Yorke Rules Out Israel Shows; Greenwood Pushes Back

Thom Yorke told The Times/Sunday Times he would not perform in Israel now, saying he “wouldn’t want to be 5,000 miles anywhere near the Netanyahu regime,” in remarks published ahead of Radiohead’s first tour in seven years. He revisited controversy over the band’s 2017 Tel Aviv concert and said instances of heckling and public pressure — which he called a “purity test” — have kept him awake. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood pushed back against cultural boycotts, defended his collaborations with Israeli artists (he is married to Sharona Katan and records with Dudu Tassa) and warned that boycotts can strengthen the government. Greenwood also described his own protest activity in Israel, and band members expressed nuanced, sometimes divergent views amid outrage over Israel’s war on Gaza and its humanitarian toll. The split highlights tensions within the band and among fans over whether working with Israeli artists is compatible with opposing the Israeli government, complicating prospects for future Radiohead concerts in Israel.