Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Polly Samson attack “antisemitic” Roger Waters
It isn’t really a secret that Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Roger Waters have endured a complicated relationship over the years. While much of their previous feuding was put down to ego and business matters, things have become much more personal in recent years. Now though, differences have taken a very public turn as Gilmour, along with longtime band lyricist Polly Samson, attacked Waters on social for his alleged fascist sympathies and claimed antisemitism, which has already garnered the attention of fans all over the world.
Previously, multiple Jewish groups have protested against Waters’ opinions regarding Israel and the Israeli government. While Waters is not alone in his criticism of Israel, he has often doubled down on comments that have caused offence. During a concert in Belgium, for example, Waters used a pig-shaped balloon with the ‘Star of David’ emblazoned on it, along with other hateful symbols.
While criticising Waters’ political and personal prejudices, Polly Samson took to Twitter to write: “Sadly Roger Waters you are antisemitic to your rotten core. Also a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac. Enough of your nonsense.”
Pink Floyd fans will know all too well that Gilmour and Waters have had an ongoing feud for quite some time, and it seems like this is the next addition to their conflict. In response to Samson’s tweet, Gilmour wrote: “Every word demonstrably true”. Although it remains unclear what exactly sparked this recent response, some have pointed out that it could be related to Waters’ latest interview with Berliner Zeitung, where he spoke about his views on Israel once again.
When asked whether he had lost friends because of his views, Waters said: “It’s interesting that you ask that. I don’t know exactly, but I very much doubt it. A friendship is a powerful thing. I would say I’ve had about ten real friends in my life. I couldn’t lose a friend because of my political views, because friends love each other – and friendship begets talk, and talk begets understanding. If a friend were to say, ‘Roger, I saw you flew an inflatable pig with a Star of David on it during your Wall concerts!’, I explain to them the context and that there was nothing anti-Semitic either intended or expressed.”
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