Radiohead Divided: Yorke and Greenwood Confront Israel Controversy Ahead of Tour
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Amidst mounting pressure and internal discord, members of Radiohead have publicly addressed the controversy surrounding their past performances in israel and guitarist Jonny Greenwood‘s ongoing collaborations with Israeli musicians.
radiohead is bracing for a possibly fraught comeback tour in November, as the band navigates a deeply divisive debate over its relationship with israel and the palestinian cause. The issue has sparked protests, heckling, and a growing rift within the band itself, as revealed in a recent interview with The Sunday Times.
Growing Backlash and Public Protests
Over the past year, Radiohead has faced increasing scrutiny for previous decisions to perform in Israel, a stance that has drawn criticism from pro-Palestinian activists. The situation escalated with guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s continued musical partnerships with Israeli artists and performances in Tel Aviv, even following the country’s invasion of Gaza. This led to direct protests targeting both Greenwood and frontman Thom Yorke.
In October 2024, Yorke was notably heckled during a solo concert in Melbourne, australia, by a member of the audience voicing support for Palestine, prompting him to briefly leave the stage. greenwood recently canceled two UK performances featuring Israeli musician Dudu Tassa following alleged threats connected to protests against israel.
Yorke’s Defense and Frustration
Yorke, who earlier this year released a statement responding to criticism of his perceived silence on the Israel-Palestine conflict and decried “social media witch hunts,” expanded on his position in The Sunday Times. “This wakes me up at night,” Yorke stated. “They’re telling me what it is indeed that I’ve done with my life, and what I should do next, and that what I think is meaningless.People wont to take what I’ve done that means so much to millions of people and wipe me out. But this is not theirs to take from me – and I don’t consider I’m a bad person.”
Yorke expressed frustration with the nature of the criticism, describing encounters with protesters. “A few times recently I’ve had ‘Free Palestine!’ shouted at me on the street,” he recounted. “I talked to a guy. His shtick was, ‘You have a platform, a duty and must distance yourself from Jonny.’ But I said, ‘You and me, standing on the street in London, shouting at each othre? Well, the true criminals, who should be in front of the ICC [International Criminal Court], are laughing at us squabbling among ourselves in the public realm and on social media – while they just carry on with impunity, murdering people.’ It’s an expression of impotency. It’s a purity test, low-level Arthur Miller witch-hunt. I utterly respect the dismay but it’s very odd to be on the receiving end.”
Greenwood’s Stance and Artistic Freedom
Greenwood also criticized what he perceived as attempts to “cancel” both himself and Radiohead. “It’s the embodiment of the left,” he told The Sunday Times. “The left look for traitors, the right for converts and it’s depressing that we are the closest they can get.”
He revealed he is currently working on a new record with Israeli and Middle Eastern musicians, a project he admitted he felt “frightened to admit.” However, he views the collaboration as “progressive,” arguing that “booing at a concert does not strike me as brave or progressive.” Greenwood emphasized his personal experiences in Israel, noting he has attended anti-government protests there and has family connections to the country. “I spend a lot of time there with family [he is married to an Israeli artist, Sharona Katan] and cannot just say, ‘I’m not making music with you fuckers because of the government.’ It makes no sense to me. I have no loyalty – or respect, obviously – to their government, but I have both for the artists born there.”
Divergent Views and Future Performances
When asked about performing in Israel again, Yorke was unequivocal: “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t want to be within 5,000 miles of the Netanyahu regime. But Jonny has roots there, so I get it.”
Greenwood respectfully disagreed, arguing that a boycott coudl be counterproductive. “I woudl argue that the government is more likely to use a boycott and say, ‘Everyone hates us – we should do exactly what we want.’ Which is far more risky.” He added,”The only thing that I’m ashamed of is that I’ve dragged Thom and the others into this mess – but I’m not ashamed of working with Arab and Jewish musicians. I can’t apologize for that.”
Yorke also expressed concern about potential disruptions to Radiohead’s upcoming tour, suggesting protestors are motivated by social media visibility rather than genuine engagement. “But they don’t care about us. It’s about getting something on Instagram of something dramatic happening,” he said.
Band Dynamics and Internal Divisions
The controversy has also exposed underlying tensions within Radiohead. Guitarist Ed O’Brien, who has previously voiced support for a Free Palestine on social media, acknowledged the band’s past performance in Ramallah in the West Bank. Though, he noted a growing distance between band members. “But the brutal truth is that, while we were onc all tight, we haven’t really spoken to one another much – and that’s OK.”
Drummer Phil Selway remarked that the demands of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement are “impossible,” as distancing themselves from Greenwood would effectively end the band. He added that Greenwood is “coming from a very principled place. But it’s odd to be ostracized by artists we generally felt quite aligned to.”
Bassist Colin Greenwood recalled a post-9/11 concert in Berlin, were audience members demanded Yorke “say something,” to which he responded, “What do you want me to say?”
The interview with The Sunday Times also touched upon Radiohead’s hiatus, their upcoming tour, and the possibility of new music, but the shadow of the Israel controversy looms large over the band’s future.
