Editing Roger Waters (section)

=== Israeli–Palestinian conflict and accusations of antisemitism ===
Waters is a vocal supporter of [[Palestinians|Palestine]] in the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]].<ref name="Thorpe-2013" /> He is a member<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alkousaa |first=Riham |date=December 5, 2017 |year=2017 |title=German broadcasters won't promote ex-Pink Floyd frontman's concerts over anti-Semitism accusations |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1DS2EM/ |work=Reuters}}</ref> of [[Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions]] (BDS), a campaign for an international [[Boycotts of Israel|boycott of Israel]].<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{Cite news |title=Read Roger Waters' Response to Thom Yorke Over Israel Controversy |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/read-roger-waters-response-to-thom-yorke-over-radiohead-israel-controversy-198319/#:~:text=However%2C%20in%20a%20statement%20to,to%20Waters%20before%20cutting%20off |access-date=7 June 2017 |archive-date=10 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710164840/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/read-roger-waters-response-to-thom-yorke-over-radiohead-israel-controversy-198319/#:~:text=However%2C%20in%20a%20statement%20to,to%20Waters%20before%20cutting%20off |url-status=live }}</ref> Waters first saw the [[West Bank barrier]] in 2006, at the request of Palestinian supporters, when he was scheduled to perform in [[Tel Aviv]]. He subsequently moved a Tel Aviv concert to [[Neve Shalom]] and called for the barrier's removal: "The wall is an appalling edifice to behold. It is policed by young Israeli soldiers who treated me, a casual observer from another world, with disdainful aggression."<ref name="guardian110311">{{cite news |last1=Waters |first1=Roger |date=11 March 2011 |title=Tear down this Israeli wall |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/11/cultural-boycott-west-bank-wall |access-date=21 August 2020 |archive-date=30 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030040238/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/11/cultural-boycott-west-bank-wall |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Thil |first=Scott |date=2 June 2009 |title=Roger Waters to Israel: Tear Down the Wall |url=https://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/06/roger-waters-to-israel-tear-down-the-wall/ |magazine=[[Wired News]] |access-date=14 October 2010 |archive-date=27 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327170325/http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/06/roger-waters-to-israel-tear-down-the-wall/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He has repeatedly described Israel's treatment of Palestinians [[Israel and apartheid|as apartheid]].<ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2023" /> In 2023, he was one of the principal signers of an open letter called Artists Against Apartheid.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garner |first=Glenn |date=18 October 2023 |title=Roger Waters, Kehlani Sign Free Palestine Open Letter |url=https://themessenger.com/news/roger-waters-kehlani-and-more-launch-pro-palestinian-artists-against-apartheid |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018232655/https://themessenger.com/news/roger-waters-kehlani-and-more-launch-pro-palestinian-artists-against-apartheid |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2023 |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=The Messenger |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sign the Letter: Artists Against Apartheid |url=https://peoplesforum.org/events/sign-the-letter-artists-against-apartheid/ |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=The People's Forum |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Waters has criticised numerous other artists who have performed in Israel. In 2015, Waters published an open letter in ''[[Salon (website)|Salon]]'' criticising the rock band [[Bon Jovi]] for performing in Tel Aviv.<ref>{{cite web |last=Waters |first=Roger |date=2 October 2015 |title=Roger Waters to Jon Bon Jovi: "You stand shoulder to shoulder with the settler who burned the baby" |url=http://www.salon.com/2015/10/02/roger_waters_to_jon_bon_jovi_you_stand_shoulder_to_shoulder_with_the_settler_who_burned_the_baby/ |access-date=31 October 2015 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414133141/https://www.salon.com/2015/10/02/roger_waters_to_jon_bon_jovi_you_stand_shoulder_to_shoulder_with_the_settler_who_burned_the_baby/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2017, he urged [[Radiohead]] to cancel a concert there, signing a letter with 50 others,<ref name="Rolling Stone" /> and was co-signatory on an open letter asking [[Nick Cave]] to cancel his.