British rock band Radiohead has announced its first live tour in seven years, with performances scheduled across Europe and a four-night residency at London’s O2 Arena this November.
However, the announcement has reignited tensions with anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activists, who are calling for a boycott of the band due to guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s recent collaboration with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, according to a report Wednesday in the Daily Mail.
Despite the band’s tour dates only being confirmed on Wednesday, BDS had already urged supporters to boycott Radiohead, accusing the group of “complicit silence” and condemning Greenwood’s collaboration with Tassa. The BDS post claimed Greenwood “crossed our peaceful picket line during Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
Greenwood performed in Tel Aviv in May 2024 at the Barby Club, following the release of their joint 2023 album Jarak Qaribak, which reimagines Middle Eastern love songs and features musicians from Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Iraq.
Greenwood defended the project, stating, “I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worthwhile. And one that reminds everyone that Jewish cultural roots in countries like Iraq and Yemen go back for thousands of years, is also important.”
He added, “Silencing Israeli artists for being born Jewish in Israel doesn't seem like any way to reach an understanding between the two sides of this apparently endless conflict.”
In May of this year, two planned UK performances by Greenwood and Tassa were canceled, with BDS taking credit for causing the cancellations.
Greenwood and Tassa have been collaborating and releasing music since 2008 and have continued to perform together despite pressure on Greenwood to cancel his shows with Tassa.
Last June, Greenwood refused pressure from BDS to cancel his tour with Tassa, and criticized their call as “unprogressive”.
In 2017, before a Radiohead concert in Tel Aviv, dozens of artists, including notorious anti-Israel activist Roger Waters, sent a letter to the band urging its to cancel the concert in order to “pressure Israel to end its violation of basic rights and international law.”
Thom Yorke, the band’s frontman, fired back at the boycott calls, calling them “an extraordinary waste of energy”. The band went ahead with the Tel Aviv show.
Yorke faced renewed criticism last October when he walked off stage in Melbourne after being heckled over Gaza. When confronted by a protester asking, “How many dead children will it take for you to condemn the genocide in Gaza?” Yorke ended the show.
In May, Yorke released a statement condemning both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Hamas, saying, “Netanyahu and his administration need to be stopped,” and “Hamas chooses too to hide behind the suffering of its people.” He expressed frustration that his silence during the Melbourne concert was interpreted as complicity, adding: “I could not possibly support any form of extremism or dehumanization of others.”