MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : Israeli singer Noga Erez hits jarring note with BDS support

by Ami Friedman ISRAEL HAYOM July 8, 2021
In an interview with UK magazine, Erez, who has grown increasingly popular in Israel and overseas over the last year, says she believes “BDS did an important job in putting a spotlight on the situation.”

Israeli singer Noga Erez is facing backlash after an interview she gave to a UK magazine in which she voiced support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement has come to light.

Asked by the London-based Huck magazine in March for her opinion on artists such as former Pink Floyd founding member Roger Waters’ support for the BDS movement, Erez replied: “I have a complex answer to this question. I was very happy when Radiohead came to Israel. Even if something terrible happens in the country, it does not mean that people who live in it are part of it or they want it – and that is the case in Israel.”

Erez, who has grown increasingly popular in Israel and around the world over the last year, told Huck: “90% of the 40,000 people who filled the audience at that Radiohead show do not want the occupation to continue. I believe BDS did an important job in putting the spotlight on the situation, but I hope all the effort, time, and money they put into it will be invested in discourse and connection. There are a lot of people on both sides who want it. Governments will not do it, it is very difficult to do. It’s from the inside, and that’s what makes the conflict deeper.”

On Twitter, Israelis took Erez to task for her remarks, with one user tweeting a screenshot of a text message wishing she had died in a rocket attack: “Dear Noga Erez, BDS did not do a particularly good job if I received 200 of these kinds of messages over the last 24 hours.”

Another Israeli wrote: “Noga Erez, it was nice while it lasted. Bygones” as another tweeted: “Noga Erez, you have really disappointed us.”

Erez has yet to respond to the criticism.