As politicians and celebrities take sides in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, we are getting a glimpse of their true colors. In other instances, we’re learning that people’s views are even more radical than we had previously thought. It’s possible that fans of the late, great bassist Roger Waters will be disappointed.
The English musician Roger Waters is well-known for his support of Palestine. Waters co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 and wrote the majority of the band’s songs until his departure in 1985. In truth, he has been repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism and is a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.
In 2013, Waters utilized a pig-shaped balloon inscribed with a Star of David as part of his stage sets, which prompted a complaint from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish human rights organization founded by the renowned Nazi hunter. In the same year, the musician made the comparison between the way Israel treats Palestinians and the way Nazi Germany dealt with Jews. Frankfurt, Germany was supposed to host his concert in February of this year, but the city canceled it due to repeated allegations of anti-Semitism against him.
Waters’s actions up to this point have been concerning yet ambiguous. He has progressed to outright genocide denial at this point. Waters downplayed the terrorist assault that took place in Israel on October 7 by saying, “Let’s wait and see what happened.” He went on to say that the attack by Hamas, which was intended at civilians rather than military targets, was “justified.”
He also denied that Hamas had decapitated Israeli babies. Waters has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the slaughter in the month since the incident. He reiterated his defense of Hamas and suggested it was a “false flag” operation on November 7. Waters has gone from toying with anti-Semitism to openly supporting terrorism.
