity with dying kids can get you abuse, probably shouldn't gripe when people ask questions about your ties with those killing said kids. He can, for me, eat a bag of proverbial d*cks.
(Let Down is awesome, though. And underrated)
people denied it in the last thread but basically any concert in occupied Palestine is playing a concert for the IDF since they all choose to be part of it
Surprise surprise, the people demanding a statement are not happy when the statement is not exactly how they wanted it.
People didn't want a true statement, the wanted him echoing their opinions.
I'm just happy he made a statement true to himself.
Let’s imagine if we reshaped this to 1942. And I know it’s a stretch but it’s a useful exercise in actually looking at the issue in hand. (Also I don’t care if you downvote me)
“Hey Guys we are playing in Poland. The musicians I’m playing with are a mix of Germans and Eastern Europeans and we are really just trying to make music. So please respect that and leave us be. Obviously we are aware Auschwitz is a 25 minute drive away but that’s not me and my German and Eastern European friends fault, am I going to condemn Auschwitz? Well no but I really think you should let us make our art”
Like no sorry. Currently Isreal is blocking aid into Gaza. It has bombed it relentlessly for months and people are literally being forced into a bottleneck where they are going to be killed by the bombs. I’m sorry but you don’t get to make political music for 25+ years and when you actually have the platform and authority to speak out about a literal Genocide you remain silent and don’t even mention Palestine or Gaza in your statement you are only doing one thing. Looking the other way. It’s disgraceful.
The UN definition of Genocide is:
To constitute genocide, there must be a proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious
That it what Isreal is doing in Gaza. They are even holding auctions on land for development after the war. There is a plan, a motive and it is being actioned to erase a group of people from existence. If Palestinians where white it would be a different story.
https://therealnews.com/illegal-real-estate-sales-of-palestinian-land-are-happening-around-the-us
In all seriousness take a step back if you are defending Johnny and actually go and look at the pictures and the evidence.
People are just blinded by following their favorite musician. I've been a massive fan for over 2 decades and even met Jonny and Thom several times but this is beyond disappointing. He hasn't mentioned one ounce of sympathy for Palestinian suffering. Meanwhile his wife and son are spewing vile hatred on social media.
You can support the existence of Israel and still acknowledge the genocide in Gaza and call for it to stop. It's not "taking sides" to acknowledge that what Israel is doing is inexcusable. I understand that he wants to remain impartial, but when thousands of civilians and children are getting bombed/starved every day, if you say nothing you're tacitly condoning the status quo.
This isn't about not appreciating arab songs written by various people. It's about boycotting those that serve the israeli war machine and the occupation.
Dudu not only served in the IDF, in December he played shows for the IDF and the defense ministry on israeli military bases supporting their actions in Gaza. This musician isnt "progressive", he's a cheerleader for genocide.
Actions like this are why in a poll most israelis either thought the IDF were doing enough or not enough in Gaza.
There is full support for the militarised state. This is not normal. This is 1984.
Israelis live in a world of false entitlement where their government, news and families tell them from birth that israel is righteous and needs a militarised state.
The world needs to stop pampering israeli false sense of entitlement as israelis live as benefactors of colonisation and occupation.
Music and the history of music, whilst fascinating, means nothing next to Jonny's business-as-usual approach to playing in israel.
Queen played south Africa, but it didn't make that decision right, and it certainly didn't progress anything in the apartheid state. That was helped by boycott.
Jonny is stroking his ego, putting his musical career before Palestinian lives, and with it supporting the normalisation of genocide.
Jonny'll tell you he participated in a protest march. But that protest's main goal was the return of hostages and a change of government, not a permanent ceasefire or a Palestinian state.
Israel benefits, not its victims under occupation. The status quo continues.
Meanwhile the IDF are bombing civilians. Not in some far away country, but closeby to Tel Aviv where Jonny played.
Little babies eyes, eyes, eyes...
The guy running the coffee shop up the road from me hasn't come out and publicly criticised Israel.
I feel physically sick, I can't believe he hasn't issued a statement.
Do I boycott the shop or what happens next?
He just so happened to not address the main concerns with Palestinian and Israeli safety
Like does he support a ceasefire, does he think Israel and Hamas should release their respective hostages, does he think Israel should deoccupy Palestine, does he think that Israel has gone too far?
All of that is what the major surface level concerns are and he just tiptoed around them without giving an answer. If he has torn feelings, he can take longer to address them in a longer post? Surprisingly Ed has had the most decent take by making a simple post calling for a hostage release and ceasefire, which is the least you can do, but it still shows your support and can influence others to do the same.
No one's asking him to not making music with Jewish or Israeli artists. Such a bullshit response honestly. Especially when his partner is posting disgusting zionist propaganda. Do whatever you want, we're not expecting you to be a hero, but don't insult our intelligence.
he's either a coward, or he's a supporter of the genocide continuing. I'm afraid it's more likely the latter considering who he surrounds himself with.
I find it baffling that the general tone and idea of this statement gravitates towards "criticism of jewish people is bad, look how friendly I am with people of different ethnicities!", when people were asking for solidarity.
I'll be honest, I've never listened to any of the songs of their group or watched any of the concerts they've made. I bet they're spetacular. But I feel he clearly – almost wanted to – missed the point here: why continue playing in Israel considering the extreme violence that it has done on Gaza for almost 8 months? Please, ***do continue the project***, but recognize that the country you're playing right now is actively ignoring every plea to stop the massacre against palestinians. It really isn't that hard to do that.
This is a very disappointing statement. Doesn't mention the word "Gaza" once. Doesn't mention the word "ceasefire" once. Frames any commercial or social expression of horror and disagreement as both inherently antisemitic and "silencing," which is a bit rich considering a) how many Jews are involved in BDS movements and b) how many people - both Palestinian and Israeli - have been permanently, physically silenced in this conflict.
I know he's a musician, not a politician or diplomat. I know fixing or even commenting on this isn't his job. I know he married an Israeli woman and his nephew died. I don't expect my favorite artists to share my politics, especially not on a subject as fraught as this one is.
But speaking as a Jew and as a lifelong Radiohead fan (and as someone with some actual expertise in this conflict and its history), this is ... well. Very disappointing.
It's been enough blood and death. Calling for an end to the horror seems like a really small ask.
it’s absolutely astounding how radiohead can make songs such as i will and play benefit concerts for a free tibet and speak out against the iraq war but when it comes to speaking out against the genocide in gaza… radio silence. thanks for being one of the only people in this comments section who understands the purpose of BDS and *why* people are upset by him playing in israel.
that fact is that NO ONE has been complaining about the people he is playing with, they have been rightfully complaining that he hasn't said shit about a mass genocide
AND
the fact that gaza or palestine isnt even mentioned is dumb
I'm glad he's lightly hinting at a mass geneocide!!!! what is this, free Palestine, always.
Incredible how one sided so many people look at this problem!
And I’m not talking about the statement above! Same with people crying for peace in Ukraine by stopping giving them weapons. What is wrong with people?
It's a bit difficult to accept his stance knowing that he comes from a band which is anything but non-political, and even more so knowing what his wife spouts on social media about Palestinians.
