Thought it would be interesting to note the otherwise politically outspoken public figures who have been silent over the Gaza genocide. Feel free to add your own. Bonus if you include a quote relating to another conflict showing them mouthing off against an Official Enemy for similar, or lesser crimes (eg: Ukraine) and thus revealing their hypocrisy, gullibility or racist double standards.
*****
#1
Thom Yorke on Ukraine: 'Listening to music has changed for me recently, I find myself asking what is music or any art in such a time of death, violence and horror? I guess it can only try to bear witness somehow. [...] There are no words to express seeing war Ukraine, in Europe in the 21st century. Normal life has been diminished, there is a sense of wanton absurdity and futility. The clowns have run out of jokes, their faces have twisted into grimaces, no longer able to hide the malignant shadows standing behind them. Families just like ours, innocent children, pulled apart. We can only pray to wake up from this nightmare and never allow it to happen again. Soon.' - https://consequence.net/2022/04/thom-yorke-seventh-sonos-radio-mix-stream/
He played Tel Aviv despite tons of people asking him not to and explaining why. Fuck him....no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party...So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
'I'm here to talk about the Ukrainian refugee crisis, and it is a tragedy of epic historic proportions. What we are seeing is millions of people displaced and fleeing for their lives, fleeing for their children's lives and desperately seeking safety and humanitarian relief. We urgently ask, plead with our governments to commit big money for refugee relief efforts. But everyone has a part to play, and our Pearl Jam partners in Europe, they're doing things like bravely using tour buses to get people from Ukraine into neighbouring countries. We also have law students here in Seattle, our hometown, helping refugees arriving in the US with the complicated and complex paperwork. Us in Pearl Jam and our crew, we're all honoured to support these efforts as well as the work of other amazing organizations. There's one called the world central kitchen, of course my good friend Sean Penn has his incredible group called CORE [Vedder is wearing their baseball cap]. In order for you to see what feels right and what part you can play, all you got to do is go to globalcitizen.org/ukraine and there you can learn what part you can play in helping alleviate this crisis. Thank you. [praying hands]' - https://pearljam.com/news/global-citizen-stand-up-for-ukraine-acts
Chomsky not impressed by Bob Dylan’s incoherent rambling June, 1994 Just the other day I was sitting in a radio studio waiting for a satellite arrangement abroad to be set up. The engineers were putting together interviews with Bob Dylan from about 1966-7 or so (judging by the references), and I was listening (I’d never heard him talk before — if you can call that talking). He sounded as though he was so drugged he was barely coherent, but the message got through clearly enough through the haze. He said over and over that he’d been through all of this protest thing, realized it was nonsense, and that the only thing that was important was to live his own life happily and freely, not to “mess around with other people’s lives” by working for civil and human rights, ending war and poverty, etc. He was asked what he thought about the Berkeley “free speech movement” and said that he didn’t understand it. He said something like: “I have free speech, I can do what I want, so it has nothing to do with me. Period.” If the capitalist PR machine wanted to invent someone for their purposes, they couldn’t have made a better choice.
Thanks for that Morrissey. I had a look and it seems like Dylan avoided making any public comments about the Ukraine war, but I found this 2016 article on Electric Intifada which pointed to the zionist propaganda of his 1983 song 'Neighbourhood Bully', apparent involvement with the Jewish Defence League and Meir Kahane, and opposition to the BDS movement while playing in Israel himself, which tells you all you need to know: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/michael-f-brown/bob-dylans-embrace-israels-war-crimes
So...