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 October 2017 |title=Open letter to Nick Cave: 'Don't go – not while apartheid remains.' |url=https://artistsforpalestine.org.uk/2017/10/30/open-letter-to-nick-cave-dont-go-not-while-apartheid-remains/ |access-date=24 August 2020 |website=Artists for Palestine UK |archive-date=21 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821060445/https://artistsforpalestine.org.uk/2017/10/30/open-letter-to-nick-cave-dont-go-not-while-apartheid-remains/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="alj291117">{{cite news |date=29 November 2017 |title=German broadcasters drop Roger Waters over BDS stance |publisher=Al-Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/german-broadcasters-drop-roger-waters-bds-stance-171129101108540.html |access-date=20 April 2019 |archive-date=18 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918150019/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/german-broadcasters-drop-roger-waters-bds-stance-171129101108540.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Neither Radiohead nor Cave cancelled their concerts.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 July 2017 |title=Radiohead perform in Israel despite opposition from activists |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/19/radiohead-perform-israel-gig-despite-opposition-from-activists |url-status=live |access-date=18 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118014827/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/19/radiohead-perform-israel-gig-despite-opposition-from-activists |archive-date=18 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=11 December 2018 |title=Nick Cave Defends Israel Concert in Open Letter to Brian Eno |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nick-cave-defend-israel-concert-open-letter-brian-eno-767744/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=31 July 2019 |archive-date=3 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503204618/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nick-cave-defend-israel-concert-open-letter-brian-eno-767744/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=11 December 2018 |title=Nick Cave: cultural boycott of Israel is 'cowardly and shameful' |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/dec/11/nick-cave-cultural-boycott-israel-brian-eno |access-date=31 July 2019 |archive-date=31 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731172720/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/dec/11/nick-cave-cultural-boycott-israel-brian-eno |url-status=live }}</ref> Waters narrated the 2016 documentary ''[[The Occupation of the American Mind|The Occupation of the American Mind: Israel's Public Relations War in the United States]]'' about the methods used by Israel to shape American public opinion.<ref>{{cite news |date=14 September 2017 |title="The Occupation of the American Mind": Documentary Looks at Israel's PR War in the United States |publisher=Democracy Now |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2017/9/14/the_occupation_of_the_american_mind |access-date=17 March 2019 |archive-date=18 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318015132/https://www.democracynow.org/2017/9/14/the_occupation_of_the_american_mind |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Occupation of the American Mind |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2017/03/occupation-american-mind-170304122330451.html |access-date=24 August 2018 |website=www.aljazeera.com |archive-date=23 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823221638/https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2017/03/occupation-american-mind-170304122330451.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2013, Rabbi [[Abraham Cooper (rabbi)|Abraham Cooper]], the associate dean of the Jewish human rights organisation the [[Simon Wiesenthal Center]], accused Waters of antisemitism for including a giant pig balloon bearing a [[Star of David]] in his concerts.<ref>{{cite web |date=24 July 2013 |title=Wiesenthal Center: By Floating a Pig Balloon Stamped With Star of David at His Concert, Roger Waters Has Moved to the Front of the Line of Anti-Semites |url=http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lsKWLbPJLnF&b=8486393&ct=13225101 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130806002202/http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lsKWLbPJLnF&b=8486393&ct=13225101 |archive-date=6 August 2013 |access-date=26 July 2013 |publisher=[[The Simon Wiesenthal Center]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=24 July 2013 |title=Pig Balloon at Roger Waters Concert Features Star of David; Wiesenthal Center Calls Him 'Open Hater of Jews' (VIDEO) |url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/07/24/massive-pig-balloon-at-roger-waters-concert-features-star-of-david-video/ |access-date=31 October 2015 |website=Algemeiner.com |archive-date=19 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019161315/http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/07/24/massive-pig-balloon-at-roger-waters-concert-features-star-of-david-video/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Waters responded that it was one of several religious and political symbols in the show and not an attempt to single out Judaism as an evil force.<ref name="Thorpe-2013">{{Cite news |last1=Thorpe |first1=Vanessa |last2=Helmore |first2=Edward |date=14 December 2013 |title=Former Pink Floyd frontman sparks fury by comparing Israelis to Nazis |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/14/pink-floyd-frontman-fury-israel-nazis |access-date=31 October 2015 |archive-date=4 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204174013/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/14/pink-floyd-frontman-fury-israel-nazis |url-status=live }}</ref> 

