Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has admitted that the ongoing backlash over the band’s perceived stance on Israel and Palestine “wakes him up at night,” as all five members opened up about the controversy in a new interview with The Times.
The band has faced criticism since performing in Tel Aviv in 2017, defying calls from the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement and fellow artists including Roger Waters.
Tensions resurfaced recently after Yorke’s public spat with a protester at a solo show and guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s collaborations with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, which led to cancelled UK performances.
Speaking to The Times, Yorke said he feels personally vilified, “People want to erase what I’ve done with my life and tell me what I should think. It’s a purity test, a low-level Arthur Miller witch-hunt. I understand the anger, but it’s painful to be on the receiving end.”
Yorke recounted being heckled with “Free Palestine” chants on London streets, saying the infighting distracts from “the real criminals who carry on with impunity.”
Greenwood, whose wife is Israeli, defended his musical collaborations across borders, “It’s absurd that I feel scared to admit I’m working with Israeli and Middle Eastern artists. Boycotting musicians for where they’re born isn’t progressive.”
He added that he’s joined anti-government protests in Israel and has “no loyalty to its leadership, only to its artists.”
The pair disagree on whether Radiohead should ever perform in Israel again. Yorke said, “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t go anywhere near the Netanyahu regime.”
Greenwood countered, “Boycotts only strengthen that government’s narrative that ‘everyone hates us,’ which is far more dangerous.”
Guitarist Ed O’Brien suggested the band should have also played in Ramallah, while Philip Selway admitted the issue has strained the group, “BDS want us to distance ourselves from Jonny, but that would mean ending the band.”
Despite internal differences, Yorke and Greenwood remain united in rejecting what they see as moral policing from all sides.
As Radiohead prepare to return to the stage for their first shows in seven years this November, the controversy over their global ethics lingers, even as tickets sell out within minutes.
