Greenwood, Tassa UK Concerts Canceled Amid BDS Pressure

Two UK concerts by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, scheduled for June in Bristol and London, have been cancelled following protests from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI-BDS) welcomed the cancellations, arguing the events would have 'whitewashed' Israel’s actions in Gaza and served as 'artwashing.' The duo’s collaboration, which seeks to bring together Arab and Jewish musicians, has been subject to ongoing controversy and previous BDS criticism, particularly due to Tassa’s performances for Israeli soldiers and their shows in Tel Aviv. Greenwood has defended the collaboration, stating that artistic projects fostering cross-cultural understanding are valuable and that silencing Israeli artists simply for their nationality is counterproductive. Neither Greenwood nor Tassa have publicly commented on the latest cancellations. The events have reignited debate over artistic freedom versus political activism and the broader impact of cultural boycotts.