The same year, in an interview in ''[[CounterPunch]]'', Waters [[Comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany|compared]] the Israeli treatment of Palestinians to [[Nazi Germany]], saying: "The parallels with what went on in the 1930s in Germany are so crushingly obvious."<ref name="Thorpe-2013" /> He said the reason why few celebrities had joined the BDS movement in the United States was because "the [[Jewish lobby]] is extraordinary powerful here and particularly in the industry that I work in, the music industry".<ref name="counterpunch061213">{{cite web |last1=Barat |first1=Frank |date=6 December 2013 |title=An Interview with Roger Waters |url=https://www.counterpunch.org/2013/12/06/an-interview-with-pink-floyds-roger-waters/ |access-date=21 August 2020 |website=CounterPunch.org |archive-date=9 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809120559/https://www.counterpunch.org/2013/12/06/an-interview-with-pink-floyds-roger-waters/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Algemeiner">{{cite news |last1=Algemeiner |first1=The |title=After CounterPunch Interview ADL Accuses Roger Waters of 'Conspiratorial Anti-Semitism' |work=Algemeiner.com |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2013/12/12/after-counterpunch-interview-adl-accuses-roger-waters-of-conspiratorial-anti-semitism/ |access-date=11 October 2022 |archive-date=11 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011234308/https://www.algemeiner.com/2013/12/12/after-counterpunch-interview-adl-accuses-roger-waters-of-conspiratorial-anti-semitism/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Anti-Defamation League]] charged that Waters's remarks were antisemitic.<ref name="Algemeiner" /> The American rabbi [[Shmuley Boteach]] responded to Waters in the ''[[The New York Observer|New York Observer]]'': "That you would have the audacity to compare Jews to monsters who murdered them shows you have no decency, you have no heart, you have no soul."<ref name="Thorpe-2013" /> Speaking in New York afterwards, Waters said supporters of Israel [[Weaponization of antisemitism|often attack critics as antisemitic]] as a "diversionary tactic" by conflating [[anti-Zionism]] with antisemitism.<ref name="Thorpe-2013" /> 

In a 2017 interview with [[Omar Barghouti]], Waters again likened Israel's public diplomacy to Nazi Germany: "The thing about propaganda – again, it's not hard to go back to [[Goebbels]] or the 1930s. You understand the tactic is to tell the big lie as often as possible over and over and over and over again. And people believe it."<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 July 2017 |title=Roger Waters compares Israel to Nazi Germany in Facebook Q&A |url=https://www.jpost.com/bds-threat/roger-waters-compares-israel-to-nazi-germany-in-facebook-q-and-a-499851 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927162859/https://www.jpost.com/bds-threat/roger-waters-compares-israel-to-nazi-germany-in-facebook-q-and-a-499851 |archive-date=27 September 2022 |access-date=27 September 2022 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement |date=15 July 2017 |title=A Conversation with Roger Waters |url=https://www.facebook.com/BDSNationalCommittee/videos/1621084234603097/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927162742/https://www.facebook.com/BDSNationalCommittee/videos/1621084234603097/ |archive-date=27 September 2022 |access-date=15 September 2022 |website=Facebook.com}}</ref> In 2017, the writer [[Ian Halperin]] produced a documentary, ''Wish You Weren't Here'', accusing Waters of antisemitism and "erecting the very walls that hinder peace in the region and fuel hatred".<ref>{{cite web |date=7 July 2017 |title=Roger Waters' Jewish Problem Catches Eye of Award-Winning Filmmaker |url=https://observer.com/2017/07/roger-waters-antisemitism-documentary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925221757/https://observer.com/2017/07/roger-waters-antisemitism-documentary/ |archive-date=25 September 2022 |access-date=10 September 2022 |website=[[The New York Observer]]}}</ref>