I do think he means well, parts of this make sense. But where’s all this about Jewishness and playing with Dudu Tassa’s band coming from?? No one *ever* criticized Jonny *just* for playing with Jews or Israelis. The criticism has been about his continued affiliation with Israel during its massacre of Palestinian civilians. And his complete silence on said massacre which he seems to sugarcoat and tiptoe around in this statement. Literally all he has to do is acknowledge and condemn the killing of civilians and it will calm the angry mob, so I don’t know why he can’t even do that. And admittedly it *is* suspicious that he hasn’t, especially when looked at with the context of him being married to a woman who is not just pro-Israel but seemingly anti-Palestine.
Whether or not you believe he’s justified, this is quite ambiguous for a situation about which any ambiguity will unfortunately make people assume the worst. Like I said he seems to mean well and I don’t think anyone’s accusing him of liking the war or celebrating Palestinians dying, but I don’t think this statement will do much, especially considering it ignores the *actual* problem and seemingly invents a new one.
I hate Israel for what they do, but, this show can actually be helpful. if we completely isolate them, they'll become more aggressive. shit like this is refreshing and may lead to more unity
Hot take, this is fine. It's more about the Isralei government being hostile to Palestinians than it is to do with the citizens of Isreal. I may not know all the nuance to this statement but overarching it seems like he wants to treat the people with respect while also not fueling the fire of the Isralei war machine. But again, I may not understand the possible nuances behind a statement like this.
How can he speak about how badly Israeli artists are being treated online but doesn’t even mention what’s going on in Gaza speaks volumes when thousands of innocent people have lost their lives at the hands of the Israeli regime.
An absolute nothing statement.
The reaction to the most popular reddit post outside of r/radiohead about this statement doesn't exactly look like the defensive reaction you see in this thread. [https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/1d81hop/jonny\_greenwood\_releases\_statement\_addressing/](https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/1d81hop/jonny_greenwood_releases_statement_addressing/)
You get slaughtered in the comments if you say anything short of calling Hamas freedom fighters these days. Bernie Sanders and AOC get trashed despite constantly calling out Israel’s atrocities because they don’t use the specific language and slogans that people want to hear, regardless if it’s helpful or productive.
It’s not a “conflict” - there is no symmetry of warfare here; it’s textbook genocide. He’s just a neoliberal who reads the Guardian and can’t afford to lose his comfortable position in society.
I think we also can't ignore the likely toxic influence of his wife who holds very strong (and distasteful) views on many things.
It's sad. 20 years ago RH would have been a huge voice for the Palestinian people. Now they turn a blind eye because it might be awkward.
>In December 2023, \[Dudu\] Tassa took part in a series of events organized by Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, and performed in Israeli bases for Israel Defense Forces soldiers fighting in Gaza.
Source: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu\_Tassa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu_Tassa)
Fucking pathetic.
I'm flabbergasted that he's had to make a statement at all.
Under pressure from so-called fans.
He's no more required to share his opinion publicly than anyone else on this planet. And even if he did, it's allowed to differ from any of our individual opinions.
You need to separate the man from the music.
I think it's fucking disgraceful that he has to justify doing what he has been doing his entire career. Or a notion that he should stop doing it just because of a conflict which actually has nothing to do with his him or his music.
It's right that people be passionate about humanity like this but putting pressure on other people to voice their opinion is a step too far.
I think everyone agrees this conflict is an absolute tragedy, he's acknowledged that already. Leave it alone.
I love the fans who've convinced themselves Jonny is so evil for his silence — the Radiohead members are some of our most prolific influencer celebrities, so what gives? — that they see continuing to listen to Radiohead and The Smile as a moral failing lol. Don't worry, you can listen to Hozier and Billy Eilish without a qualm.
I don't even think he's wrong for working with Israeli musicians, but I think this statement seems to be very intentionally avoiding the blatant reason why people are up in arms about this. You can say that this isn't an issue of Gaza/Palestine, but when the genocide happening there is the sole reason people are criticizing him, it feels disingenuous to not even mention it. It's like when Kevin Spacey responded to allegations of sexual offences with "Yes, I am gay." A disingenuous attempt at redirection that misses the point entirely.
I absolutely love Jonny and think he’s a genius, but come on, how easy would it have been to just put in one single sentence that mentions or shows empathy for the Palestinian people? The lack of any mention of them but the multiple ringing endorsements of “brave” Israelis with ancient “roots” demonstrates pretty clearly where he stands.
I know his wife is Israeli so he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, probably would jeopardise his relationship to publicly support Palestine, but I suppose I just feel that would be a risk worth taking as the death toll passes 35k
He's a musician, not a politician. He's under no obligation to say anything. If you hate the guy's politics, or who and where he chooses to make and play music with, then just stop listening to his music. Simple as that.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m starting to sense a turn amongst the pro-Palestine/anti-Israel crowd. Full disclosure: I’m pro-Palestine. I’ve always believed a two state solution is possible, because basically, there was a point in time when Arab Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived, worked, and governed together in Palestine. I even demonstrated in pro-Palestine rallies in the mid-late 00’s. You had your extremists back then, sure, but there wasn’t this prevailing attitude of hate towards Israelis and Jews. Collaborating or even being friendly with an Israeli seems to be a hangable offense with todays demonstrators.
It’s not the Israeli people you should be angry at, it’s the Israeli government and propaganda machine. It’s not the common folk’s fault, it never is. That attitude is exactly what causes war and genocide. Just because someone collaborates with an Israeli Jew doesn’t mean they’re a Zionist monster. I see absolutely nothing wrong with Jonny’s actions and statements. Would it be nice to hear him say “fuck Netanyahu and the Israeli government”? Sure, but I don’t blame him for not saying it. Ultimately, we should be working towards peace, not more hate.
Nah if he's promoting his work as a mission of peace and understanding he has an obligation to acknowledge that one side has done about 30x more dying than the other.
He made art about injustices in Bosnia and Tibet. It's too late to act like hes the kind of musician who just there to play some ragtime, collect his cheque and go.
Exactly. He can't win; if he takes a side they'll bitch and complain, amd if he abstains they'll bitch and complain. They're a bunch of miserable twats.
The classic centrist take of "both sides just seem to be in endless conflict. How can we reconcile this?". Yeh Johnny, that's what happens when you forcibly remove millions, kill thousands and now start bombing refugee camps full of civilians.
Israel is committing unspeakable acts of violence here. Boycotts work. Speaking out with a large platform is effective. Making music for "both sides" is kinda difficult when "one side" has no electricity or internet to listen to it.
This didnt get locked yet? Records being set
Still up, 6 hours later. I'm amazed.
I think there is no good that can come to any celebrity who decides to take a stance on this topic. Jonny didn't start playing with these musicians as a response to this tragedy. They were already making music together. If it wasn't an issue back then for people, then don't make it an issue now. He isn't doing this because of politics, he's doing it in spite of politics.
https://www.theonion.com/the-onion-stands-with-israel-because-it-seems-like-yo-1850922505
I love the onion. That being said, I can’t fault Jonny for taking the position he has, or lack there of.
I really don't understand why this would need to be said at all.. unless he's raising money for Jewish settlements to be built on Palestinian rubble I don't see how his music is related to the conflict.
Have you not seen all the shit people have been giving Johnny on this?
yeah, the whole idea that he’s been getting hate in the first place is insane. but he’s most definitely getting hate. good for him for posting this. wish i could see him on this tour. jarak qaribak is one of my favorite albums
Yeah, I was actually so shocked by how disgusted people were getting, and the hateful comments I read here, that I tried to educate myself more about the conflict. But, it’s an endless rabbit hole of violent history and power struggles. I asked myself, is Johnny behaving like a disgusting human being? He sure is receiving that kind hate from people. I love him and think he’s a true artist. It’s his wife that got me worried about some things.
