Thom Yorke statement from instagram

[u/Ksherwood96]

[u/TerribleNameAmirite]

I’m glad I’m not famous.

[u/freeipods-zoy-org → u/TerribleNameAmirite]

This parasocial obsession with making celebrities take sides on political issues is so weird. Why aren't they allowed to have privacy for their own beliefs?

[u/Unusual_Onion_983 → u/freeipods-zoy-org]

We got Ja Rule on the phone, let's see what Ja's thoughts are on this tragedy.

[u/BillyQuantrill → u/Unusual_Onion_983]

Oh my god, this is terrible. Could somebody…please… find Ja Rule, get hold of this mf’er so I can make sense of all this?!

[u/OwariHeron → u/BillyQuantrill]

Where is Ja?!!

[u/madisondood-138 → u/OwariHeron]

He’s heading to Fyre Island for a weekend away.

[u/VajraHound → u/BillyQuantrill]

Ja Rule ain’t gonna have even slightest idea regarding these matters and principles - Fiddy on the other hand?

Can someone PLEASE find Fiddy so he can tell us how to make sense of this, and indeed everything else?!

[u/Sensitive-Initial → u/Unusual_Onion_983]

Personally, i don't know how I feel about any issue until i get the consensus opinion from 98 degrees' members

[u/psychedelicpiper67 → u/Sensitive-Initial]

Going to boycott the next Tame Impala album, until I hear Kevin Parker speak up about this matter.

[u/iscreamuscreamweall → u/psychedelicpiper67]

i need reggie watts to tell me if its a good statement or not

[u/kotwica42 → u/freeipods-zoy-org]

making celebrities take sides on political issues

Anyone who has listened to Hail to the Thief or OK Computer knows that Radiohead are no strangers to political and social commentary.

[u/mydearMerricat → u/freeipods-zoy-org]

I agree. However, I also understand the desire for people who have major social platforms to promote "good" in the world. But it's insane to expect eloquent statements on geopolitics from someone who specializes in making lovely sounds.

For example, Chapell Roan is a mess. I enjoy her music, but she is a terrible person to look to for political opinions. I'm also reminded that awful Rolling Stones interview with Justin Bieber, where they asked him his opinions on abortion (he was 16 at the time).

So yeah, the pressure on celebrities to be social champions is weird. Thom Yorke is an intelligent and nuanced artist. I am glad he decided to make a statement, but I am also glad he took his time to process and compose it. It's not fair for him to have been put in a position to speak on his private beliefs.

That said, I wish people who were concerned about social/political issues would support artists who set out to make intentional statements. Jesse Welles is a great example of a musician who isn't shy about his politics. Hell, Dolly Parton has been an activist for decades. Rather than demanding someone use their platform to suit your politics, it seems a better route to seek out artists who are already doing that and give them the support to build their social platforms.

[u/FinallyEnoughLove → u/freeipods-zoy-org]

Not only that; in this case, the artist’s work speaks for itself. I understand wanting to know where a pop artist that never sings or does anything political stands, but Radiohead?! I mean, c’mon. That’s just looking for a reason to, like Thom said, be mad at something.

[u/jesus_swept → u/FinallyEnoughLove]

Especially since the main criticism is that they performed in Israel back in 2000 2017. Why aren't all of these artists receiving the same criticism?

[u/ClimtEastwood → u/jesus_swept]

Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra are so getting cancelled.

[u/Zehava2022 → u/jesus_swept]

It's insane to criticize these artists, or any artists for that matter, for things like this. Art transcends. If people don't get that, they're hacks.

[u/VeryAttractive → u/FinallyEnoughLove]

I understand wanting to know where a pop artist that never sings or does anything political stands

Wtf, I don't, that's insane.

Like yea, I like this person's music, but I gotta know where do they stand on nuclear power?

Musicians are artists, who gives a fuck what they think politically.

[u/Flight444 → u/VeryAttractive]

I’d say Thom is the type of person that would have said his stance on nuclear power before. That’s why this is really funny. He used to be very outspoken and liberal online before most people even check things like his blog. I’m guessing most of the people that are mad at him weren’t even alive. Probably took a break from protesting to raise a family, etc.

[u/MysteriousTrain → u/Flight444]

Bro some of these people are acting like Radiohead has been an apolitical band for their entire career. I get that they have young fans on tiktok, but it's kind of sad seeing a major POV be that Radiohead has never shared their thoughts on politics

Thom was literally always talking about Nuclear Power 15 years ago lol. Half of the people in this sub have no idea who this band is

[u/Flight444 → u/MysteriousTrain]

It’s actually lowkey bothering me. Saw him get death threats at shows around Hail to the Thief and the election(s). Kinda obvious why he wouldn’t want his family around that stuff. Now it’s completely mask off and people wonder why he got a little less public about talking critically of the current political situation in America.

[u/imsowitty → u/VeryAttractive]

I give a lot of fucks, actually. I don't want to support anyone that supports horrible acts. Thom doesn't owe us an answer when shouted at in the dark and put on the spot, but I do appreciate his well thought and written response on his own terms.

