Roger Waters has responded to allegations of antisemitism levied in a brand new documentary launched by the Campaign Against Antisemitism titled The Dark Side of Roger Waters, calling the movie “a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda.”
The documentary, which is on the market on YouTube, claims that Waters despatched emails by which he proposed utilizing numerous antisemitic slurs and iconography throughout his concert events. The movie additionally incorporates claims from Waters’ former saxophonist Norbert Statchel that Waters as soon as demanded restaurant waiters “take away all the Jew food,” and from producer Bob Ezrin, who recalled Waters singing an inappropriate ditty about late music consultant Bryan Morrison being “a fucking Jew.”
“One cannot help but watch this film and wonder what kind of person uses their power to this effect,” CAA chief government Gideon Falter mentioned in a press release. “Is Roger Waters an antisemite? Now people can make up their own minds.”
Roger Waters’ Response to ‘The Dark Side of Roger Waters’
Waters responded to The Dark Side of Roger Waters with a press release posted to his web site on Friday. “All my life I have used the platform my career has given me to support causes I believe in,” he wrote. “I passionately believe in universal human rights. I have always worked to make the world a better, more just and more equitable place for all my brothers and sisters, all over the world, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, from indigenous peoples threatened by the U.S. oil industry to Iranian women protesting for their rights.
“That is why I’m lively within the non-violent protest motion in opposition to the Israeli authorities’s unlawful occupation of Palestine and its egregious remedy of Palestinians,” he continued. “Those who want to conflate that place with antisemitism do a fantastic disservice to us all.”
The Pink Floyd co-founder said the CAA “gave me seven days to reply to a number of questions on issues relationship again to 2002 and 2010,” and claimed the organization’s “core objective is waging partisan political campaigns in opposition to critics of the state of Israel. So I knew their questions weren’t requested in good religion.”
READ MORE: Disturbed’s David Draiman Says ‘F— Roger Waters’ in Tel Aviv
“Truth is, I’m continuously mouthy and inclined to irreverence,” Waters continued. “I am unable to recall what I mentioned 13 or extra years in the past. I’ve labored intently for a few years with many Jewish folks, musicians and others. If I’ve upset the 2 people who seem within the movie I’m sorry for that. But I can say with certainty that I’m not, and have by no means been, an antisemite – as anybody who actually is aware of me will testify. I do know the Jewish folks to be a various, attention-grabbing, and complex bunch, identical to the remainder of humanity. Many are allies within the struggle for equality and justice, in Israel, Palestine and around the globe.
“The film totally distorts and misrepresents my views about the Israeli state and its political ideology, Zionism,” Waters defined. “It relies on a definition of antisemitism that sees criticizing Israel as inherently antisemitic and assumes that Zionism is an essential element in Jewish identity. These opinions, clearly shared by the presenter and the two interviewees, are widely contested by many, including many Jewish people.”
As for the offensive phrases utilized in his emails, Waters mentioned they have been “my brainstorming ideas on how to make the evils and horrors of fascism and extremism apparent and shocking to a generation that may not fully appreciate the ever-present threat. They are not the manifestation of any underlying bigotry as the film suggests.”
“In summary,” Waters concluded, “the film is a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda that indiscriminately mixes things I’m alleged to have said or done at different times and in different contexts, in an effort to portray me as an antisemite, without any foundation in fact.”
Roger Waters’ Antisemitism Allegations
Allegations of antisemitism have dogged Waters all through 2023. He drew criticism earlier this 12 months for sporting a Nazi-like costume throughout his efficiency in Berlin, prompting an investigation from the German police. Officials in Frankfurt tried to have his live performance there canceled, though he was finally permitted to carry out. Waters chalked the investigation up to “bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me.”
The U.S. State Department condemned Waters’ controversial apparel in June, saying he has “a long track record of using antisemitic tropes” and that his Berlin live performance “contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust.”
READ MORE: Roger Waters Previews New ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ in New York
Waters has repeatedly denied accusations of antisemitism and claimed that his critics have been lacking the purpose of his present. “The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice and bigotry in all its forms,” he mentioned in a press release. “Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated.”
He added that his “depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since Pink Floyd’s The Wall in 1980″ and claimed he has “spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it.”
David Gilmour and Roger Waters Solo Albums Ranked
They each laid declare to the Pink Floyd legacy, whereas solely hardly ever stepping out with solo works.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
Discussion about this post