Thom Yorke: Criticized For Not Boycotting Israel, Forgets to Boycott Israel
Thom Yorke, frontman of Radiohead, has finally declared he'd 'absolutely not' perform in Israel again, according to The New Arab. This comes seven years after Radiohead played Tel Aviv in 2017 amid intense criticism from Palestinian solidarity activists and fellow artists. At the time, Yorke famously dismissed calls for boycott as 'divisive' and 'patronizing,' defending his decision to engage in
'dialogue' through music. One might wonder what specific 'dialogue' happened between 2017 and 2024 to shift his stance. Perhaps the ongoing, widely documented atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank since October 7, 2023, offered a clearer picture than the 'nuance' he championed previously. Or perhaps, the sheer, undeniable weight of global public opinion finally became too 'divisive' to ignore. It
appears some artists require undeniable evidence of ethnic cleansing broadcast globally before they consider altering their performance itineraries. The cost of 'dialogue' with an apartheid state, it turns out, can eventually be measured in PR disasters, if not moral bankruptcy.