Journal of Other Forum Analysis (Volume II, Issue 2)

[Hap Shaughnessy]

https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/radiohead-tour-2025-interview-israel-fn0bmdzl8

In 2017 Radiohead played an open-air show at Park Hayarkon in Tel Aviv — a decision that infuriated the Palestinian pressure movement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and led to the band being vociferously criticised by, among others, the director Ken Loach and Roger Waters, once of Pink Floyd. Last year at a solo show in Melbourne, captured in a video clip that went viral, Yorke was heckled about the war in Gaza — “How could you be silent?” The singer replied, “Come up here and say that … You want to piss on everybody’s night?” and stormed off stage. He returned for a brief encore. In May he posted a lengthy statement on Instagram: “Some guy shouting at me from the dark didn’t really seem like the best moment to discuss the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Afterwards I remained in shock that my supposed silence was somehow being taken as complicity.”

Jonny Greenwood is married to an Israeli artist, Sharona Katan, and has worked for many years with the Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, most recently on the 2023 album Jarak Qaribak (“Your neighbour is your friend”), which features artists from Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Palestine. Tassa played a show for the Israel Defense Forces in November 2023, he says due to the “immense fear” after the October 7 Hamas attacks, when he wanted to “bring some comfort” to the soldiers who had gone “to defend my family”.

“It’s the embodiment of the left,” Greenwood says. “The left look for traitors, the right for converts and it’s depressing that we are the closest they can get.” He sighs. He is already working on another record with Israeli and Middle Eastern musicians. “And it’s nuts I feel frightened to admit that. Yet that feels progressive to me — booing at a concert does not strike me as brave or progressive.”

“But you are whitewashing genocide, mate,” Yorke deadpans. “And so am I, apparently, by sitting next to you on this sofa.”

Greenwood continues: “And, yes, some people just call [my work] ineffectual, hippie, wishy-washy. And I sort of see their point. But when what I do with the musicians is described as sinister or devious? Well, I’ve done this for 20 years.

“Look, I have been to antigovernment protests in Israel and you cannot move for all the ‘F*** Ben-Gvir’ stickers.” (Itamar Ben-Gvir is Israel’s minister of national security.) “I spend a lot of time there with family and cannot just say, ‘I’m not making music with you f***ers 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.”

I ask about the Tel Aviv gig in 2017. “I was in the hotel,” Yorke says, “when some guy, clearly connected high up, approaches me to thank me. It horrified me, truly, that the gig was being hijacked. So I get it — sort of. At the time I thought the gig made sense, but as soon as I got there and that guy came up? Get me the f*** out.”

So would he play Israel now? (I ask this question before the ceasefire was agreed.) “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t want to be 5,000 miles anywhere near the Netanyahu regime but Jonny has roots there. So I get it.”

“I would also politely disagree with Thom,” Greenwood says. “I would 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 dangerous.”

Greenwood looks down. “It’s nuts,” he says. “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 apologise for that.”

I ask if they are concerned about the tour being targeted. “Are you f***ing joking?” Yorke says, laughing. (He is concerned.) “But they don’t care about us. It’s about getting something on Instagram of something dramatic happening and, no, I don’t think Israel should do Eurovision. But I don’t think Eurovision should do Eurovision. So what do I know?”