Earlier this year, Thurston Moore cancelled his concert in Tel Aviv with no explanation at all. Many suspected it was a part of the BDS movement (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions) against Israel in light of their previous human rights breaches against Palestinians. Now, in a statement to The Quietus, Moore has confirmed his actions were done in protest and that he had indeed been a BDS advocate for 10 years.
Moore explained that, although he honoured the Palestinian BDS call since 2015, he briefly changed his mind due to “not exactly concurring with the aspects of requesting certain limitations on cultural exchange”. However, the change of heart was momentary, as he detailed due to arriving “at the personal conclusion that to perform with my band in Israel was in direct conflict to my values.” Citing “brutal human rights violations” as the main reason behind it, Moore reinstated his boycott and cancelled the show. You can read the full statement here.
Moore isn’t the only musician to boycott Israel over the ill-treatment of Palestinians living there; The Quietus puts number of British musicians boycotting the event at 1,000 alone. He joins a list of performers such as Elvis Costello, Lauryn Hill, Gorillaz and Stevie Wonder who canceled shows or joined the BDS collective.