The Zionist Organization of America on Friday turned the tables on founding Pink Floyd member and well-known anti-Israel activist Roger Waters.
The organization’s Greater Philadelphia chapter criticized performance arenas and concert facilities throughout North America for giving Waters a platform.
The ZOA also criticized radio stations across the nation who are promoting Waters’ concerts and giving away tickets to them, thereby encouraging more people to be exposed to his lie-filled, hateful anti-Israel rants.
Waters has in the past compared Israel to Nazi Germany, saying in an interview, “The situation in Israel/Palestine, with the occupation, the ethnic cleansing and the systematic racist apartheid Israeli regime is unacceptable.”
He previously released a giant balloon pig bearing the Star of David during a concert in Belgium. Concert-goers said the Jewish star was among several symbols representing various corporations and fascist movements.
If that is not enough, Waters has frequently blasted other musicians for choosing to perform in Israel and has pressured them to cancel their performances.
Artists he has attacked include Jon Bon Jovi, Alan Parsons, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Radiohead and actress Scarlett Johansson.
Waters is currently on a 46-city tour, playing 61 concerts throughout the United States and Canada. ZOA noted in a statement that many of the venues at which he is playing are named for major corporations, including Wells Fargo, Staples, ATT, American Airlines, Verizon and Prudential.
“These corporations are tarnishing their reputations by allowing their names to be associated with a vicious anti-Semite who promotes lies about Israel and the Jewish people,” it said.
“The ZOA calls on these corporations to reject and condemn Waters and his hateful attacks against Jews and the Jewish State of Israel. We also call on radio stations across America – including Philadelphia’s WMMR – to stop promoting Waters’ concerts and cease their ticket giveaways so that fewer people are exposed to his Jew-hatred,” added ZOA.
Morton A. Klein, the ZOA’s National President, and Steve Feldman, Executive Director of ZOA’s Greater Philadelphia chapter, urged the venues hosting Waters, the corporations that the venues are named for, and the radio stations that are promoting his concerts, to speak out and condemn Waters and his anti-Semitic bigotry.
“Roger Waters is an unapologetic Jew hater and hater of the Jewish State of Israel. He is using the platforms he is being given to promote his lies and encourage hatred of Jews and Israel,” they said.
“If Waters was viciously attacking another minority with lies and factual distortions, there’s no doubt that he would be a pariah and not welcome at a single concert venue. Corporations would not associate themselves or their names with him, and radio stations would not be promoting his concerts and encouraging people to attend them. Waters’ vicious attacks against Jews and the Jewish State of Israel should be just as abhorrent. Shame on him and on any venue, corporation or radio station that is currently associated with or promoting him and that fails to call him out and condemn his disgusting and destructive Jew-hatred.”
Waters recently lost the sponsorship of American Express of his tour over his support for the anti-Israel BDS movement.
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