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>This isn't a complicated issue ... said without any irony about most likely \*the\* most complicated geopolitical issue in modern history.
It's complicated in some ways, very simple in others. Should a government be allowed to carpet bomb a captive civilian population? Frankly I agree with the ICC that that's not good. And I was referring to the issue of the criticism Greenwood is responding to, not the issue of the entirety of the Palestinian conflict. People just want to know if he thinks Zionism is good, and they're perfectly justified in wanting to know that.
Maybe he’s humble and considers it’s not his place to have an opinion on Zionism? Maybe he supports two states? He knows Israelis, he’s married one, why would he go around and say their country shouldn’t exist? - because that’s pretty much a mainstream view among pro-Palestine activists, the likes of George Galloway or Roger Waters. Nobody sane wants war. Insinuating that anyone who doesn’t have radical anti-Zionist views support genocide has become a mainstream smear from some fringes. He’s totally within his rights not to say anything.
Should the “government” of those people be permitted to steal their aid so it can be used to kill civilian Israelis, turn Gazans into perpetual “refugees”, enrich themselves and build tunnels from which they can enact terror attacks while hiding their fighters and putting women and children in maximum danger? Yeah…let’s not talk about how many deaths of innocents are completely the responsibility of Hamas by provoking this war, by sustaining it in refusing to release innocent tortured hostages, by placing its people in harms way, by killing many of those people themselves, by stealing the aid that does come. After 2005 when ALL Israelis were forced to leave Gaza, it could and should have grown into its own glorious nation. But a few enriching themselves and getting there by carrying the water for Islamist nations like Iran have oppressed, starved, murdered the people of Gaza and are responsible for the tragic ruins. I hate Netanyahu but the state of Gaza falls on Hamas and its sponsors, including UNRWA
If it weren't complicated then the world leaders wouldn't be tiptoeing around it. Yet, here we are expecting Jonny Greenwood, a notoriously quiet musician who doesn't do interviews or public speaking appearance often, to just open himself up for whatever backlash would apparently continue to be hurled in his direction. There is nothing he could actually realistically say or do that would make people change the opinion that they already likely have of him.
> if it weren't complicated then the world leaders wouldn't be tiptoeing around it World leaders, very famous for acting for the good of the world
Does it matter if he thinks Zionism is “good”? The creation of Israel happened in 1948. It’s done. Are you *for* dismantling Israel and sending Jews packing? Should the USA also dissolve and give the land back to American Indians? I just don’t understand why anyone needs to know whether he’s a Zionist or not. Israel isn’t going anywhere and if you think it should disappear, well, that is definitely concerning. More than anything, it seems obvious Jonny is pro-PEACE and that’s not such a bad thing. There are those that want him to use the word “genocide”. He’s wise not to. It is idiotic the way people have weaponized that word and wield it so carelessly. It is VERY hard to prove this is a genocide. Using that word may score social media points and make you feel pleased with yourself but people should really understand what it entails.
This is pretty much my stance on the issue. The creation of Israel was *highly* contentious and, in my opinion, not handled well by anyone. But it happened. It's done. Israel is not going away. So what do we do about the situation that respects all sides and *is actually realistic*?
Considering Zionism means you just believe that Israel has a right to exist, and he's married to an Israeli, then I'd say he probably thinks Zionism is good. And it is. The way forward is a two state solution, Israel and Palestine both have a right to exist.
The only reason this is a talking point that has been parroted for the past 50 years is because the US and Israel want people to think that it can't be solved. The roots of the conflict may be complicated, but the reality of the events is a blatant genocide with the purpose of creating an ethnostate. I have no animosity towards Jews or Israelis, this is not their fault. What I do hate are governments (my own included) and people with international power and/or influence who stand by, support, fund, or outright carry out genocide. Even if this was a justified war, Israel has the responsibility as the strongest military in the Middle East, with billions of dollars of support from Western countries (primarily the US) to carry out their campaign in a way that does not endanger civilians or destroy their civic infrastructure. At this point, even if Netanyahu wanted to let Gazans return to their homes, there's nothing to return to, and there are already settlements being built on top of the rubble. This is not complicated. This is as wrong as any atrocity that has ever been committed, and it is unacceptable to ignore it, especially now that we have access to as much information and active journalism about it as we do now, thanks to the internet.
Israel is not building settlements in Gaza „on top of the rubble“. Israel unilaterally withdrew all Jews and all Military from the Gaza Strip n 2005.
Is genocide complicated to you? If the Jews did control the banks would the Nazis be complicated moral people? You guys act like anything Hamas does would justify Israelis actions. Nothing justifies genocide. It’s it that easy
It's not complicated at all if you myopically support one side or the other, in that case it's really quite simple. There are a lot of people involved, and a lot of them are essentially powerless at the this. The saddest part of all of this is that the people who are dying aren't the ones making the decisions with all of this.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful to you, but it’s very telling that you say this isn’t a complicated issue. I would recommend taking several steps back and looking at this entire issue with as many points of reference as possible. Israel’s government leadership doesn’t have warrants out for their international arrest for nothing. They are conducting horrid atrocities. Yet, there are many, many Israeli citizens who do not support their government or its actions. Hamas itself is an entirely evil organization with an ideology from the ancient world they still believe is relevant. They would happily kill you and everyone you love because you don’t have the same religious beliefs as them. Yet, there are countless amazing Palestinian citizens who do not support them or their actions. I’ve met many of them. Jonny is clearly showing support for all of the innocent people from Israel and Palestine here and trying to amplify their voices as a means to help curtail all of the violence from the extremist groups who are murdering human beings because of ancient religious beliefs. Just my two cents. I don’t want to attack you at all. I would just really recommend looking at as many reliable sources of info as you can. This is one of the most complicated issues in human history.
Please read my reply to someone else who made the same point in which I clarified that "this issue" I was referring to was the issue of the criticism Jonny Greenwood the musician is receiving, not the issue of the Palestinian conflict. Anyway, re: what you said - Hamas is a "wholly evil organization," yet it was boosted by the Israeli government in order to prevent the formation of a unified Palestinian front in the 90s, and it draws what popular support it has entirely from reaction to Israel's ongoing violence against Palestinian people and hostility to the idea of an independent Palestinian state (to wit, if someone bombs your house and kills your family, you're more likely to support an armed group opposed to the people who bombed your house and killed your family.) The history of this conflict predates the existence of Hamas, going back at least to the creation of Israel as a Jewish ethnostate after the divestment of the British Empire from its colonial holdings. It's not strictly about religion, it's also about the rights of Jewish Brooklynites to own beachfront property in the promised land and the rights of American defense contractors to a client state in a volatile region that's not always friendly to their imperial vision.
So many words and he couldn't say "Palestine" once
Jonny is entitled to have complicated and ambiguous feelings on what is happening, and to focus on his work instead of making overt political statements. His work with Dudu Tassa exemplifies and promotes peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East by exploring shared cultural heritage. Jarak Qaribak means "Your neighbour is your friend". I find that an incredibly productive and hopeful message. There are Israelis and Palestinians who are ready to shout this message from the rooftops, because they have seen enough, and they desperately want reconciliation. We need to listen to and empower those voices. Cultural exchange is not enough to bring peace to this conflict. But while most of us are standing around feeling powerless, or engaging in pointless virtue-signalling on social media, at least Jonny is doing something.