#3
Bob Dylan on Israel:
'Well, the neighborhood bully, he’s just one man His enemies say he’s on their land They got him outnumbered about a million to one He got no place to escape to, no place to run
He's the neighborhood bully
The neighborhood bully just lives to survive He’s criticized and condemned for being alive He’s not supposed to fight back, he’s supposed to have thick skin He’s supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in
The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land He’s wandered the earth an exiled man Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn He’s always on trial for just being born
Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized Old women condemned him, said he should apologize Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad The bombs were meant for him. He was supposed to feel bad
Well, the chances are against it and the odds are slim That he’ll live by the rules that the world makes for him Because there’s a noose at his neck and a gun at his back And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac
He got no allies to really speak of What he gets he must pay for, he don’t get it out of love He buys obsolete weapons and he won’t be denied But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side
Well, he’s surrounded by pacifists who all want peace They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease Now, they wouldn’t hurt a fly. To hurt one they would weep They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep
Every empire that’s enslaved him is gone Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon He’s made a garden of paradise in the desert sand In bed with nobody, under no one’s command
Now his holiest books have been trampled upon No contract he signed was worth what it was written on He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health
What’s anybody indebted to him for? Nothing, they say. He just likes to cause war Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed They wait for this bully like a dog waits to feed
What has he done to wear so many scars? Does he change the course of rivers? Does he pollute the moon and stars? Neighborhood bully, standing on the hill Running out the clock, time standing still
Some dark irony here as well as surprising honesty about the career calculations behind affecting a stand on 'principle'. The fear of being 'cancelled' for supporting Israel in the US is pretty ridiculous, compared to the dangers of speaking up for Palestinians, and does anyone really compare support for Netanyahu to support for Putin? A useful list of slebs to write off forever anyway, not that we should care what they think either way really... Reminds me of this amusing satire about liberal Hollywood actors not knowing which side to pick (h/t Russell Dobular on the Jimmy Dore Show):
Jerusalem Post Separator Israel News Separator Israel Culture Why don't all celebrities speak out against Hamas's massacre? Millions of people out there are appalled by the massacre, and taking a stand does not necessarily mean career suicide. By HANNAH BROWN OCTOBER 20, 2023
BONO OF U2 – Just days after the massacre, he dedicated ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ to the victims of the SuperNova festival and honored them by changing the lyrics. (photo credit: STEVE MARCUS/REUTERS)
Following the Hamas massacre on October 7, many in the entertainment industry spoke out immediately to condemn it, while many more released measured statements in the following days, decrying the suffering of innocents in Gaza as well as the murder and kidnapping of Israelis.
But many others have stayed silent.
“It’s mostly the usual suspects, the top-tier Hollywood A-listers, people who are so big they have nothing to fear, who are condemning the Hamas massacre,” said a Jewish entertainment industry professional who preferred, like almost everyone I spoke to for this article, not to give his name for fear of losing career opportunities – as he and others admitted. The many celebrities who have spoken out about Hamas and Israel
It’s a real concern in a competitive industry, they said, and for what it’s worth, my assurance that I would not name my interviewees had to be repeated half a dozen times before they would talk, even off the record. They are worried. These are people who have posted support for Israel on their personal social media accounts and do not fear repercussions for that, but they were worried about possible fallout from criticizing those who have remained silent.
Israelis in Hollywood, such as Gal Gadot (Gadot has posted many times a day to her more than 109 million Instagram followers about the massacre and especially about the kidnappings), Lior Raz and Natalie Portman, were quick to speak out about the horrific murders, kidnappings and torture. Quentin Tarantino, who is married to singer Daniella Pick and lives in Israel, met with IDF soldiers to boost their morale.
They were joined by huge stars, including Madonna and Barbra Streisand.
Celebrities who posted early and often – many of whom have received a great deal of online hate for their views – include Mark Hamill, Mayim Bialik, Brett Gelman, Amy Schumer and Michael Rapaport.
Just days after the massacre, Irish rock band U2 dedicated a song to the victims at the music festival, changing the lyrics of “Pride (In the Name of Love)” to honor them.
AMONG THOSE in Hollywood and the entertainment industry (including movies, television, comedy, modeling and music), both Jewish and gentile, who have spoken out on social media to condemn the Hamas massacre are: Liev Scheiber, Oprah Winfrey, Jessica Chastain, Riz Ahmed, Alison Brie, Laura Dern, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Adam Sandler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kerry Washington, Paulina Porkizkova, Dwayne Johnson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Slash, Noah Schapp, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Garner, Uzo Aduba, Nick Cave, Alex Edelman, Kaitlin Olson, Nick Offerman, Jenna Ushkowitz, Lali Esposito, Judd Apatow, J.R. Ramirez, Facundo Arana, Nathaniel Buzolic, Sharna Burgess, David Boreanaz, Selma Blair, Regina Spektor, Kristen Bell, Manu Bennett, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ashley Benson, Josh Brolin, Jon Bernthal, OneRepublic, January Jones, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kris Jenner, Caitlin Jenner, Josh Gad, Grant Gustin, Rush, Julia Garner, David Draiman, Kat Graham, Bryan Greenberg, Ellen Degeneres, Nina Dobrev, Jenna Dewan, Kirsten Dunst, Shira Haas, Tate D onovan, Shannen Doherty, Aaron Diaz, Josh Dallas, Claire Holt, Bernie Taupin, Jeff Tweedy, Usher, Michael Buble, Brooke Shields, Scott “Scooter” Braun, Bella Thorne, Rob Schneider, David Schwimmer, Courtney Cox, Kelly Ripa, Reese Witherspoon, Chelsea Handler, Michelle Trachtenberg, Juliette Lewis, Shawn Levy, Ian Ziering, Mandy Moore, Sarah Michelle Geller, Debra Messing, Julianna Margulies, JasonStatham, Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller, Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Paulson, Isla Fisher and Mandy Patinkin.