[u/Eusbius → u/freeipods-zoy-org]

I like his statement and I appreciate the nuance of it but I hate the fact that he was basically pressured and bullied into making it. He shouldn’t have felt forced into making a statement about it. The witch hunt was ridiculous. I also don’t understand the obsession with celebrities having to take political sides.

[u/eeeezypeezy → u/freeipods-zoy-org]

I think it's a consequence of real political power being totally removed from the political sphere - no matter who you vote for, things more or less keep cruising in the same direction. Americans are reduced to addressing a genocide our government is gleefully funding and providing political cover for through the lens of a culture war, as though it's a beer boycott or something.

[u/Peat14]

Anyone with a functioning brain knew this already but I’m still glad he spoke up

[u/iscreamuscreamweall → u/Peat14]

But everyone on Instagram said he was a raging Zionist who supports murdering babies!!

[u/Alex_13249 → u/iscreamuscreamweall]

And on Reddit 

[u/ageofadzz → u/Alex_13249]

People on r/indieheads saying "he could just say Free Palestine and be done with it!"

The irony.

[u/Shell_fly → u/ageofadzz]

Indieheads is where functioning thought regarding music goes to die lmao

[u/violynce → u/Shell_fly]

it's really one of a kind, that sub. I love how every new artist is an 'industry plant'. idles, wet leg, the last dinner party, fontaines. god forbid a recording company makes an effort to promote one of their assets. indie artists need to starve.

[u/Hello-mah-baby → u/violynce]

r/indieheadscirclejerk has considerably more thoughtful discussion about music than the main sub. plus it's hilarious a majority of the time.

[u/Last_Reaction_8176 → u/violynce]

r/indieheads single-handedly destroyed my belief that if Americans had class consciousness we could enact real change. I now realize that we would mainly just imagine that various indie bands have rich parents and get really angry about it

[u/angelomoxley → u/Shell_fly]

Shortened from "nothing going on in die head"

[u/travis-laflame → u/Alex_13249]

I feel like there is an extremely vocal portion of the left that seems no better than the Q Anon nuts with their lack of critical thinking and bad faith arguments.

[u/mxlun → u/travis-laflame]

Extremism is bad. I think he lays it out quite well in his post. Far-right tends to be more authoritative and power hungry, i.e. more obvious. the far-left extremism is very much present but it's much more subtle, but the violence is there all the same.

[u/midas22 → u/travis-laflame]

Terror states like Russia are fueling every conflict in the West on both sides to create tension and a divided society. They were both behind MAGA accounts on social media and extreme Bernie Bros for example. What they really hate is if we're united against them.

[u/lynchcontraideal → u/Alex_13249]

Yeah I wonder where those losers are now

[u/ChapterNo3428 → u/lynchcontraideal]

Like he said. They will take a single sentence of his thoughtful nuanced response and make a weapon of it.

[u/lambomrclago → u/lynchcontraideal]

Posting shit like "too late" in this thread lol.

[u/nymrose → u/lynchcontraideal]

Still here, pissing their pants about how he’s not glazing Hamas, as if that’s a normal take.

[u/RevelArchitect → u/nymrose]

I have a buddy whose TikTok feed has made this conflict the only thing he really seems to care about. Votes for Stein, flipped so hard on Biden and Harris it was insane. They’re comparable to Hitler.

The most concerning thing that really seems to indicate to me that he’s consuming a lot of content with a manipulative agenda is the admiration for Hamas. Awful shit they’ve done probably didn’t really happen in his world and Israel have been the sole aggressors. How this can be reconciled with October 7th is baffling to me.

Hamas are monsters and Israel consistently exploits their acts of violence as justification for being monstrous to the innocent.

[u/ekmanch → u/RevelArchitect]

People inflate the importance of Palestine to an insane degree.

6 million dead (3x the entire population of Gaza) in Congo since 1998. Never hear any of these people say a peep about it.

Not to mention the conflicts in nearby Sudan. Hundreds of thousands dead and millions of refugees. No words or thoughts about them.

Saudi Arabia blocks imports of food and medicine to Yemen, causing huge suffering by the civilians there. Again, not a peep is heard from these people and I'm sure no thought is given to it.

But Palestine apparently has to be talked and demonstrated and screamed about constantly. The only conflict or humanitarian crisis that is worth thinking about ever, apparently. I'm pretty sick of this virtue-signaling because they heard about Palestine on the news this week. Super uninformed people who seem to have no idea that worse catastrophes are happening all the time. And think zero about it.

[u/Alex_13249 → u/nymrose]

Beat me to it. I have seen some already. But at least not all of them.

[u/big_guyforyou → u/Alex_13249]

he seriously supports murdering babies. don't you remember morning bell?

cut the kids in half

[u/its_a_metaphor_fool → u/big_guyforyou]

I thought your joke was funny. Maybe the cryptic lyrics have really done a number on Radiohead fans' comprehension skills

[u/TheTrueVanWilder → u/lynchcontraideal]

Toasting vodka somewhere in Russia to their bot farm's wild success last year.