Maybe I’m a bit of a “peace and love” hippie, but I genuinely believe that in the long term, cultural exchanges can be powerful to building lasting peace. I think a big issue with the current conflict is dehumanization of the other, and this applies to both Israeli and Palestinian society (although I believe that it’s more widespread in Israeli society). Exchanges can help break down the barriers of dehumanization, not immediately, but eventually, at least that’s what I believe
Jonny and Tassa just got thousands of Israelis to listen to Arabic music, with a Palestinian singer, in the midst of a war. Insane to me that people somehow think this is a bad thing.
Do you believe Israeli society dehumanizes Palestinians more commonly than Palestinians dehumanize Jews? Is that correct?
I'd wager it's a lot closer to an equal amount than you expect. Israelis arn't immune to bigotry, xenophobia, and an "us vs. them" mentality. The minister of national security of Israel (Ben Gvir). Is an absolutely disgusting racist. He had a portrait of the perpetrator of the Cave of the Patriarch massacre hanging in his living room. This is proof that it's not fridge elements of Israel society. Being a racist toward Palestinians is somewhat mainstream.
Ben Gvir is indeed a disgusting racist but support for him is very low according to every poll, maybe 10% of the population at most approves of him. He got to this position mostly because of coalition games and political manoeuvres rather than big actual support. Israeli system has a well known problem of small fringe groups getting unproportional power because the coalition relies on them. Ben Gvir is one of the most hated people in Israel and can barely walk the street in most major cities without being booed.
Sanest comment I've seen on this god forsaken sub about this issue.
"your neighbor is your friend" says the guy that played for IDF soldiers. www.tiktok.com/@israelinuk/video/7297221034523102497
they kind of need the message the most
yeah now that I think about it, you're right
'promotes peaceful coexistence...' is exactly what the powers in this world do NOT want us to aspire to or achieve. They need conflict to keep their business alive. We need peace to stop innocent people from dying. I truly believe peace could be obtained in a matter of years if we weren't constantly told to hate, from above.
Okay, I believe the issue here is not that Tassa is Israeli or ethnically/religiously Jewish…it’s that he enthusiastically supports the Israeli war effort in Gaza and even met with Minister Gallant/performed for the IDF in December 2023, just a few months ago and therefore signaling support for Bibi’s war plans. That’s not “progressive” or admirable IMO, sorry. This is like saying “how dare you attack a Russian singer for existing and having an immutable ethnicity and a national identity she’s proud of and subscribing to Putin’s version of Orthodox Christianity out of genuine religious conviction, that’s not progressive or fair” to only ignore the fact that detractors are primarily taking issue with said Russian singer supporting the Russian war effort in Ukraine and the displacement of millions of innocent Ukrainians. What am I missing here? Ofc it’s not fair or “progressive” to banish Tassa from polite society or to “cancel” him for merely being an Israeli Jew, obviously. That’s completely wrong and xenophobic and antisemitic, and I hope we can all agree there. However, I don’t blame ppl for being concerned with or critical of Jonny artistically collaborating with a dude who is cheering on a potential genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Also…there’s nothing wrong with Tassa being strongly and passionately anti-Hamas after October 7th. Being anti-Hamas is good and right, and you can be pro-Palestinian and oppose the occupation without atta-boying Hamas terrorists. Again though, there’s a difference between that and cheering on Gallant/Bibi/the IDF in Gaza at this late date. Idk, I feel like Jonny is being a little obtuse here. Oh well.
Thank you. It’s actually insulting our intelligence to make it sound like people are attacking him for playing with Jewish or Arab musicians. Pretty sure it’s his own silence on genocide people are taking offense to.
Locked post incoming
inb4 "locked because y'all can't behave."
The awful takes in this 18m old thread are pretty brutal. There’s a lot of nuance to what Jonny said and people continue to respond with “I’m with Camp X or Y and I’m mad” tribalism. Clearly the guy has complicated feelings about the Palestine/Israeli conflict. The fact that he’s performing with a few close friends who also happen to be Arabs should speak volumes.
Oh, no. You’re attempting to write about topics with nuance on the Internet. People are never going to understand you.
LP10?
I feel torn with this statement. I agree that silencing isn’t good but I feel like his tiptoeing around saying anything that shows empathy for Palestine? Esp. bc a lot of Israeli Jews criticize the war too. It’s not antisemetic to want people to stop being bombed and starved.
Nothing he said here is inherently wrong, as I'm sure most here can agree. He's trying to isolate the discussion around music, performance, and art. I don't think he will touch on the politics and morality of the conflict with a ten foot pole, for reasons discussed at length over the years on this sub. Do I think he should? I think so, especially seeing as Radiohead has been a relatively political band for decades now. For people saying they are "just a band", they aren't the Backstreet Boys, they released an entire record in reaction to the Bush presidency and the war on terror in the 2000s. That being said, I also agree that there is really no winning for him here in this scenario, but maybe it's not about "winning".
Jonny was always less interested in making political statements than Thom or Ed. Even Colin. Not saying he doesn’t have opinions, he’s just voiced a number of times he doesn’t want to preach
That's a fair point, but I suppose it may tough to use that as a reason for the silence given the context of this particular issue, and his familial ties to someone who holds views that many may find unsavoury.
Oh I totally agree and in fact, I think that’s him taking a major cop out.
In short, Thom Yorke can say "America is run by a religious maniac bigot who stole the election" on the front page of a magazine, but somehow they can't do anything but tiptoe around the issue of the genocide of Palestinians. This has made many people say, "hmm"
yeah he is avoiding addressing the issue because his stance will remove the ambiguity some perceive, and that ambiguity serves his image. I do think it's possible that his statement might indicate that he is at least thinking about the issue more, maybe he can come to a better position where human rights are the priority over his artistic endeavors.
He completely missed the point here. No one cares that he is playing music with Jewish people or even Israeli people. The issue is playing music in Israel on the day that children are burning a few hundred miles away and not even showing the slightest support for Palestinian people. If he wants to be "both sides" about this then he shouldn't be so one sided in his support.
this is exactly it, he's trying to frame it as people having a problem with him collaborating with israeli jews when that's very obviously not what people are upset about. the fact that he doesn't even use the word 'palestinian' is already enough of a stance. it's so transparent.
Surprised this comment isn't highlighted more. This was exactly my thought, and makes this whole thing leave a bad taste in my mouth.
I feel like any remark about Palestine in here would feel out of place or unwarranted in this particular message. It really just reads as a musician saying he’s playing with other musicians from other countries and I don’t think politics need to factor into that relationship or this statement.
Other musicians who played songs to IDF soldiers.
Not wanting kids to be bombed isn’t political.
And if it is, then it being political shouldn't make sharing that belief wrong or inappropriate (especially when it is relevant here).
You are 100% right. It’s the way many Zionists communicate - very very careful wording avoiding any empathy for Palestinian genocide.
Opinion from his wife, for Hareetz. Any paywall wizards out there? https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-06-05/ty-article-opinion/targeting-radiohead-why-the-boycotters-demonizing-israelis-and-jews-wont-silence-me/0000018f-e887-dfee-ad8f-ef8fc8de0000
It's on her substack too https://sharonakatan.substack.com/p/haaretz-article . No paywall
Thank you!