In 2020, [[Major League Baseball]] stopped advertising Waters's This Is Not a Drill concerts after receiving criticism from Jewish advocacy groups.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kreps |first1=Daniel |date=8 February 2020 |title=Major League Baseball Halts Roger Waters Ads After Advocacy Group's Criticism |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/major-league-baseball-roger-waters-tour-949814/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=28 March 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328152744/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/major-league-baseball-roger-waters-tour-949814/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later that year, Waters said the American Jewish businessman and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] donor [[Sheldon Adelson]] was a "puppet master" controlling American politics. He said Adelson believed that "only Jewish people are completely human ... I'm not saying Jewish people believe this. I am saying that he does, and he is pulling the strings."<ref name="Richards-2020" /> In the same interview, Waters said that the [[murder of George Floyd]] was carried out with a technique developed by the [[Israel Defense Forces|Israeli Defence Forces]]. He said the Americans had studied the technique to learn "how to murder the blacks because they have seen how efficient the Israelis have been at murdering Palestinians in the occupied territories by using those techniques ... The Israelis are proud of it."<ref name="Richards-2020">{{cite web |last=Richards |first=Will |date=25 June 2020 |title=Roger Waters accused of anti-semitism from comments in new interview |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/roger-waters-accused-of-anti-semitism-from-comments-in-new-interview-2695522 |access-date=12 July 2020 |website=[[NME]] |archive-date=12 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712120810/https://www.nme.com/news/music/roger-waters-accused-of-anti-semitism-from-comments-in-new-interview-2695522 |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2024, the [[BMG Rights Management|BMG]] music company cancelled a publishing agreement with Waters over his comments on Israel, Ukraine and the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 January 2024 |title=Roger Waters dropped by BMG over Israel comments |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/jan/30/bmg-pink-floyd-roger-waters-antisemitic-comments |website=The Guardian}}</ref> 

In a February 2024 interview with [[Al Jazeera]], Waters criticised the [[U2]] singer [[Bono]] for dedicating a performance of "[[Pride (In the Name of Love)]]" to those killed in the 2023 [[Nova music festival massacre]]. Bono changed the lyrics, written about [[Martin Luther King]], from "Free at last/They took your life" to "Stars of David/They took your life". Waters said it was "so disgusting and degrading when you stand up for the Zionist entity ... [It] was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Robin |date=19 February 2024 |title=Roger Waters calls Bono 'disgusting' and a 'sh*t' |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/roger-waters-calls-bono-disgusting-and-a-sht/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219101151/https://www.clashmusic.com/news/roger-waters-calls-bono-disgusting-and-a-sht/ |archive-date=19 February 2024 |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=[[Clash (magazine)|Clash]]}}</ref>

In July 2024, Waters engaged in heated debate with [[Piers Morgan]] on ''[[Piers Morgan Uncensored]]'', arguing that there was no evidence of sexual assault by the Palestinian organisation [[Hamas]], that Israel targeted its own citizens in [[false flag]] operations, and that Palestinians had a right to "fight back against the oppressor".<ref name="Wilkes-2024">{{Cite web |last=Wilkes |first=Emma |date=2024-07-04 |title=Roger Waters and Piers Morgan clash over anti-Semitism claims and Israel Palestine conflict after being called 'world's dumbest rockstar' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/roger-waters-and-piers-morgan-clash-over-anti-semitism-claims-and-israel-palestine-conflict-after-being-called-worlds-dumbest-rockstar-3771973 |access-date=2024-07-13 |website=[[NME]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> During the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|UK general election that month]], Waters criticised the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] leader, [[Keir Starmer]], for his stance on the [[Gaza war]] and a ceasefire in the [[Gaza Strip]], and performed a pro-Palestine concert in London with [[Cat Stevens]] and [[Lowkey]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Larman |first=Alexander |date=2024-06-22 |title=Roger Waters lambasts Keir Starmer in pro-Palestine fundraiser concert |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/concerts/roger-waters-yusuf-cat-stevens-keir-starmer-palestine/ |access-date=2024-07-14 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

