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John Lydon has attacked "left wing" critics of Israel who compare the country to a "fascist state" and urged its opponents to remember the lessons of the Holocaust.
The former Sex Pistol, who was known as Johnny Rotten in his punk days, has defended his decision to perform in
Tel Aviv in 2010 with his group Public Image Limited.
A number of musicians have urged performers to boycott Israel in protest at the country's policies towards Palestinians.
But Mr Lydon said he would not be dissuaded from playing in Israel again. He said: "I will not be denied my audience. Why should Israelis be denied the privilege of hearing us?
"We played to a mixed audience, Muslim and Jewish. PiL has a 'mosque-y' song called Four Enclosed Walls and the refrain goes 'Allah, Allah'. It was wonderful to see Jews and Arabs singing along together.
"That is more of a step towards world peace than left-wing students calling the Jewish state a fascist regime. Really? Have we forgotten World War Two that quickly?"
Mr Lydon, whose autobiography, Anger Is An Energy, is out this week, added: "That nonsense flies in the face of reality.
"Never forget the Holocaust. Some bad people tried to exterminate an entire race of human beings."