Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood responds to backlash over Israel show and ‘artwashing genocide’ accusations
Musician has been criticised over his collaborations with an Israeli artist, and for continuing to perform in the country amid its war on Gaza
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Your support makes all the difference.Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood has hit back against accusations that he is “artwashing genocide” due to his ongoing collaboration with Israeli artist Dudu Tassa, following the duo’s performance in Tel Aviv in May.
The British musician and composer, known as a founding member of Radiohead as well as spin-off group The Smile, has been performing with Tassa since 2008. The duo released an album of Arabic love songs, Jarak Qaribak, last year.
On 26 May, Greenwood and Tassa performed a live show in Tel Aviv, one day after Greenwood reportedly took part in protests calling for the release of hostages in Gaza, and for new elections to be held in Israel, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Shortly after, the pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement issued a statement that accused Greenwood of “artwashing genocide”.
“Palestinians unequivocally condemn Jonny Greenwood’s shameful artwashing of Israel’s genocide,” the group said. “We call for peaceful, creative pressure on his band Radiohead to convincingly distance itself from this blatant complicity in the crime of crimes, or face grassroots measures.”
Israel has repeatedly insisted that it is defending itself following the 7 October attacks by Hamas, and has vehemently denied allegations that it is carrying out a genocide.
More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its air and ground war on Gaza.
Greenwood, 52, who is married to the Israeli visual artist Sharona Katan, has now condemned what he deemed the “silencing of this, or any, artistic effort made by Israeli Jews” by “those who are trying to shut us down, or who are now attempting to ascribe a sinister ulterior motive to the band’s existence”.
“I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worthwhile,” he wrote in a statement shared to social media on Tuesday 4 June.
“And one that reminds everyone that the Jewish cultural roots in countries like Iraq and Yemen go back for thousands of years, is also important.”
Greenwood continued by saying that “no art is as ‘important’ as stopping all the death and suffering around us. How can it be? But doing nothing seems a worse option. And 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.”
He concluded: “So that’s why I’m making music with this band. You’re welcome to disagree with, or ignore, what we do, but I hope you now understand what the true motivation is, and can react to the music without suspicion or hate.”
The nephew of Greenwood’s wife, Katan, was reportedly killed this year while serving in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).
Radiohead’s history with Israel goes back to their debut single, “Creep”, which received widespread airplay on Israeli radio stations after initially failing to make an impact elsewhere.
The band and its members have continued to perform in the country in recent years, despite objections from some of their fans. In 2017, the campaign group Artists for Palestine published an open letter signed by fellow musicians including Roger Waters and Thurston Moore, urging them to reconsider a planned show in Tel Aviv.
Director Ken Loach also wrote an opinion piece for The Independent urging Radiohead to join the cultural boycott of Israel, and to meet with him to discuss it.
The BDS responded to Greenwood’s statement, commenting: “Palestinian’s reject [his] misleading excuses for his immoral artwashing of Israel’s genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.”
Reiterating their earlier statement, the group added: “We call for increased peaceful pressure on his bands Radiohead and The Smile to distance themselves from it or face grassroots measures.”
The Independent has contacted Greenwood for additional comment.