====Fascist imagery and German police investigation====
On 25 February 2023, the German city of [[Frankfurt]] cancelled one of Waters's scheduled shows, calling him one of the "most widely known antisemites" and citing his support for BDS, the imagery at his shows and his talks with Hamas. The move was supported by the [[Central Council of Jews in Germany]] and the Frankfurt Jewish Community.<ref>{{Cite web| author=ToI Staff|title=German city cancels Roger Waters performance due to his antisemitism |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-city-cancels-roger-waters-performance-due-to-his-antisemitism/|date=25 February 2023 |access-date=25 February 2023 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=25 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225060811/https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-city-cancels-roger-waters-performance-due-to-his-antisemitism/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2023">{{Cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=16 March 2023 |title=Roger Waters threatens legal action over German concert cancellations |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/16/roger-waters-threatens-legal-action-over-german-concert-cancellations |access-date=16 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316225202/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/16/roger-waters-threatens-legal-action-over-german-concert-cancellations |url-status=live }}</ref> Waters hired a German law firm to challenge the concert cancellation, and released a statement denying the accusations and stating that the cancellation could have "serious, far-reaching consequences for artists and activists all over the world".<ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2023" /> A German court overturned the cancellation, saying the concert should be viewed as a work of art and that it "did not glorify or relativise the crimes of the Nazis or identify with Nazi racist ideology".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Connolly |first=Kate |date=25 April 2023 |title=Roger Waters wins legal battle to gig in Frankfurt amid antisemitism row |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/25/roger-waters-pink-floyd-wins-legal-battle-to-gig-in-frankfurt-amid-antisemitism-row |access-date=26 May 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

That May, German police opened a criminal investigation into Waters and the Nazi-style uniform he wore during his Berlin performance for possible [[incitement]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2023 |title=Berlin police investigate Roger Waters for possible incitement over concert outfit |url=https://apnews.com/article/germany-roger-waters-costume-police-incitement-investigation-ec5b3e2a6592d92ecd78af793644f3f5 |access-date=30 May 2023 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> [[Nazi symbolism]] is banned in Germany, with exemptions for educational and artistic purposes.<ref name="Oltermann-2023">{{Cite news |last=Oltermann |first=Philip |date=26 May 2023 |title=Berlin police investigate Roger Waters over Nazi-style uniform at concert |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/26/berlin-police-investigate-roger-waters-nazi-style-uniform-pink-floyd-concert |access-date=26 May 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Waters has long used similar uniforms for performances of ''The Wall,'' in which the protagonist hallucinates himself as a fascist dictator.<ref name="Oltermann-2023" /> [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)|Israel's Foreign Ministry]] criticised Waters for his performance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schuetze |first=Christopher F. |date=26 May 2023 |title=Berlin Police Investigate Roger Waters After He Wore Nazi-Style Costumes at Concerts |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/world/europe/roger-waters-berlin-nazi.html |access-date=30 May 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[United States Department of State|US Department of State]] called it "deeply offensive to Jewish people" and accused Waters of having a record of using antisemitic tropes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/us-calls-roger-waters-performance-berlin-deeply-offensive-jewish-people-2023-06-06/|title=US calls Roger Waters performance in Berlin 'deeply offensive to Jewish people'|work=Reuters|date=6 June 2023|accessdate=7 June 2023}}</ref> In the UK, Starmer and the secretary of state, [[Michael Gove]], issued statements condemning him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/roger-waters-resumes-nazi-act-in-london-that-hed-dropped-following-germany-uproar/|title=Roger Waters resumes Nazi act in London that he'd dropped following Germany uproar|work=The Times of Israel|first=Canaan|last=Lidor|date=8 June 2023|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref>