MAJOR NAMES from the world of literature, such as J.K. Rowling, and sports, including Tom Brady and LeBron James, have also made their support for Israel at this time clear.
This is by no means a complete list, and it is constantly growing. Several other celebrities signed open letters by such groups as the Creative Coalition for Peace, including Helen Mirren and Michael Douglas. Hillel Wachs, a concert promoter based in Tel Aviv, said, “It’s not a given that anyone but the A-listers will comment on an event like this.”
Another US entertainment professional echoed this sentiment, noting, “Barbra Streisand can say whatever she wants, there will be no consequences, she will still fill every auditorium she wants to perform in. It’s like she’s ‘too big to fail.’ But from a lot of other people, the silence is deafening.”
He named a number of big entertainment corporations that have stayed silent, as well as the most important Jewish name of all in the industry: Steven Spielberg. The Schindler’s List director, who addressed the subject of antisemitism again in his autobiographical film, The Fabelmans, last year, has said nothing, at least so far.
When he received an honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, he said, “This honor has particular meaning for me because I’m a Jewish director. I’d like to believe that this is a small moment in a much larger, ongoing effort of healing the broken places of history – what Jews call Tikkun Olam, the repairing and restoring of the world. . . The opposite of justice is not injustice. The opposite of justice is forgetting.”
As my conversation with this professional turned to the music industry, I asked whether he thought Sir Paul McCartney, who has performed in Israel – two of his three wives were Jewish – would say something soon. “Don’t hold your breath,” he said.
With increasingly audible fury, he added, “My grandfather used to say that he was more angry at his Polish neighbors, who just waved while they were taking him away, than he was at the Nazis.”
SOME NAMED a fear of trendy cancel culture as the main reason that many have remained silent; others said that the current Israeli government is a key part of the problem. “People in Hollywood don’t want to be seen to be aligning themselves with the current, virtually fascist Israeli government,” another industry insider said. “It would be like saying you support Putin. . . No one in LA or New York is immune from these concerns. . . They don’t want to alienate their fans.”
One actress, Tara Strong – who has many credits to her name, especially in the voice-acting field, such as “The Powerpuff Girls” – said she was fired from a job this week on the series “Boxtown” due to her support for Israel. The show released a statement on its account that read, in part, “This decision was due to a trend among Tara’s recent online activity, including posts that promote controversial messages regarding the peoples of Palestine currently affected by the ongoing Israel-Palestine crisis.”
Strong had liked an online post saying that Islam is “a real, clear, and present danger.” In an explanation, Strong wrote, “I liked it when I saw ISIS = HAMAS, I actually didn’t read the entire tweet [which] is awful and unliked [it] as soon as I realized. I love everyone... except terrorists. This internet is so quick to peg people and make judgments. I’m still here to help everyone, and I mean that.” But it wasn’t good enough for the producers of the show, who announced auditions to recast her part.
And yet the war has elevated certain unlikely voices that have come to Israel’s defense. One of them is stand-up comedian Daniel-Ryan Spaulding, who is based in Europe and New York and who recently performed in Tel Aviv. In a clip that went viral, he found a way to elicit laughter during a terrible week by making fun of liberal Hamas supporters.
“I think it’s a little ironic that the people who are defending Hamas online are also those they would be the most likely to kill,” he said, adding sarcastically, “Oh, no, no, I’m sure the Islamic terrorists would love you, you queer intellectual feminist: ‘We’re freedom fighters. They’re fighting for their land and I’m fighting for my right to purple hair.’ . . . I’m sorry, if your reaction to people being slaughtered, beheaded, raped and burned alive isn’t complete and utter disgust and horror, if your reaction is, ‘I mean, why? See it from their perspective,’ you need to get your f***ing head checked.”
Later in the week, he posted that he gained 12,000 followers overnight, “And all I had to do was say that Hamas terrorism is wrong.”
Some in the entertainment world should learn a lesson from Spaulding, who simply spoke from the heart. Millions of people out there are appalled by the massacre, and taking a stand does not necessarily mean career suicide.