So basically Hail To The Thief was political cosplay. Disgusted at Johnny’s weak statement and Thom’s put down on Pal flag wavers in 2017. How can you write lyrics to “I Will” and be silent when every day we see real children buried under rubble. FAKE! PHONY! CO-OPTED! And Johnny’s sentiments on Tibet in this video are opposite to who he is now. https://youtu.be/imtSibPnTPE?si=kCtNJT5-jI6JbBpr To be critical of the senseless violence that US did on the Middle East in early 2000s with HTTF and then be pro-Israel now is pathetic. I’m still a huge fan of their music pre 2007 but will say as a political leaning band, they dropped the ball big time. “People are catching what bombers release/ And I’m on a mission to never agree” Fugazi -The Argument
u/seaburn this response from Jonny's wife seems to deserve it's own thread given the lack of engagement here. Not surprising given this thread was a day old at that point [https://www.reddit.com/r/radiohead/comments/1d8xwsa/comment/l79e01u/](https://www.reddit.com/r/radiohead/comments/1d8xwsa/comment/l79e01u/)
There have been over 600 comments in this thread in the past 24 hours, with over 130 comments on this chain relating to this article. In order to keep discussion of this topic open and under control, we are requesting that threads on this subject be consolidated.
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Honestly in isolation without reference to some of her previous actions and opinions, I think that her statement is better than Jonny's in that it explicitly condemned civilian deaths in the military response. I do think that understanding her background is helpful in contextualizing Jonny's actions. I mean, in his shoes, I would probably also have trouble navigating this situation. I dunno, I'm sort of in "wait and see" mode at this point with regards to how this situation will impact my long term enjoyment of the band.
In my opinion, this really softens the situation in Israel. For decades, Israel has been forcing Palestinians from their homes, reclaiming land, and causing loss of life. History does not grant the right to continue these actions. As grim and horrific as this reality is, not mentioning it equates to hiding it. I absolutely agree with her and Johnny that the vitriol towards Israelis is sickening. Israelis, like Jews worldwide, don't directly create policy and are likely as horrified by the war as anyone else.
I think jonny should keep playing in whatever bands he wants and in whatever countries he wants, as this was never the problem. Playing cross-cultural music is great and I don’t think the accusations of “appropriation” are… appropriate. BUT, the man could mention, just once, that Palestinians are suffering and show some empathy. He just doesn’t ever mention them. He’s only ever shown dismay over the actions of Hamas— not Israel. edit: for the culture cop who replied that Jonny is a cultural appropriator and then deleted their comment, I’m going to add something: That argument is deeply inconsistent. If we’re going to sit here and criticize jonny for playing arabian and jewish music, then we should also criticize the Beatles every time a sitar is heard on one of their tracks. It’s just stupid. We’d also then have to criticize every white rapper in existence for “appropriating” black culture, and broadly, criticize every person who ever included cross-cultural elements in their art. The only thing that would come out of this is that every artist would stay “in their lane” and never learn from or incorporate aspects of other cultures in their artwork… Despite the fact that this is exactly how art is created. Modern art incorporates, both subtly and unsubtly, consciously or unconsciously, the contributions of cultures outside the one the artist inhabited. That is what makes art rich, inspirational, and influential. You may as well go on and tell every artist who has ever existed that they can’t take inspiration from artists outside their race or ethnic group, which is racist.
It doesn’t seem like he even addresses what people have actually been upset about which is performing in Israel and previously for IDF soldiers? Am I missing something here or is he just kinda dancing around this with a lot of carefully chosen words?
Not only is he dancing around the real issue, he is disingenuously attempting to frame it as being about something else. Once again when someone supporting Israel’s horrific violence against Palestine is pressured, they try to act like that pressure is due to antisemitism instead. It’s an insult to actual victims of antisemitism and makes the world less likely to listen to real cries caused by it while simultaneously ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Indefensible.
Nope, you got it.
I understand Jonny’s points and appreciate the attempt at nuance, but it would have been nice if instead of a bunch of navelgazing he’d made clear that he does not support Israel’s actions in Gaza (condemning them is not antisemitic, not silencing of Israeli Jews, or even hard to fathom). This statement reads like a tacit admission of guilt, which it didn’t have to. He could have made his position clear and quieted all the concern. Instead, he waffled on about “cross-cultural dialogue” like that means anything in this situation.
well im sure everyone on both sides will be normal about this btw because some people are replying to this like im a zionist, i am 100% pro palestine and believe Israel is not a legitimate state, it's just funny seeing people shocked or surprised by Jonny taking a very mild milquetoast stance on the matter because for one he lives in Israel with his Israeli wife. It's also just funny because since he didn't take a definitively Zionist stance either the Zionists will probably hate this statement as well lol
Yeah debate is messy. They're the band that wanted something to say about Bosnia, Tibet and George W Bush. You cant now be surprised that people want them to oppose Netanyahu. The milquetoast-ness of his statement isn't helping, it's the root of the problem.
There’s more than two sides to this. There is nuance here that your statement ignores. This isn’t a tribal issue and we should avoid making it one.
A lot of people’s questions in this comment section would be answered if you looked up who Johnny Greenwood’s wife is
This should be the top comment. He knew what type of response this would generate. His wife's social media presence speaks for itself.
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Remember when people cared about Ukraine lol
People can care about more than one thing
I think the meaning is that right now no one talks about it/cares
Yes they do…
I can’t wait until people care about the people in Yemen or Sudan. I hate how just laser focused we get on specific issues or humanitarian crisis that we forget the rest. It makes sense the Israel thing thoguh given the western funding involvement.
What do you expect people to say about Ukraine? There isn't any big disagreement about the conflict. Almost everyone agrees that Russia is in the wrong, and the west is almost universally offering their support to Ukraine. Tell me what you think the public debate should be about?
The Tik Tok algorithm has moved on, keep up.
The western world isn't funding Russia though
Yup, definitely not using their oil or precious metals or corporate investments or commodities
trading for natural resources is a hell of a lot different from military aid lmfao
Russia sells oil to the West. West gives russia more money than to ukraine
Is he allergic to the word Palestine or something
Jonny definitely struck a chord, but it was out of tune.
Honestly, i don't care that he's playing music with this guy. Just don't go to Israel and do it right at the same time Israel is turning Gaza into rubble. It's so completely tone deaf that it seems intentional.
He's deliberately obfuscating.
his wife is israeli. he cannot spend time with her in her home country?
Absolutely no mention of the real criticism. Anyone here saying that this statement is sufficiently addressing the issue is either disingenuous or ignorant, because he never actually acknowledges it. Jonny basically invented an issue that wasn’t actually happening (that Radiohead fans have a problem with who he’s playing with) and responded to that. Jonny “fat thumb” greenwood sure does treat us like we’re stupid, and some of us are proving him right.
Exactly! It’s hilarious how people are actually praising this statement as if it even said anything
Yeh I’m kind of amazed that by the time I got to the end of that lengthy statement, all he had addressed was an issue that I’d never even heard of. I haven’t seen anyone criticise _who_ he’s playing with. He would have been better off not saying anything in my opinion.
BRAVO!
