Roger Waters says “I am not an antisemite” following cancelled concert in Germany
Roger Waters has declared “I am not an antisemite” after his concert in Frankfurt was cancelled after local officials denounced him as “one of the most far-reaching antisemites in the world”.
Following the announcement, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency praised the decision and said: “The background to the cancellation is the persistent anti-Israel behaviour of the former Pink Floyd frontman, who is considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world.” Waters has since filed legal action, and his other concerts in Germany remain under threat of cancellation.
Waters has now spoken to Meron Mendel, the director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre, for the German newspaper Der Spiegel. When asked if he was surprised about the decision to cancel his concert in Frankfurt, the Pink Floyd founder replied: “Yes, of course. I am not an anti-Semite. I have never been an anti-Semite and I will never be one. I have stressed that on many occasions. It is bizarre that my career should now be attacked on the basis of allegations made by the Israel lobby.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, he also claimed: “Everyone knows that Israel is not a democracy. A democracy needs equal rights for all citizens. And Israel doesn’t have those. It is a state in which a certain group, the Jewish people, have supremacy, and Jewish citizens enjoy rights that are denied to their fellow citizens. The government says so openly.”
Meanwhile, over 10,000 people have signed a petition in support of Waters in an attempt to reverse the decision made by officials in Frankfurt. Musicians to have signed the petition include Eric Clapton, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, Brian Eno, and Peter Gabriel.
The blurb for the petition reads: “Officials in Germany, concert organisers, and music platforms must not succumb to the pressure of those individuals and groups who would rather see Waters’ music removed than engage with the issues his music highlights.”
