Roger Waters again made deeply troubling anti-Israel remarks in a recent online panel, this time joined by fellow BDS supporting British musician Brian Eno whose comments echoed those of the former Pink Floyd frontman.
In a livestreamed youtube event hosted by Frank Barat titled "Let's Talk It Over #2: Israeli Apartheid" both musicians promoted the BDS movement and called for further boycotts of the Jewish state, including suggesting a ban on U.K. soccer players playing matches against Israeli teams, and linking this to the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S.
Waters claimed there was an “antisemitic smear sword wielded at the behest of the Israeli government” against former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn was suspended by the party for promoting anti-Semitism and for refusing to investigate Jew hatred within the party, and infamously called Hamas and Hezbollah his "friends."
Waters also claimed that the Holocaust was used to silence criticism of Israel and made the allegation that due to trade between his country and Israel, people like him were pressured not to state their opinions while openly stating his opinion to an online audience.
"We walk around with the burden of the Holocaust on our shoulders and it makes it impossible for us to speak truth about Israel because we're not allowed to," said Waters making a zipping motion over his mouth."
He claimed that "there's no freedom of speech in England."
"In England people are not allowed to speak about Israel," said Waters, claiming that "a few spies" from Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs were probably monitoring the discussion.
Brian Eno, well known producer and pioneer of the ambient music genre, said, “We have a right to say that this is not an issue to do with being Jewish or anything like that. It’s an issue of human rights."
He also blamed Israel for the growth of worldwide anti-Semitism.
“If anything is to inspire Anti-Semitism, it’s this type of behavior by the Israeli government,” Eno said. “We are being called the enemy because we question what is happening. That’s all you have to do to be called anti-Semitic.”
Both musicians also spoke about the BDS movement and applauded its growth on college campuses.
Roger Waters has been denounced multiple times by a wide range of Jewish organization for anti-Semitic statements and acts. In 2020, he claimed that wealthy Jewish "puppet masters" were controlling the American government. During his 2013 world tour, Waters featured a pig-shaped balloon alongside a Star of David and fascist symbols.