After the broadcast of the documentary "The Dark Side Of Roger Waters" released last week by the British organization Campaign Against Antisemitism that portrayed Roger Waters as an anti-Semite, the founder of Pink Floyd is launching a scathing attack.
Roger Waters speaks to Hamas-affiliated news agency (archive)
In a lengthy angry manifesto posted on his website, Waters, 80, initially sought to clarify that he had been contacted by the film's producers early last month before it aired, but he declined to comment. "They gave me seven days to respond to a bunch of questions about the events that took place in 2002 and 2010," he wrote at the outset, then added that he thought their insult to his character did not deserve a response until he realized that the attack had gone into a tailspin and now he wants to respond.
"All my life I've used the platform my career has provided to support the causes I believe in. I believe wholeheartedly in human rights and have always worked to make the world a better, more just and fairer place for all my brothers and sisters all over the world regardless of their ethnicity, religion or nationality.
Roger Waters, Photo: AFP
"That is why I am active in the nonviolent movement working against the Israeli government, its illegal occupation of Palestine and its outrageous and shameful treatment of Palestinians. Anyone who chooses to merge this with anti-Semitism is doing us all harm. The truth is, I have a big mouth and I tend to speak dismissively," Waters admitted. "So I can't remember what I said more than 13 years ago and I worked very closely and for years with many Jews, musicians and others."
He went on to state that if he offended both interviewees in the investigation (referring to Norbert Stachell, a saxophonist who accompanied Waters during his performances and told of an anti-Semitic incident in the restaurant as well as an anti-Semitic insult directed at him regarding his grandmother who was murdered in the Holocaust, and Bob Ezrin, who produced the band's album "The Wall" and also experienced Waters' tongue and anti-Semitic behavior), he wishes to apologize for it, But he stressed that he was not an anti-Semite and never was, and anyone who ever knew him would attest to that.
"Jews are a collection of people as diverse, interesting and complex as the rest of humanity," he continued. "Many of them are allies fighting for equality and justice in Israel, Palestine and around the world. The film is completely distorted and does not represent my views on the State of Israel and Zionism. It is based on the definition of anti-Semitism, which views criticism of Israel as innate anti-Semitism and assumes that Zionism is an essential element of Jewish identity. The film is distorted and manipulated to serve its agenda and is misleading in many ways.
Roger Waters live, Photo: AP
"In conclusion, this film is a pathetic and unapologetic propaganda display that indiscriminately mixes things I allegedly said or did at various times in an attempt to portray me as an anti-Semite without any proof," he concluded.
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