Thom Yorke Speaks Out Against Benjamin Netanyahu, Addressing Gaza Conflict and Israel Tour Criticism

Thom Yorke, the musician behind Radiohead, has released a lengthy statement on the war in Gaza, denouncing Benjamin Netanyahu as an "extremist" who "needs to be stopped." Yorke's comments come after he faced criticism for his silence on the issue, particularly following a heckling incident during a solo show in Melbourne, where a protester shouted at him about the "Israeli genocide of Gaza" and the death toll. Yorke stood by his decision not to discuss the conflict during the concert, stating that it was not the right moment, but expressed regret for not addressing the situation earlier and for allowing others to fill the void with "intimidation and defamation." The musician also addressed his decision to continue performing in Israel, arguing that playing in a country is not the same as endorsing its government.

Key Takeaways:

• Thom Yorke has released an eight-page statement on the war in Gaza, criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu as an "extremist" and calling for him to be stopped.
• Yorke faced criticism for his silence on the issue, particularly following a heckling incident during a solo show in Melbourne, where a protester shouted about the "Israeli genocide of Gaza" and the death toll.
• Yorke explained that he did not discuss the conflict during the concert, stating that it was not the right moment, but expressed regret for not addressing the situation earlier and for allowing others to fill the void with "intimidation and defamation."
• The musician argued that his music is evidence that he "could not possibly support any form of extremism or dehumanisation of others."
• Yorke's statement also touched on the issue of Hamas, stating that the group chooses to "hide behind the suffering of its people" and that its actions on October 7th were "quite obvious" and motivated by a desire to further their agenda.
• Thom Yorke has a long history with Israel, having played Tel Aviv in 2017 in defiance of the pro-Palestine boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Statistics:

• The death toll in Gaza is approximately half of which were children (source: the heckler's statement in Melbourne).
• Radiohead has been playing in Israel for over 20 years (source: Thom Yorke's statement).
• The band has a following in Israel, with their debut single, "Creep", receiving widespread airplay on Israeli radio stations after initially failing to make an impact elsewhere (source: Thom Yorke's statement).

Sources:

• A statement by Thom Yorke on Instagram, where he shared his lengthy eight-page statement on the war in Gaza.
• Footage filmed by a member of the audience in October 2024 showing a man in the crowd yelling at Yorke about the "Israeli genocide of Gaza" and the death toll.
• An op-ed by Ken Loach in The Independent urging Radiohead to join the boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
• Thom Yorke's statement on the band's history with Israel, where he stated that playing in a country is not the same as endorsing the government.