Jonny Greenwood, member of Radiohead and The Smile, has issued a statement explaining his current association with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa and other Jewish artists. Greenwood is married to Israeli artist Sharona Katan, who has publicly supported Israel's military response in Gaza, and has recently performed in Tel Aviv with Tassa. The BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement has accused Greenwood of participating in “genocide whitewashing.”
Greenwood has defended his artistic alliance with Tassa, stating that, in his opinion, “a project that unites Arab and Jewish musicians is valuable,” and has declared that “silencing” artists for being Jewish seems contrary to “progressive.”
In his statement, Greenwood explains that not only does his collaboration with Tassa go back decades (he began collaborating with him in 2008) but that Arabs and Jews have historically shared culture. He points out that the most famous Iraqi composer, Daoud Al-Kuwaity, Dudu's grandfather, was of Jewish descent and that his compositions are still played on Arab radio.
Greenwood has denied that there is a “sinister motive” behind his collaboration with Tassa and has assured that, although “art will never be as “important” as stopping all the death and suffering that happens around us”, “silencing artists for Being Jews born in Israel is not an option that can lead to understanding between both parties.
The collaboration between Greenwood and Tassa has continued to this day with the release, in 2023, of the album 'Jarak Qaribak'. Interestingly, 'Creep' was initially a hit on Israeli radio, even before the UK and US.
https://t.co/BcqpR8cOUH pic.twitter.com/TBrCbCleBS
— Jonny Greenwood (@JnnyG) June 4, 2024
