A disagreement between Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd fame, now a solo artist) has gotten pretty ugly over the last couple days. Originally, Waters critiqued Radiohead for not paying attention to a petition that requested the band cancel a show in Tel Aviv as part of the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (or BDS) movement against Israel. Waters had signed the petition, which was also signed by a number of other celebrities and high-profile figures.
In an interview with Rolling Stone last week, Yorke pointed out how condescending the petition felt, and how it assumed the band knew little about the situation in the Middle East and were unable to make their own decisions. Yorke also pointed to Waters and others starting an argument in public, instead of approaching the band personally.
Today, Roger Waters has decided to fire back, also speaking with Rolling Stone to clarify his own position on the situation and noting that he has tried to talk to Yorke and co. in private.
I have made every effort to engage with [Yorke] personally, and would still like to have the conversation,” Waters said in a statement to the magazine, further noting that June 5th, is the 50th anniversary of the occupation of Palestine by Israel, and also brought up a letter he privately sent to Yorke after the public altercation blew up.
Read his full statement below:
I read Thom Yorke’s interview in Rolling Stone. It needs a reply as it doesn’t tell the whole story.
On February 12th, hoping to start a dialogue, I sent an email expressing my concern about Radiohead crossing the BDS picket line to perform in Israel. A few hours later, Thom replied. He was angry. He had misinterpreted my attempt to start a conversation as a threat. So I tried again.
“Hey Thom,
I’m sorry. My letter wasn’t meant to be confrontational. I was reaching out to see if we could have the conversation that you talk about in your reply. Can we?
Love, R.”I didn’t hear back. So silence prevailed for three weeks until March 4th when I sent a long heartfelt entreaty to Thom asking him again to talk.
In Thom’s interview with Andy Greene of Rolling Stone, in referring to Ken Loach and me, he says, ‘It’s deeply distressing that they choose to, rather than engage with us personally, throw sh*t at us in public.’
That is not true, Thom. I have made every effort to engage with you personally, and would still like to have the conversation.
“Not to talk is not an option.”
Today is the 50th anniversary of the occupation of Palestine by Israel. Fifty years living under military occupation. Fifty years for a people with no civil rights. Fifty years of no recourse to the law. Fifty years of apartheid.
The BDS picket line exists to shine a light on the predicament of the occupied people of Palestine, both in Palestine and those displaced abroad, and to promote equal civil rights for all the people living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea no matter what their nationality, race or religion. All human life is sacred, every child is our child, exceptionalism is always our enemy. There is no Us or Them, only Us.
Restiamo umani.
Love,
Roger Waters