Waters said the use of fascist imagery was a statement in "opposition to fascism, injustice and bigotry".<ref name="Sky News-2023">{{cite web |date=27 May 2023 |title=Pink Floyd star Roger Waters says he was opposing 'fascism' when he wore Nazi-inspired uniform |url=https://news.sky.com/story/pink-floyd-star-roger-waters-says-he-was-opposing-fascism-when-he-wore-nazi-inspired-uniform-12890501 |accessdate=27 May 2023 |work=Sky News}}</ref> He pointed out that he had been using Nazi-inspired uniforms in performances since 1980, but they had only recently attracted controversy.<ref name="Double Down News-2023" /> Waters felt the criticism was disingenuous and politically motivated,<ref name="Sky News-2023" /> and that he had been attacked at the behest of the "Israeli lobby" in Germany.<ref>{{cite web |date=27 May 2023 |title=Roger Waters: German police investigate ex-Pink Floyd star over Nazi-style costume |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65725902 |accessdate=27 May 2023 |work=[[BBC News]]|first=Nadeem|last=Shad}}</ref> In an interview with [[Double Down News]], Waters said the accusations of antisemitism were a "vicious lie" and "deeply insulting", and that he was a victim of [[cancel culture]]. He said that the Israeli government was attempting to discredit him as they saw him as an "existential threat to their settler-colonialist, racist, apartheid regime".<ref name="Double Down News-2023">{{cite web |title=Pink Floyd's Roger Waters EXPLOSIVE Interview Sets Record Straight |date=6 June 2023 |url=https://www.doubledown.news/watch/2023/june/6/roger-waters-explosive-interview |publisher=Double Down News |access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref>

In May 2023, the Labour MP [[Christian Wakeford]] criticised Waters's shows in UK parliament. Waters responded at a concert in London the following month, calling Wakeford a "fucking moron" and a "cripple", which ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' said "drew a sharp intake of breath" from some in attendance. Waters also said he was "pissed off with this [[Israel lobby in the United Kingdom|Israeli lobby]] bullshit" and accused critics of "making up stuff because you've been told to by your masters from the Foreign Office in Tel Aviv".<ref name="varietywaters">{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2023/music/reviews/roger-waters-controversial-comments-london-concert-review-1235635917/ | title=Roger Waters Doubles Down on Controversial Comments and Conspiracy Theories at London Show: Concert Review| website=variety.com| date=7 June 2023| access-date=8 December 2023 | archive-date=7 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607153424/https://variety.com/2023/music/reviews/roger-waters-controversial-comments-london-concert-review-1235635917/| url-status=live }}</ref>

====2023 documentary alleging antisemitism====
In September 2023, a documentary alleging antisemitism by Waters, ''The Dark Side of Roger Waters'', directed by [[John Ware (TV journalist)|John Ware]], was released by the British group [[Campaign Against Antisemitism]].<ref name="Blistein-2023">{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=28 September 2023 |title=Roger Waters Is Undermining the Cause He Claims to Support |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-commentary/roger-waters-antisemitism-allegations-palestine-support-1234834848/ |access-date=19 October 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> It includes accounts from Waters's past collaborators, including the ''Wall'' producer [[Bob Ezrin]], who say Waters made offensive remarks about Jewish people.<ref name="Blistein-2023" /> In a separate statement, Ezrin said he did not object to Waters's challenging Israeli policy, but that "if your language directly or by implication promotes the eradication of the world's only Jewish state, then that is absolutely antisemitism in my book".<ref name="Blistein-2023" /> Waters responded in a statement that he was "frequently mouthy and prone to irreverence" but not antisemitic, and that the film misrepresented his views.<ref name="Blistein-2023" />

