Nick Cave clashes with Pink Floyd cofounder Roger Waters over the anti-Israel BDS movement, calling Waters antics ‘deeply damaging’ for the boycott movement.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
Two prominent recording artists clashed over support for Israel and the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement last week.
Last Wednesday, the libertarian-leaning Reason outlet’s podcast published a 68-minute interview with Australian actor and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds frontman Nick Cave, in which the rock baritone excoriated Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame over his vocal criticism of the Jewish state and support for the BDS Movement.
Responding to criticism from Waters and Brian Eno – another U.K.-based recording artist – over his refusal to boycott Israel, Cave ridiculed Waters, calling him “embarrassing” and his behavior “deeply damaging” to the BDS Movement, while giving a more nuanced response to Eno, whom he called a “thoughtful individual.”
“I just feel on some level that I find it difficult to come to terms with using my music in order to punish ordinary people because of the acts of their government. It sort of comes down to that, to some degree.”
On Friday, Waters fired back, responding to Cave in an Instagram video message and accompanying post.
“It’s ok to be wrong mate,” wrote Waters. “Obviously you not opposing Genocide is a biggy? But hey! Nobody’s perfect? Just say you’re sorry. Not to me and @brianeno, we don’t give a f**k. No, say you’re sorry to the Palestinians. Join BDS and we’ll let bygones be bygones.”
Waters has been an open advocate of the BDS Movement for over a decade, and has sparked controversy in recent years over his claims regarding the Jewish state and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In July, Waters denied during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored that Israeli women were raped by Gaza terrorists during the October 7th invasion, accusing “the Israelis” of promoting “filthy, disgusting lies” told “after October 7th about burning babies and women being raped which were all completely [untrue.] They weren’t.”
Denying the Hamas atrocities, Waters claimed “there was no evidence. You can say anything that you want but there is no evidence.”