Radiohead hit back at Ken Loach after he puts pressure on them to cancel Israel show

Thom Yorke has been forced to publicly defend Radiohead’s decision to perform in Israel after director Ken Loach tweeted that the band need to decide if they “stand with the oppressed or the oppressor”.

Pressure has been building for Radiohead to cancel their planned concert in Tel Aviv on July 19 and The ‘I, Daniel Blake’ filmmaker is one of 47 celebrities who signed a petition in the hope the rockers would pull out, insisting the country has implemented “a system of apartheid” on the Palestine people.

Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and directors Peter Kosminsky and actresses Maxine Peake and Juliet Stephenson and many more have signed a letter that urges the band to take “one small step” and “stand up” for Palestinians.

But lead singer Thom, 48, has hit back at the British director insisting that they are in no way backing the country’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu by holding a concert there.

He also said he isn’t a supporter of Donald Trump but the band still play in the US.

“Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government. We’ve played in Israel for over 20 years through a succession of governments, some more liberal than others,” he fired back.

“As we have in America. We do not endorse Netanyahu any more than Trump, but we still play in America. Music, art and academia is about crossing boarders not building them, about open minds not closed ones, about shared humanity, dialogue, and freedom of expression. I hope that makes it clear Ken.”

The band are due to perform in Tel Aviv on July 19 and Loach previously said the group should pull the gig out of “their own self-respect”.

However, the group said previously they would not cancel their show. What’s more, guitarist Jonny Greenwood has links to Israel as he is married to Israeli artist Sharon Katan.

The letter to the band reads: “I’m asking you not to perform in Israel, Palestinians have appealed to you to take one small step to help pressure Israel to end its violation of basic rights and international law. Since Radiohead campaigns for freedom to the Tibetans, we’re wondering why you’d turn down a request to stand up for another people under foreign occupation.

“Surely if making a stand against the politics of division, of discrimination and of hate means anything at all, it means standing against it everywhere – and that has to include what happens to Palestinians every day.”

Last November, ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ hitmaker Waters signed another open letter to stop Chemical Brothers performing along with 7,000 others.

Britney Spears also performed in Israel for the first time last month.

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