Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood: "Boycotting my concerts? Like taking books off the shelves"

Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has once again spoken out about the controversy surrounding the cancellation of his 2025 shows with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, comparing the boycott of the concerts to pulling books off shelves. The duo's UK dates had been called off following protests and warnings of possible security risks linked to a campaign by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. In a statement released at the time, BDS had criticised Greenwood's involvement in events held in Israel, accusing him and Tassa of helping to promote the country's culture during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
After the shows were cancelled, Greenwood and Tassa responded with a joint statement, arguing that "intimidating venues into cancelling our shows will not help achieve the peace and justice that everyone in the Middle East deserves".

Now, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, Greenwood has returned to the subject, responding to those who pointed out that the cultural boycott of South African artists was widely regarded as an important tool in the fight against apartheid. "I'm a fan of many Israeli films, writers and musicians," the guitarist explained. "The music I make with Dudu revives songs older than most of the countries that are now in conflict with each other. That will always matter more to me." Greenwood then expanded on the comparison with the publishing world: "In Madrid there are bookshops that openly sell Amos Oz's novels, and he was Israeli. To me, cancelling music is the same as taking books off the shelves."

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— Jonny Greenwood (@JnnyG) May 6, 2025

Following the cancellation of the 2025 dates, Greenwood and Tassa have not announced any new shows together. The guitarist has focused mainly on his work as a film composer and on his commitments with Radiohead. Even the British band's recent tour was not spared criticism from the BDS movement, which called for a boycott of the shows, arguing that "complicity must have consequences".

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