The former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters has been accused of repeated antisemitism in a new documentary released by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), a UK-based charity that monitors and combats antisemitism in Britain.
The documentary, titled “Wish You Weren’t Here”, exposes Waters’ alleged antisemitic behavior and statements over the years, such as suggesting writing “Dirty k***” on an inflatable pig and dropping swastika confetti on his audiences during his concerts.
The documentary also features testimonies from Waters’ former collaborators, such as Bob Ezrin, the producer of Pink Floyd’s album “The Wall”, who accuses Waters of making derogatory remarks about Jews and Israel.
“He would say things like ‘Take away this Jew food!’ when he was served a bagel or something like that. He would make jokes about the Holocaust. He would say things like ‘You know what the problem with you Jews is? You’re too f***ing smart for your own good.'” Ezrin said in the documentary.
Waters is a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which aims to isolate and pressure the Jewish state over its treatment of Palestinians. He has also criticized other musicians who perform in Israel, such as Radiohead, Nick Cave and Lana Del Rey.
“Roger Waters has become one of the most prominent figures in the antisemitic campaign to demonise and delegitimise the Jewish state.” Gideon Falter, chief executive of CAA, said in a statement.
Waters has denied being an antisemite and claimed he is only criticizing Israel’s policies. He has also defended his use of the inflatable pig and the swastika confetti as artistic expressions.
“I have many very close Jewish friends who support my position on Palestine. To suggest that I am anti-Semitic or that I support those who deny the Holocaust is untrue and extremely offensive.” Waters said in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2017.
However, some of his critics are not convinced by his explanations. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, founder of the World Values Network, said in the documentary that Waters is “not just anti-Israel, he’s anti-Jewish.”
“He’s one of the most dangerous enemies of the Jewish people.” Boteach added.
Relevant articles:
– Roger Waters accused of repeated antisemitism in new documentary, The Guardian, 28 September 2023
– Roger Waters’ antisemitism in limelight of new damning CAA documentary, The Jerusalem Post, 28 September 2023
– Roger Waters Accused of Anti-Semitism by The Wall Producer Bob Ezrin and Other Collaborators, Yahoo Entertainment, 28 September 2023
– ‘Take Away This Jew Food!’ New Documentary Exposes Roger Waters Antisemitic Barbs, The Algemeiner, 28 September 2023