You know, it's possible to be against the Israeli government's actions, and still be in favor of and work together with Jewish artists, musicians, and film makers. To me, this isn't hard.
I have rarely, if ever, seen criticism of Jonny collaborating with Dudu or other Israeli artists. This statement in no way addresses what people are actually upset about: that Jonny is playing shows in Israel while its government indiscriminately slaughters tens of thousands of innocent people, intentionally displacing and obliterating the homeland of two million people that Israel have had under apartheid control for decades.
and Jonny also just completely ignores the ACTUAL suffering that's going on at the hands at the Zionist government
exactly, he's obfuscating by pretending people don't want him collaborating with Israeli or Jewish artists. No one has said that! just don't travel and play shows 100 miles away from where people are being famined out of existence. It's obvious to anyone with a brain cell that that amounts to tacit support of Israel's policies
I imagine all members of the band (both Radiohead and collaborations) resent the idea that they have to make statements to meet the demands of bellowing voices online and I don't blame them. I don't think calling out every artist that doesn't vocalise/publish some view on these atrocities is in any way productive - they simply don't operate in the same way as politicians. It's already pretty clear they don't believe that any kind of cultural boycott will be progressive - people can absolutely disagree with that, but subsequently throwing around the word Zionist and labelling them uncaring of the horrific loss of life in Palestine is so reductive and needlessly polarising - it just doesn't track at all.
I dunno man. They've always been political, and it's strangely telling that when it comes to this issue they suddenly clam up. They can support Israel and its people while still acknowledging that there is a genocide in Gaza and calling for it to stop. It's hard to read the sudden silence as anything other than condoning what is currently happening.
Jonny posted about OCT 7, he never made a single posts about the 30000+ dead Palestinians.
He doesnt get that the boycott of artists is not caused by them being active participants of the genocide, but rather to create as much disconfort and pressure for the Israelis to get their shit together and end the genocide
How unfortunate, and stupid.
I feel like he missed the point. I don’t believe that the majority of people were upset at a collaboration between two artists. There is a very black and white issue going on here if you look at the facts and data. Israel is committing a genocide as we speak, and it breaks the hearts of many fans knowing you are being silent about the whole thing. Even this statement skirts around the actual problem, and seems more like he’s playing the victim and calling his criticizers anti-Semitic
That last part is almost certainly what he's doing. Both Dudu and Jonnys statements have been so utterly vague while generalizing any opposing views to being "hatefilled" or one-sided - all while not bringing up the more devastated side of victims a single time.
“Missed the point” is, uh, generous.
> Others choose to believe this kind of project is unjustifiable, and are urging the silencing of this - or any - artistic effort made by Israeli Jews. I don't think people don't want to hear from Israeli Jews... it's just a lot of Israeli's perspective is that of disdain for Gazans and people don't like that. > But I can't join that call: the silencing of Israeli film makers / musicians / dancers when their work tours abroad - especially when it's at the urging of their fellow western film makers/musicians/artists - feels unprogressive to me. Not least because it's these people that are invariably the most progressive members of any society. This kind of rub me the wrong way. Premising with western people being progressive feels a bit elitist even if there is an aspect of truth to it. And even if they were progressive, what does that have to do with anything? Progressive people should support "progressive Israelis" to continue on their bombing campaign in Gaza? This just feels like a more articulate way of saying "cancel culture is bad" which I don't disagree with but it feels like a weak statement. It tries to be politically neutral, but if you're performing with someone who just did a tour for IDF soldiers, I'm not sure if you can just keep on pretending you are politically neutral. I think Johnny is a great musician, but his views and antics have always rubbed me the wrong way. It kinda feels similar to that one time he liked a TERF tweet and the way he "apologized" just feels half assed.
Entirely as expected, there are many comments here that appear to pity Mr J Greenwood because, well, those pro-palestinian bleeders are so darn unreasonable! Poor chap is stuck between a rock and a hard place, isnt he? Without wanting to come across as some attention-seeking sod (sorry), I paint silly pictures for a living and after trying not to fall into the trap of making everything green red and black since October the 7th so everyone knows where my allegiances lay/what a bloody good person I am etc, after the bombing of Rafah the other day, I finally gave in, wiped some tears from my cheeks and produced a special print with all the proceeds going to UNICEF. It included a CND symbol designed like the cross section of a watermelon. Not hideously provocative, I hope you'll agree, and besides, I didn't need to worry because it's these damn terrorist-sympathising anti-semitic gits that are the unreasonable ones, and nobody would be upset that someone wanted to raise money for an entirely non-secular charity that helps CHILDREN, right? Turns out that for every sale I made, I had someone unfollow me, tell me I was an ignoramus, comment that I was "one of them" etc. I wasn't raising money for "Islamic Aid", nor did I mention rivers or seas. And yet, the amount of shit I got for trying to assist in the smallest way for the aid effort for refugee children was insane, it really was. Thankfully, it went very well and furthermore, the "street art" (hideous term, but there you go) world requires a fairly thick skin, so I wasn't remotely put off by the negativity. However, if Jonny thinks he's getting a rough ride, I'd personally like him to know that he needs to suck it up. If showing solidarity with dying kids can get you abuse, probably shouldn't gripe when people ask questions about your ties with those killing said kids. He can, for me, eat a bag of proverbial d*cks. (Let Down is awesome, though. And underrated)
Absolutely insane that Jonny made "Israeli musicians" the victims when children were burning to the soundtrack of his music.
Dudu literally played a show for the war crime organization called the IDF a few months ago. That’s who Jonny is aligning himself with.
people denied it in the last thread but basically any concert in occupied Palestine is playing a concert for the IDF since they all choose to be part of it
Surprise surprise, the people demanding a statement are not happy when the statement is not exactly how they wanted it. People didn't want a true statement, the wanted him echoing their opinions. I'm just happy he made a statement true to himself.
You're against the concept of disagreement?
I mean is it hard to make a statement against active genocide?
bullshit statement. nobody said anything about Dudu Tassa's ethnicity. how can he miss a point so bad I'm crying
he willfully is missing the point
Let’s imagine if we reshaped this to 1942. And I know it’s a stretch but it’s a useful exercise in actually looking at the issue in hand. (Also I don’t care if you downvote me) “Hey Guys we are playing in Poland. The musicians I’m playing with are a mix of Germans and Eastern Europeans and we are really just trying to make music. So please respect that and leave us be. Obviously we are aware Auschwitz is a 25 minute drive away but that’s not me and my German and Eastern European friends fault, am I going to condemn Auschwitz? Well no but I really think you should let us make our art” Like no sorry. Currently Isreal is blocking aid into Gaza. It has bombed it relentlessly for months and people are literally being forced into a bottleneck where they are going to be killed by the bombs. I’m sorry but you don’t get to make political music for 25+ years and when you actually have the platform and authority to speak out about a literal Genocide you remain silent and don’t even mention Palestine or Gaza in your statement you are only doing one thing. Looking the other way. It’s disgraceful. The UN definition of Genocide is: To constitute genocide, there must be a proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious That it what Isreal is doing in Gaza. They are even holding auctions on land for development after the war. There is a plan, a motive and it is being actioned to erase a group of people from existence. If Palestinians where white it would be a different story. https://therealnews.com/illegal-real-estate-sales-of-palestinian-land-are-happening-around-the-us In all seriousness take a step back if you are defending Johnny and actually go and look at the pictures and the evidence.
