Israeli Radio Stations Boycott Roger Waters’ Music After He Denies Hamas Sexually Abused Victims on Oct. 7
Roger Waters on “Piers Morgan Uncensored.” Photo: YouTube screenshot
Several Israeli radio stations announced they will no longer play songs by former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters after he denied Hamas terrorists carried out sexual violence against their victims during the Oct. 7 attacks in a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Ynet reported on Thursday.
Waters appeared on the talk show “Piers Morgan Uncensored” on Tuesday and claimed there is “no evidence” that Hamas terrorists sexually assaulted some of its victims on Oct. 7, despite widely corroborated proof to the contrary, confirmation by the United Nations, and first-hand testimonies from former Hamas hostages.
“All the filthy disgusting lies that the Israelis told after Oct. 7 about burning babies and women being raped — no they weren’t,” Waters said.
Morgan fired back, “Actually women were raped. It’s been established by the United Nations. There is extensive evidence of assault and rape.”
However, Waters replied, “You can say anything you want [but] there is no evidence.”
A day after Rogers’ interview with Morgan aired, Hagit Pe’er — the president of NA’AMAT, the largest women’s organization in Israel — urged radio stations in the country to stop broadcasting songs by the singer. “We believe that a reputable and fair-minded radio station should take a stand against the harmful statements made by Mr. Waters,” Pe’er wrote in a letter sent to radio stations on Wednesday. “The appropriate course of action would be to refrain from playing his music until he acknowledges and apologizes for his deceptive and inflammatory remarks.”
Some Israeli radio stations agreed to adhere to Pe’er’s request, Ynet reported. Noam Cohen Gefen, who owns an Israeli radio station, told the Israeli publication: “Since the beginning of the war, and with Waters’ previous statements, we have almost completely stopped playing Pink Floyd’s songs, and they were put on air only as part of dedications and requests. We were shocked by the interview and will not play his songs in the foreseeable future.”
Israel’s two leading radio stations, Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation’s Kan and the Army Radio, did not announce a clear decision regarding the matter, but anonymous sources confirmed to Ynet that both will not play Rogers’ songs in the near future.
NA’AMAT USA, the American branch of the women’s nonprofit organization, supported the call to boycott Waters’ music on Israeli radio stations. “We believe Israeli women. Hate-filled denials of the sexual violence targeting them on Oct. 7 should not be platformed anywhere,” NA’AMAT USA said. “We are grateful to NA’AMAT Israel President Hagit Pe’er for standing up for Israeli women. It is their voices that should be heard. NA’AMAT USA (formerly Pioneer Women) has supported Israeli women since 1925 and remains deeply dedicated to that mission today.”
Waters was outspoken against Israel and accused of outright antisemitism long before the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7.
Last year, an explosive documentary showed fellow musicians detailing Waters’ long record of anti-Jewish barbs. In one instance, a former colleague recalled Waters at a restaurant yelling at the wait staff to “take away the Jew food.”
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