Nick Cave accuses BDS of ‘censoring’ music
NICK CAVE, the Australian rock star, has accused the anti-Israel boycott movement of “censoring and silencing” musicians.
The Bad Seeds frontman, who played a concnert on Tel Aviv on Monday, spoke of the pressure on musicians from the international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.
He said that record producer Brian Eno approached him three years ago to sign a boycott list, which he refused to do.
He said: “On a very intuitive level I did not want to sign that list, there was something that stunk to me about that list.
“So at the end of the day there are two reasons why I am here. One is that I love
Israel and I love Israeli people and two is to make a principled stand against anyone who wants to censor and silence musicians.
“So really you could say in a way that the BDS made me play Israel.”
Mr Cave’s determination to defy the boycott brought a strong reaction from BDS supporters.
Roger Waters, the former member of the band Pink Floyd, in particular a launched a tirade of criticism at him.
He said: “Nick thinks this is about censorship of his music? What? Nick, with all due respect, your music is irrelevant to this issue, so is mine, so is Brian Eno’s, so is Beethoven’s - this isn’t about music, it’s about human rights.”
He went on to claim that BDS advocates would “hurl our glasses into the fire of your arrogant unconcern, and smash our bracelets on the rock of your implacable indifference”.
Mr Waters has previously faced criticism that his anti-Israel views are in fact antisemitic. He compared the Israeli government to Nazi Germany and has also angered Jewish groups for using a pig-shaped balloon with symbols including a Star of David, at a concert. Mr Waters was backed up by the Artists for Palestine UK group who accused Mr Cave of “giving comfort to the unjust”.