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BDS movement threatens Radiohead after concert in Tel Aviv
The guitarist Jonny Greenwood performed with Israeli artist Dudu Tassa
June 2, 2024 09:18
The guitarist Jonny Greenwood performed with Israeli artist Dudu Tassa
June 2, 2024 09:18The BDS movement has threatened pop band Radiohead, following a performance of one of its members in Tel Aviv.
Guitarist Jonny Greenwood joined Israeli Mizrachi musician Dudu Tassa on stage at the Barby Club last week.
His appearance came the day after being seen at protests in Tel Aviv, calling for the release of the hostages in Gaza and for new elections in Israel.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the two artists played songs from their 2023 album of Arabic love songs, on which they collaborated with other artists from the Middle East.
The BDS movement, renowned for applying pressure on artists to refuse to perform in Israel, posted on X/Twitter: “We call for peaceful, creative pressure on @radiohead to convincingly distance itself from this blatant complicity in the crime of crimes, or face grassroots measures.”
The comments were met with criticism on the social media platform, with one user writing: “The boycotters are threatening Radiohead with slightly sinister sounding ‘grassroots measures’ because one of the band played a concert in Israel. Johnny [sic] Greenwood played Arabic love songs with Mizrahi musician Dudu Tassa. Nothing is allowed. No art. No joy. No love. No peace.”
On Reddit, someone who had been at the concert wrote: “It was a concert of a completely Arabic album that he did, named Jarak Qaribak (translation: your neighbor is your friend). All of the songs were in Arabic and al of the guest singers were Palestinian Arabs. There were several calls for peace during the night.”
“Yes, here I see people that are cancelling [sic] the guy….It’s so sickening. I hope I’m not the only one that is really fed up about this poisoned mindset that even reached music fandoms.”
According to the Jerusalem Post, Greenwood is married to Israeli artist Sharona Katan, whose family lost a nephew during the Israel-Hamas war.
Shortly after the October 7 massacres, Greenwood tweeted: “Condolences to the families of the innocent concert goers, children and civilians of all ages murdered, raped or abducted in these massacres. It’s impossible not to despair.”
Tassa’s family moved to Israel in the 1950s, escaping antisemitism in Iraq. His grandfather Daoud Al Kuwaiti and his great-uncle, Saleh Al Kuwaiti, were two of the most influential composers of modern Iraqi music, and their music is still popular in the Arab world today.