Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters is beloved and respected for having written some of rock’s most caustic and complex songs. But since 2011, he’s lent his name to another cause, and it’s one that isn’t coming with as many accolades.
Waters is one of the main faces behind the “Boycott, Divestiture and Sanctions” movement meant to put pressure on Israel as a way to influence the ever-thorny conflict with the Palestinians.
Since he is so influential among fans who grew up with his music, Waters has a responsibility, when he does expound on this issue, to treat it seriously, fairly, and without overtly pejorative language and images. But instead, he’s taken to framing the issue in dangerously broad strokes, and in a way that is definitely detrimental to any objective person who endeavors to understand it.
Last month, the Unitarian Universalist Church in Marblehead showed a film, which he narrated (which means he endorses the point of view), claiming, among other things, that the U.S. media — in collusion with the “right-wing Jewish lobby” — distorts coverage of the conflict to favor Israel. Many members of the Jewish community considered the film one-sided — and anti-Semitic. Local Jews begged that the church substitute a more balanced film, but Waters’ was the one who ended up running.
Here are two aspects to consider about this. First, the last thing anyone needs is the type of biased propaganda that will result in more hate being spread around. And second, even if that wasn’t the intent, Waters is the wrong person to narrate any film on this subject.
I’m not into calling people names, but I can’t say I blame Jews who consider him anti-Semitic. Not when he took to flying an inflatable pig over the stage during a tour a few years back — with the Star of David painted on it.
That’s just insulting. And hurtful. It’s only been 75 years since the world discovered the horrible truth about the Holocaust. And you’d have to be either blind or oblivious not to notice a fresh surge of anti-Semitism in many spots in the world, including here in the USA.
Pick a nationality and think of the most vile stereotypes associated with it. Now ask yourself whether similar insults against African-Americans or Muslims, for example, should be tolerated.
Waters, in the past, has defended his use of the Star of David by saying he also uses crucifixes and other religious symbols when he performs (none of those complimentary either). But don’t you think a pig decorated with a Star of David is simply too sardonic? The circumstances are different with Jews, who obviously feel as if they have to keep fighting the same fight over and over again.
Waters also says he has a lot of Jewish friends. Gee. Roy Moore used the “some of the best friends are Jewish” line too. I wonder how Waters would feel about being compared with him?
Last Monday, at Congregation Sharat Hayam in Swampscott came the response to Waters, in the form of a film cleverly titled, “Wish You Weren’t Here,” a reference, obviously, to what is (most ironically) my very favorite Pink Floyd song. Waters is excoriated in this film, co-produced by Ian Halpern and Dr. Charles Asher Small of the Institute for the Global Study of Antisemitism, and he certainly has it coming.
Waters has used his immense following to endorse the BDS effort to starve Israel. Many who go along with this, when called on it, protest that efforts to cripple the state of Israel don’t make them anti-Semitic.
But Jews interviewed in the Halpern film don’t buy this. They say they understand that Israel’s policies are fair game for criticism. But don’t try to sell them on the notion that being anti-Israel is not the same as being anti-Semitic. As one man asked in the film, “Well, who do they think lives in Israel? Martians?”
Waters, of all people, should know better than to engage in such mean-spirited bigotry. Sticking his nose into a complicated, emotional issue such as this, and poking at it with the sharp end of a stick, doesn’t do anything but further inflame the situation. It makes people more intractable, which is certainly not what anybody needs in the Middle East.
All Waters is doing when he preaches BDS toward Israel is pouring gasoline on a smoldering fire that’s always one or two false moves away from becoming a conflagration. It legitimizes and empowers the same type of hate that we’ve already seen far too much of in the last two or three years.
Perhaps he could use his cachet to truly promote a better understanding of the Middle East. Or perhaps he could do what George Harrison did in 1971 and use his fame to organize a humanitarian effort on behalf of victims throughout the region.
Instead, he’s peddling this point of view, and that’s a shame.