Radiohead are no strangers to controversy, but their latest reflections on Israel and Gaza show just how divided the band’s members are on the issue.
Over the past year, the band has faced criticism for past performances in Israel and guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s continued collaborations with Israeli musicians, even after the country’s invasion of Gaza.
Protests have followed both Greenwood and frontman Thom Yorke–Yorke was heckled during a solo show in Melbourne last year, while Greenwood recently canceled UK shows with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa amid alleged threats.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Yorke said he would “absolutely not” perform in Israel again, adding, “I wouldn’t want to be within 5,000 miles of the Netanyahu regime. But Jonny has roots there, so I get it.” Greenwood, meanwhile, defended his collaborations with Middle Eastern artists, saying, “I can’t apologize for that. I have no loyalty—or respect, obviously—to their government, but I have both for the artists born there.”
Yorke also spoke about the pressure and online scrutiny he’s faced. “They’re telling me what it is that I’ve done with my life, and what I should do next… People want to take what I’ve done that means so much to millions of people and wipe me out. But this is not theirs to take from me,” he said.
Other band members acknowledged the tensions. Drummer Phil Selway called the BDS demands “impossible,” while bassist Colin Greenwood recalled similar scrutiny following 9/11. Guitarist Ed O’Brien noted that Radiohead also played in Ramallah in the West Bank, adding, “The brutal truth is that, while we were once all tight, we haven’t really spoken to one another much–and that’s OK.”
As Radiohead prepare for their comeback tour in November, it’s clear the band is navigating not just musical challenges but deeply personal and political ones, reflecting the complicated reality of artists engaging with global conflicts.
