Radiohead, Thom Yorke, BDS, Genocide, Emails.

Back in February 2017 I sent Thom Yorke an Email, this is what I sent:

Dear Thom

I don’t know you personally, but I know you because of your work; you have an important voice. Some of my Palestinian friends know I’m working with Nigel Godrich and have figured out that in consequence I can get a message to you. The word is out that you’re planning to do a gig in Tel Aviv. My friends have asked me to write to you before they start their public campaign.

We in the human rights movement are deeply concerned that Radiohead plan to cross the BDS picket line and perform in Israel. To do so gives tacit approval to the Israeli government’s systematic colonization of Palestinian land and subjugation of the Palestinian people, formalizing the status quo of the occupation into a unified apartheid state.

Eli Wiesel, the famous Jewish writer, holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Lauriat who died last year said many things of note. Here are a few:

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”

“No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them.”

“To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all.”

I won’t bang on, but as far as we know we only get one go at life, only one chance to stand up for human rights, in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters, irrespective of their nationality, race or religion. The lives of a Jewish child and a Palestinian child are equally precious.

It’s a funny old life and no mistake.

Love and respect

Roger Waters

This is Thom Yorke’s reply.

“Duly noted

i can't wait for their campaign to start

Normally i would expect a conversation first

Rather than a tacit threat of an imminent campaign

which has now started

I too am familiar with human rights

but i knew nothing about this line we have now crossed

Yes isn't life funny

ill start drawing my own lines
since no-one on their side wants to show us the respect of a discussion

(spell checked by GCHQ)”

I drafted a second Email in reply but was warned off from sending it by someone who knows Thom well, instead on February 13th I sent this:

Hey Thom
I’m sorry, my letter wasn’t meant to be confrontational. I was reaching out to see if we could have the conversation that you talk about in your reply. Can we?
Love
R.”

Thom did not reply.

On March 3^rd, somewhat exasperated, I came clean in another letter.

Here is that letter:

“Uncomfortableness”

Dear Thom

Some truth. I had a minor op this morning on my shoulder and in consequence my left arm is temporarily dead, numb, paralyzed. It is a horrible feeling. It’s my limb but I have no control over it.

I attach a photo in which I’m mouthing “Here boy” to you in a soothing placatory manner, imagining you snarling at the effrontery of me writing to you again. You may retire to your corner to snarl, in which case………gnash …….. snarl…….grrrrr…………..click!

If not, and I hope not, there is more. Firstly, here-under is the reply I drafted to your response to my original letter but was warned off from sending. Again I apologize for trying to baby you, as grown men we at least owe one another some truth. Here’s the letter I didn’t send.

Hey Thom

I’m sorry, there was no threat intended in my letter, if I gave that impression I apologize. In your Email you say,

”Normally I would expect a conversation first”.

My letter is intended as the start of a conversation. The conversation is about human rights and whether the people who call themselves Palestinians should, or should not, have any. Many people believe that they should have the same basic human rights under international law as you or I or anyone else. At the moment they don’t. They have had no rights since 1967, since when they have lived under military occupation. In your Email you also say,

“I knew nothing about this line we have now crossed, no one on their side wants to show us the respect of a discussion.”

So, in order to explain "the line" that you may cross, I need to bring up BDS, (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions). BDS is a global protest movement started in 2005 by Palestinian civil society, as a form of non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation. Part of this resistance to the occupation is a cultural boycott of Israel. There is a picket line that musicians and intellectuals and academics who support human rights will not cross. They will not perform or lecture or receive prizes in Israel until such time as Israel agrees to abide by international law. That is all. To be clear BDS is not an attempt to destroy the State of Israel, it is about securing basic human rights for a beleaguered people. I’m not sure what you mean by:

”no one on their side wants to show us the respect of discussion.”

If by 'their side' you mean BDS, I know the leaders of BDS and they would be eager to have a discussion with you. I can put you in touch with them or, if you prefer, I would be more than happy to have that discussion with you myself.

Secondly, I can only imagine how powerlessness feels, hence photo.

Thirdly, this conversation is too important to die stillborn, both me preaching from my high horse and you snarling from your basket are dumb! Whoops there I go again, or not. The BDS movement is showing you no disrespect.

Fourthly, (no more apologies for being preachy) I quote Michael Bennett the Seattle Seahawk football player, who has recently declined an invitation to visit Israel on the grounds that his visit would be used to promote and legitimize Israel and its policies, Like 1968 Olympian John Carlos always says,

“There is no partial commitment to justice. You are either in or you’re out.”

Michael Bennet is in. So am I.

Lastly, one of my friends in Palestine sent me a video today which I shall forward. This lady is in too. Your reputation is that you’re super smart and super difficult. Someone recently suggested to me that maybe some people think of you the way some people thought of me 25 years ago? Maybe? Whatever, this discussion needs you. People from “their side” are desperate to have you in the discussion, their lives and Israeli lives too, depend on it.

Love

R.

Thom replied,

“that's it

i quit

ask your friend Eno to read the letter from Jonny

i was looking for a reason to quit making music and this business and your letter has been the final tipping point

so

thanks

(spell checked by GCHQ)”

I can only assume Thom was being ironic/sarcastic? Anyway, we, in BDS shook our heads and went back to work, a quiet dark pall of disbelief and disillusion hanging silent in the wake of Radiohead’s rejection of our approaches, until Rolling Stone yesterday.

In Thom’s interview with Andy Greene, in referring to Ken Loach and, as I am named also, presumably me, he says,

“It’s deeply distressing that they choose to, rather than engage with us personally, throw shit at us in public.”

Well that, Thom, is a porky pie as evidenced by the Email exchange above I made every attempt to engage with you personally, would still like to engage, as I have repeatedly said this conversation is too important not to have, it is a matter of life and death on a daily basis.

“Not to talk is not an option.”

Throwing shit is not an option either.

On Monday it will be the 50^th anniversary of the military occupation of Palestine by Israel. 50 years living under the jackboot, 50 years with no civil rights, 50 years of no recourse to the law, 50 years of apartheid. There are many brave Israeli Jews who speak out against the policies of the current undemocratic extremist theocratic government of Israel. When you are there, speak with those brave voices, engage in the conversation, I think you may find many would have preferred you to respect the picket line. The picket line exists to shine a light on the predicament of the occupied people of Palestine and to promote equal civil rights for all the people living between the Jordan River and the sea no matter what their nationality, race or religion. All human life is sacred, every child is our child, exceptionalism is our enemy.

Roger Waters

Monday June 5^th 2017.

That was then, today is:

Friday December 6th 2024

They’re still killing the children Thom under your Radiohead flag.

Come out of your dark basket Thom and stand with me and Ken Loach and Brian Eno out here in the light.

You don’t have to be a Jew

To disapprove of murder

Tears burn my eyes

Moslem or Christian

Mullah or Pope

Preacher or poet

Who was it wrote

Give any one species

Too much rope

And they’ll fuck it up.

Too Much Rope © Roger Waters 1990