After being the target of attacks on social networks both before and after the first communications, both Thom Yorke as Johnny Greenwood They have spoken on social networks about the questioning of which they have been victims for several years Radiohead.
The starting point was when, in 2017, the British group performed in Tel Aviv, ignoring protests that urged them to cancel that concert. That also brought them criticism from musicians like Young Fathers and Roger Waters. Yorke later confronted a protester who scolded him at one of his solo concerts in Melbourne, Australia.
As for Jonny Greenwood, he faced people who attacked him for making albums with the Israeli musician Dudu Tassasomething that led to their concerts together in the United Kingdom being cancelled, but not their performance in Tel Aviv together. To this we must add that Greenwood is married to Sharona Katan, born in Israel and whom many voices have accused of being a “Zionist.”
Now, Thom Yorke has written that “it’s absolutely certain that Radiohead won’t play in Israel” and that he personally doesn’t want to “come within five thousand miles of anywhere near the Netanyahu regime, but Jonny has roots there. So I get it.”
For his part, Jonny Greenwood has pointed out that “I spend a lot of time there with my family and I can’t just say ‘I’m not going to make music with you bastards, because of your government. Obviously I don’t feel any loyalty or respect for the government of Israel, but I do feel both for some musicians born there.” He also declared that “The left looks for traitors, the right converts and it is depressing that we are the closest they can get (…) Booing at a concert does not seem brave or progressive to me.”
Regarding the issue of whether Radiohead could play in Israel, the guitarist states that “I also politely disagree with Thom on this. I would say that this situation could lead to the government thinking ‘Everyone hates us, so we should do exactly what we want.’ Which seems much more dangerous to me. This is all crazy and the only thing I’m ashamed of is that I dragged Thom and the others into this situation, but I’m not ashamed of working with Arab and Jewish musicians. “I can’t apologize for it.”