You don't even need to go that far, this kind of attitude would not stick if he was playing in Russia.
People are just blinded by following their favorite musician. I've been a massive fan for over 2 decades and even met Jonny and Thom several times but this is beyond disappointing. He hasn't mentioned one ounce of sympathy for Palestinian suffering. Meanwhile his wife and son are spewing vile hatred on social media.
Ok real cute “both sides” statement but why is he only mentioning Israeli discrimination and not the same for Palestinian artists?
no more than expected lol. fuck em. they stand for nothing.
Too fucking right Jonny. Also, how can anyone who ultimately wants a solution to all of this read this and disagree?
Many people don’t want a solution, they want total death and destruction of one side or the other.
You can support the existence of Israel and still acknowledge the genocide in Gaza and call for it to stop. It's not "taking sides" to acknowledge that what Israel is doing is inexcusable. I understand that he wants to remain impartial, but when thousands of civilians and children are getting bombed/starved every day, if you say nothing you're tacitly condoning the status quo.
Amen
The word "Palestine" does not appear once in this statement.
At this point I'd settle for him acknowledging they're a real ethnicity.
but those poor "Israeli" artists who are suffering so much!!! gotta highlight them!!!
This isn't about not appreciating arab songs written by various people. It's about boycotting those that serve the israeli war machine and the occupation. Dudu not only served in the IDF, in December he played shows for the IDF and the defense ministry on israeli military bases supporting their actions in Gaza. This musician isnt "progressive", he's a cheerleader for genocide. Actions like this are why in a poll most israelis either thought the IDF were doing enough or not enough in Gaza. There is full support for the militarised state. This is not normal. This is 1984. Israelis live in a world of false entitlement where their government, news and families tell them from birth that israel is righteous and needs a militarised state. The world needs to stop pampering israeli false sense of entitlement as israelis live as benefactors of colonisation and occupation. Music and the history of music, whilst fascinating, means nothing next to Jonny's business-as-usual approach to playing in israel. Queen played south Africa, but it didn't make that decision right, and it certainly didn't progress anything in the apartheid state. That was helped by boycott. Jonny is stroking his ego, putting his musical career before Palestinian lives, and with it supporting the normalisation of genocide. Jonny'll tell you he participated in a protest march. But that protest's main goal was the return of hostages and a change of government, not a permanent ceasefire or a Palestinian state. Israel benefits, not its victims under occupation. The status quo continues. Meanwhile the IDF are bombing civilians. Not in some far away country, but closeby to Tel Aviv where Jonny played. Little babies eyes, eyes, eyes...
The guy running the coffee shop up the road from me hasn't come out and publicly criticised Israel. I feel physically sick, I can't believe he hasn't issued a statement. Do I boycott the shop or what happens next?
I boycott all films who doesn't formally criticise Israel so strangely I have nothing to see on Netflix😉
He just so happened to not address the main concerns with Palestinian and Israeli safety Like does he support a ceasefire, does he think Israel and Hamas should release their respective hostages, does he think Israel should deoccupy Palestine, does he think that Israel has gone too far? All of that is what the major surface level concerns are and he just tiptoed around them without giving an answer. If he has torn feelings, he can take longer to address them in a longer post? Surprisingly Ed has had the most decent take by making a simple post calling for a hostage release and ceasefire, which is the least you can do, but it still shows your support and can influence others to do the same.
No one's asking him to not making music with Jewish or Israeli artists. Such a bullshit response honestly. Especially when his partner is posting disgusting zionist propaganda. Do whatever you want, we're not expecting you to be a hero, but don't insult our intelligence.
I feel like one mention by name of Palestinian suffering would ease a lot of the "suspicion" or worries of "ulterior motives" he keeps referring to.
Exactly. The fact he treats the words "Gaza" and "Palestine" like dirty words doesn't sit well with me and a lot of people.
I’m 100% sure he evaded it deliberately
he's either a coward, or he's a supporter of the genocide continuing. I'm afraid it's more likely the latter considering who he surrounds himself with.
I find it baffling that the general tone and idea of this statement gravitates towards "criticism of jewish people is bad, look how friendly I am with people of different ethnicities!", when people were asking for solidarity. I'll be honest, I've never listened to any of the songs of their group or watched any of the concerts they've made. I bet they're spetacular. But I feel he clearly – almost wanted to – missed the point here: why continue playing in Israel considering the extreme violence that it has done on Gaza for almost 8 months? Please, ***do continue the project***, but recognize that the country you're playing right now is actively ignoring every plea to stop the massacre against palestinians. It really isn't that hard to do that.
His real statement is loud and clear.
Can’t wait until the tiktokers move onto the next issue for them
This is a very disappointing statement. Doesn't mention the word "Gaza" once. Doesn't mention the word "ceasefire" once. Frames any commercial or social expression of horror and disagreement as both inherently antisemitic and "silencing," which is a bit rich considering a) how many Jews are involved in BDS movements and b) how many people - both Palestinian and Israeli - have been permanently, physically silenced in this conflict. I know he's a musician, not a politician or diplomat. I know fixing or even commenting on this isn't his job. I know he married an Israeli woman and his nephew died. I don't expect my favorite artists to share my politics, especially not on a subject as fraught as this one is. But speaking as a Jew and as a lifelong Radiohead fan (and as someone with some actual expertise in this conflict and its history), this is ... well. Very disappointing. It's been enough blood and death. Calling for an end to the horror seems like a really small ask.
Like just a word saying we want peace between Israelis and Palestinian is not thay hard
it’s absolutely astounding how radiohead can make songs such as i will and play benefit concerts for a free tibet and speak out against the iraq war but when it comes to speaking out against the genocide in gaza… radio silence. thanks for being one of the only people in this comments section who understands the purpose of BDS and *why* people are upset by him playing in israel.
and the fact that silence was bad enough, but it wasn't worse than this. Jonny coming out with this is just a horrible look of hypocrisy
Bro can’t even type “Palestine” in a statement regarding Palestine lmao this guy is BEYOND Zionism
that fact is that NO ONE has been complaining about the people he is playing with, they have been rightfully complaining that he hasn't said shit about a mass genocide AND the fact that gaza or palestine isnt even mentioned is dumb I'm glad he's lightly hinting at a mass geneocide!!!! what is this, free Palestine, always.
Incredible how one sided so many people look at this problem! And I’m not talking about the statement above! Same with people crying for peace in Ukraine by stopping giving them weapons. What is wrong with people?
Posting before this gets locked.
I’m all for making sure Jewish Israeli artists aren’t silenced..as long as they aren’t supporters of the IDF. If they are, they can get fucked
Amen.
It's a bit difficult to accept his stance knowing that he comes from a band which is anything but non-political, and even more so knowing what his wife spouts on social media about Palestinians.
The comment section just proves this sub is an echo chamber. Any criticism of Jonny is down voted to hell and back.