I saw that article after reading your initial post; a quite astonishing display of entitlement and also black is white inversion like this: "Millions of people out there are appalled by the massacre, and taking a stand does not necessarily mean career suicide"
Only appalled by the first, lesser, largely self-inflicted massacre of course and taking a stand doesn't mean career suicide as long as you stand on the side of the opressor otherwise it's absolutely toxic to your chances....no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party...So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
Re: Jerusalem Post asking the same question from the other side
Also, re: Dylan. That was in the midst of his god bothering phase in the early eighties and his particular affliction was of a somewhat evangelical nature so I assume he would have the usual associations with Israel and the rapture and whatever other bollocks they believe.
Doesn't excuse him playing there, last time in 2011 iirc, but he's fairly low key on his support although he is supposed to have had some sort of relationship with Kahane at some stage which is another black mark.
On the other hand, he wasn't one of those that was bleating on about Ukraine and how evil Russia is so he doesn't have to face the charge of selective outrage/hypocrisy at least. ...no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party...So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
Re: Jerusalem Post asking the same question from the other side
Thanks for that context Rask, I think his evangelical conversion (wiki says late 70s, somewhat cooling off by the time Infidels comes out in '83) marks the point where I completely lose interest in his music and/or lyrics. Blood on the Tracks is the last decent album for me.
I found this 1984 Rolling Stone interview where he makes the absurd statement that Neighborhood Bully isn't a political song because it's not party political, as well as being all coy about his stance on Israel/Palestine ... right until he talks about it being the stage for End Times Armageddon. Mental... they ate his brain, it seems.
RS: Your latest album, Infidels, is hardly subteen fodder. Some critics have even detected a new note of conservatism in some of the songs -- even outright jingoism in "Neighborhood Bully" in which the metaphorical subject is said to be "just one man" whose "enemies say he's on their land." That's clearly a strong Zionist political statement, is it not?
BD: You'd have to point that out to me, you know, what line is in it that spells that out. I'm not a political songwriter. Joe Hill was a political songwriter; uh, Merle Travis wrote some political songs. "Which Side Are You On?" is a political song. And "Neighborhood Bully," to me, is not a political song, because if it were, it would fall into a certain political party. If you're talkin' about it as an Israeli political song - in Isreal alone, there's maybe twenty political parties. I don't know where that would fall, what party.
RS: Well, would it be fair to call that song a heartfelt statement of belief?
BD: Maybe it is, yeah. But just because somebody feels a certain way, you can't come around and stick some political-party slogan on it. If you listen closely, it really could be about other things. It's simple and easy to define it, so you got it pegged, and you can deal with it in that certain kinda way. However, I wouldn't do that. 'Cause I don't know what the politics of Israel is. I just don't know.
RS: So you haven't resolved for yourself, for instance, the Palestinian question?
BD: Not really, because I live here.
RS: Would you ever live in Israel?
BD: I don't know. It's hard to speculate what tomorrow may bring. I kinda live where I find myself.
RS: At another point in the song, you say, "He got no allies to really speak of," and while "he buys obsolete weapons and he won't be denied...no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side." Do you feel that America should send troops over there?
BD: No. The song doesn't say that. Who should, who shouldn't -- who am I to say?
RS: Well, do you think Israel should get more help from the American Jewish community? I don't want to push this so far, but it just seems so...
BD: Well, you're not pushing it too far, you're just making it specific. And you're making it specific to what's going on today. But what's going on today isn't gonna last, you know? The battle of Armageddon is specifically spelled out: where it will be fought, and if you wanna get technical, when it will be fought. And the battle of the Armageddon definitely will be fought in the Middle East.
RS: Do you follow the political scene, or have any kinda of fix on what the politicians are talking about this year?
BD: I think politics is an instrument of the Devil. Just that clear. I think politics is what kills; it doesn't bring anything alive. Politics is corrupt; I mean, anybody knows that.Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/
Re: Jerusalem Post asking the same question from the other side
I admit I'm biased being a massive Dylan fan but I'm well aware he has feet of clay, as do all "idols".
Some of his religious period stuff has been re-evaluated lately (some of the live performances in that period were pretty amazing) but he was really in a mad place in the eighties and this line from the linked interview says it all:
The battle of Armageddon is specifically spelled out: where it will be fought, and if you wanna get technical, when it will be fought. And the battle of the Armageddon definitely will be fought in the Middle East.
Ok Bob, ok.
I agree on "Blood on the Tracks"; one of the greatest albums of all time.
"Desire" is superb too and that came a year or two after Blood but is easily the equal of it. "Street Legal" was after that and got panned but is now generally regarded as the last album of his golden period.
Still, it all goes to show how religion can be hard to tell apart from madness in a lot of cases....no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party...So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
no worries, will give Desire another listen, been a while... (nm)