It's no secret that Brit musician Roger Waters has a thing about Jews and Israel. The former Pink Floyd bassist and composer has been known to go into red-faced tirades on the subject, and is an outspoken anti-Israel activist and Palestinian groupie. But on his latest tour, he appears to be making his bias a big part of his act.
Waters is now using giant inflatable pigs emblazoned with the Star of David, dollar signs, the hammer and sickle, and swastikas as stage props in his concerts.
The above picture is from the opening show of his European tour July 18th at the music festival in the city of Werchter,Belgium.
Some Israelis who attended the concert (and I can't imagine why any Jew would want to put money in Roger Water's pockets) were shocked.
“I came to the concert because I really like his music, without any connection to his political stance toward Israel,” says Alon Onfus Asif, an Israeli living in Belgium. “And I had a lot of fun, until I noticed the Star of David, on the inflatable pig. That was the only religious-national symbol which appeared among other symbols for fascism, dictatorships and oppression of people. Waters crossed the line and gave expression to an anti-Semitic message, beyond all his messages of anti-militancy.”
Apologists for the swine (the pig full of hot air or the artist, take your pick) are telling the media that the pig balloons have always been part of the concerts, and that Waters song "Run Like Hell" and the Wall movie attack racism, anti-semitism and religion-based intolerance.
The lyrics and the film are decades old, whereas Roger's current Jew hatred is a lot newer. He's always been against oppression, anti-religion and anti-authoritarianism, or so he says. So why no Muslim Star and Crescent on the balloon? The pig's old news too, but the prominent Jewish stars on it aren't. He's making a statement here, and he's entitled, but I'm also entitled to call him out on it.
'Anti-ZIonists' are anti-semites 99.9% of the time...and usually you don't have to dig too far.
I do agree he went way too far expressing anger towards what he had fought for. Remember that there is a lot of hate from both sides. trying to understand him. Im a big fan. But if I were Israeli I probably wouldn't even try to understand why. Expressions of hate is the least we need. Let's keep the peace. Express without causing pain or anger. Who knows. Im sure he knows he sent the wrong message. If not. Too bad. He lost a lot of fans. At least me. Until I hear an apology and an intelligent explanation.
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