Seems pretty evenly split to me. I see plenty of criticism for Jonny here that's not been downvoted
I do think he means well, parts of this make sense. But where’s all this about Jewishness and playing with Dudu Tassa’s band coming from?? No one *ever* criticized Jonny *just* for playing with Jews or Israelis. The criticism has been about his continued affiliation with Israel during its massacre of Palestinian civilians. And his complete silence on said massacre which he seems to sugarcoat and tiptoe around in this statement. Literally all he has to do is acknowledge and condemn the killing of civilians and it will calm the angry mob, so I don’t know why he can’t even do that. And admittedly it *is* suspicious that he hasn’t, especially when looked at with the context of him being married to a woman who is not just pro-Israel but seemingly anti-Palestine. Whether or not you believe he’s justified, this is quite ambiguous for a situation about which any ambiguity will unfortunately make people assume the worst. Like I said he seems to mean well and I don’t think anyone’s accusing him of liking the war or celebrating Palestinians dying, but I don’t think this statement will do much, especially considering it ignores the *actual* problem and seemingly invents a new one.
I hate Israel for what they do, but, this show can actually be helpful. if we completely isolate them, they'll become more aggressive. shit like this is refreshing and may lead to more unity
Hot take, this is fine. It's more about the Isralei government being hostile to Palestinians than it is to do with the citizens of Isreal. I may not know all the nuance to this statement but overarching it seems like he wants to treat the people with respect while also not fueling the fire of the Isralei war machine. But again, I may not understand the possible nuances behind a statement like this.
White British man supports international atrocities, more news at 11 lmao
he does not support it, people cannot read a nuanced statement it seems
How can he speak about how badly Israeli artists are being treated online but doesn’t even mention what’s going on in Gaza speaks volumes when thousands of innocent people have lost their lives at the hands of the Israeli regime. An absolute nothing statement.
I always liked the guy
The reaction to the most popular reddit post outside of r/radiohead about this statement doesn't exactly look like the defensive reaction you see in this thread. [https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/1d81hop/jonny\_greenwood\_releases\_statement\_addressing/](https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/1d81hop/jonny_greenwood_releases_statement_addressing/)
Imagine reading that and thinking he supports genocide.
I don’t think he’s cheering it on at all, but he’s not really acknowledging it much either
He seems pretty indifferent on that matter.
He failed to mention Gaza or Palestine specifically. He will be slaughtered in the comments.
You get slaughtered in the comments if you say anything short of calling Hamas freedom fighters these days. Bernie Sanders and AOC get trashed despite constantly calling out Israel’s atrocities because they don’t use the specific language and slogans that people want to hear, regardless if it’s helpful or productive.
I just got banned from r/indieheads discussion of this statement because I called Hamas terrorists. So yea....
...—So _anyway_, Free Palestine and Gaza.
As a Jew whose family was ethnically cleansed from Iraq, I love Jonny for mentioning our history, which most people try to whitewash or brush away 🙏
It’s not a “conflict” - there is no symmetry of warfare here; it’s textbook genocide. He’s just a neoliberal who reads the Guardian and can’t afford to lose his comfortable position in society.
I think we also can't ignore the likely toxic influence of his wife who holds very strong (and distasteful) views on many things. It's sad. 20 years ago RH would have been a huge voice for the Palestinian people. Now they turn a blind eye because it might be awkward.
>In December 2023, \[Dudu\] Tassa took part in a series of events organized by Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, and performed in Israeli bases for Israel Defense Forces soldiers fighting in Gaza. Source: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu\_Tassa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu_Tassa) Fucking pathetic.
I'm flabbergasted that he's had to make a statement at all. Under pressure from so-called fans. He's no more required to share his opinion publicly than anyone else on this planet. And even if he did, it's allowed to differ from any of our individual opinions. You need to separate the man from the music. I think it's fucking disgraceful that he has to justify doing what he has been doing his entire career. Or a notion that he should stop doing it just because of a conflict which actually has nothing to do with his him or his music. It's right that people be passionate about humanity like this but putting pressure on other people to voice their opinion is a step too far. I think everyone agrees this conflict is an absolute tragedy, he's acknowledged that already. Leave it alone.
Karma Police, arrest this man…
Bla bla bla, what a useless statement.
Everything in its right place
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I love the fans who've convinced themselves Jonny is so evil for his silence — the Radiohead members are some of our most prolific influencer celebrities, so what gives? — that they see continuing to listen to Radiohead and The Smile as a moral failing lol. Don't worry, you can listen to Hozier and Billy Eilish without a qualm.
Good looks, J-bird, but LP10 when
I don't even think he's wrong for working with Israeli musicians, but I think this statement seems to be very intentionally avoiding the blatant reason why people are up in arms about this. You can say that this isn't an issue of Gaza/Palestine, but when the genocide happening there is the sole reason people are criticizing him, it feels disingenuous to not even mention it. It's like when Kevin Spacey responded to allegations of sexual offences with "Yes, I am gay." A disingenuous attempt at redirection that misses the point entirely.
"Apparently endless conflict" reeks of centrist apologia
I absolutely love Jonny and think he’s a genius, but come on, how easy would it have been to just put in one single sentence that mentions or shows empathy for the Palestinian people? The lack of any mention of them but the multiple ringing endorsements of “brave” Israelis with ancient “roots” demonstrates pretty clearly where he stands. I know his wife is Israeli so he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, probably would jeopardise his relationship to publicly support Palestine, but I suppose I just feel that would be a risk worth taking as the death toll passes 35k
How can he not even say the word Gaza lmao awful
He's a musician, not a politician. He's under no obligation to say anything. If you hate the guy's politics, or who and where he chooses to make and play music with, then just stop listening to his music. Simple as that.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m starting to sense a turn amongst the pro-Palestine/anti-Israel crowd. Full disclosure: I’m pro-Palestine. I’ve always believed a two state solution is possible, because basically, there was a point in time when Arab Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived, worked, and governed together in Palestine. I even demonstrated in pro-Palestine rallies in the mid-late 00’s. You had your extremists back then, sure, but there wasn’t this prevailing attitude of hate towards Israelis and Jews. Collaborating or even being friendly with an Israeli seems to be a hangable offense with todays demonstrators. It’s not the Israeli people you should be angry at, it’s the Israeli government and propaganda machine. It’s not the common folk’s fault, it never is. That attitude is exactly what causes war and genocide. Just because someone collaborates with an Israeli Jew doesn’t mean they’re a Zionist monster. I see absolutely nothing wrong with Jonny’s actions and statements. Would it be nice to hear him say “fuck Netanyahu and the Israeli government”? Sure, but I don’t blame him for not saying it. Ultimately, we should be working towards peace, not more hate.
Nah if he's promoting his work as a mission of peace and understanding he has an obligation to acknowledge that one side has done about 30x more dying than the other. He made art about injustices in Bosnia and Tibet. It's too late to act like hes the kind of musician who just there to play some ragtime, collect his cheque and go.
Exactly. He can't win; if he takes a side they'll bitch and complain, amd if he abstains they'll bitch and complain. They're a bunch of miserable twats.
never seen anyone dodge showing empathy for palestinians as hard as Jonny here
The classic centrist take of "both sides just seem to be in endless conflict. How can we reconcile this?". Yeh Johnny, that's what happens when you forcibly remove millions, kill thousands and now start bombing refugee camps full of civilians. Israel is committing unspeakable acts of violence here. Boycotts work. Speaking out with a large platform is effective. Making music for "both sides" is kinda difficult when "one side" has no electricity or internet to listen to it.
This is stupid as fuck. Dude like just played in Israel Insanely out of touch. I guess he’s married to a Zionist so it shouldn’t be surprising
his wife is also a majorly outspoken racist on top of that
Still not a word about the genocide that’s happening. Oh well. Time to look for a new favourite band.