According to the documentary, in a 2010 email to his crew, Waters described his idea for the inflatable pig to be floated above his gigs, which would have the words "dirty [[kike|kyke]]", "follow the money" and "Scum" written on it.<ref name="timesofisraelwaters">{{cite web |title=Roger Waters defends using anti-Jewish slur after film exposes antisemitic comments |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/roger-waters-defends-using-anti-jewish-slur-after-film-exposes-antisemitic-comments/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930063344/https://www.timesofisrael.com/roger-waters-defends-using-anti-jewish-slur-after-film-exposes-antisemitic-comments/ |archive-date=30 September 2023 |access-date=8 December 2023 |website=[[The Times of Israel]]}}</ref>  In response, Waters said that the "offensive words I referenced... were my brainstorming ideas on how to make the evils and horrors of fascism and extremism apparent", and "not the manifestation of any underlying bigotry as the film suggests".<ref name="timesofisraelwaters" />

Ware sued for libel after Waters described called him a "lying, conniving Zionist mouthpiece" and accused him of "cheerleading the genocide of Palestinians" in interview on [[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]. On 25 February, 2025, a [[London High Court]] judge ruled that Waters' comments were defamatory, advancing the case towards trial.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cho |first=Winston |date=2025-02-25 |title=Roger Waters defamed filmmaker with antisemitic remarks, court finds |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/roger-waters-defamed-filmmaker-with-antisemitic-remarks-court-finds-1236146849/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Hotel cancellations====
Waters said in an interview with [[Glenn Greenwald]] that the [[2023 Hamas attack on Israel]] may have been a [[false flag operation]] and that "resistance to the Israeli occupation" is legally and morally justifiable.<ref>Glenn Greenwald. {{YouTube|id=0-WSb23wdLI|title=Roger Waters Addresses Israel-Gaza, Antisemitism Accusations}}</ref> In November 2023, after the interview with Greenwald, the [[Faena Hotel Buenos Aires|Faena Hotel]] and the [[Alvear Palace Hotel]] in [[Buenos Aires]] cancelled Waters reservations without giving a reason.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-772903|title=Roger Waters loses Argentina hotel bookings after Israel-Hamas comments|website=Jerusalem Post|date=12 November 2023}}</ref> Several Argentine deputies repudiated Waters's visit to their country.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.infobae.com/politica/2023/11/12/diputados-repudiaron-la-presencia-de-roger-waters-en-argentina-tras-sus-dichos-sobre-israel/|title=Diputados repudiaron la presencia de Roger Waters en Argentina tras sus dichos sobre Israel|website=Infobae|date=12 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/roger-waters-blames-israeli-lobby-for-alleged-argentina-uruguay-hotel-ban/|title=Roger Waters blames 'Israeli lobby' for alleged Argentina, Uruguay hotel ban|publisher=Times of Israel}}</ref>

The Hyatt Centric and the Regency Hotels in [[Montevideo]] denied Waters accommodation based on the right of admission.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 November 2023 |title=Hoteles de Montevideo niegan alojamiento a Roger Waters por sus comentarios sobre Israel |url=https://www.elpais.com.uy/tvshow/musica/dos-hoteles-de-montevideo-niegan-alojamiento-a-roger-waters-por-sus-comentarios-sobre-israel |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=EL PAIS |language=es-UY}}</ref> {{Ill|Felipe Schipani|es}}, a [[Colorado Party (Uruguay)|Colorado Party]] [[Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay|National Representative]], asked the [[Intendancy of Montevideo|Municipality of Montevideo]] to withdraw the "illustrious visitor to Montevideo" title given to Waters in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redacción |title=Diputado colorado pidió a Cosse retirar título de "visitante ilustre" a Roger Waters |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/diputado-colorado-pidio-a-cosse-retirar-titulo-de-visitante-ilustre-a-roger-waters-20231114204822 |access-date=15 November 2023 |website=El Observador}}</ref>