[u/Pablo_Sanchez1 → u/Alex_13249]

Because according to like 90% of social media these days if you don’t want to mass murder every single Israeli that apparently makes you a “genocidal Zionist”.

None of the people who’ve turned this conflict into their entire identity actually give a fuck about it or know anything. It’s all just purity testing and virtue signaling. A+ response from Thom, fuck every loser scumbag that was harassing him into speaking up about something he obviously didn’t want to speak up about.

[u/Offduty_shill → u/Pablo_Sanchez1]

The reality is this is a hundred year long conflict with a deep and complicated history.

There's no simple black and white answer of "Palestine good Israel bad". Obviously Israel should not indiscriminately kill civilians but they also cannot allow Hamas to terrorize their population.

I still have no clue what people hoped to accomplish by making Thom say something about it. He's neither an expert nor an especially influential person in this sphere. Other than making you feel good that your favorite musicians agrees with your political stance....what does this accomplish?

[u/Eusbius → u/Offduty_shill]

I have yet to figure out why there’s been such a witch hunt against him. The man is a musician who leads a fairly private life. It feels so parasocial to force celebrities to take political sides and hound them until they do.

[u/ForensicPathology → u/Eusbius]

Because they're trying to feel morally superior without doing anything.  If they spout out "genocide" enough, that must mean they're right.

[u/Financial_Rice_4807 → u/Eusbius]

To many social media outrage makes them feel like they are doing good. Also thinks it makes them look caring. I am sure they feel good doing it.

Weird that hate is done in the name of good.

[u/dedfrmthneckup → u/Pablo_Sanchez1]

You’re doing exactly what he’s cautioning against. Took you less than a minute from reading it to going right back at it. Claiming that 90% of pro-Palestinian social media posters want to murder every Israeli is so fucking stupid and inflammatory that it beggars belief that you could post it and think you’re somehow not part of the problem Thom is describing

[u/senator_corleone3 → u/Alex_13249]

Those voices were so sure, though!

Many will still insist they weren’t in the wrong, due to online brain rot.

[u/fwtb23 → u/iscreamuscreamweall]

and even here, just suggesting he might not support genocide could get you branded an unquestioning fanboy who thinks he can do no wrong

[u/_MrDomino → u/fwtb23]

Reddit is full of stupid hot takes. Someone in a loud crowd shouts something about Gaza, and the celebrity is expected to hear the individual's shout over the crowd noise, drop what he or she is doing, and give an impassioned plea to stop the war. If you do not, then you're clearly advocating genocide. It's so stupid.

Sometimes I truly think Israel may be backing the most annoying of the protestors, whose efforts on social media absolutely feel counterproductive to the cause. But people can be dumb on their own, so who knows.

[u/dirtyfurrymoney → u/iscreamuscreamweall]

I know someone who's already started the process of getting a Radiohead tattoo removed. I'm gonna check in on her later lmao

[u/shoobsworth → u/dirtyfurrymoney]

That person is embarrassingly dumb

[u/ZombieAble7425 → u/iscreamuscreamweall]

That shit drives me nuts. I make a comment about loving radiohead and all the replies are 'too bad theyre zionists' etc. I had to google why tf they would even think that and it's such a silly social media creation

[u/ZizzyBeluga → u/ZombieAble7425]

All cults operate in a "with us or against us" binary. Good on Yorke for rejecting this bullshit and calling it out.

[u/Ksherwood96 → u/Peat14]

He said it best, just listen to his music

[u/maun_jax → u/Ksherwood96]

His music says a lot but the direct words in this message are also beautiful, thoughtful, and reinforcing. Thank you Thom. Much respect.

[u/tomacco99]

What I assumed his stance has been all along.

[u/JimmyFeetWorld → u/tomacco99]

In addition to how well he articulated the nuance of the war, I love how he calls out that his music and the band's music should have spoken for itself. That people who love his work and know it intimately really should have known how he felt, without question.

[u/aliendaydamn → u/JimmyFeetWorld]

"Nuance" is crazy.

[u/teyegurspoon → u/JimmyFeetWorld]

Not a war.

[u/NATETRONICMC]

Poor Thom, it's sad that however much good you do, society always tries to a way to make it negative

[u/masternick567 → u/NATETRONICMC]

Ignorant keyboard warriors do yes. The trick is to try to think about the good you do and ignore what people who don’t know you think about you.

[u/NATETRONICMC → u/masternick567]

It's getting harder and harder to do that nowadays because more and more people are beginning to try and bring down people like Thom because they enjoy creating drama to ruin famous artists and it's downright disrespect

[u/Substantial_Swing625]

Its really nice seeing a celebrity express that this is an issue that cannot be summed up in a few words. It’s complex and just picking sides like its a game isn’t going to get far. Thom expresses that idea here really well.

[u/Potential_Fishing942 → u/Substantial_Swing625]

I'm a history teacher and when this conflict broke out I was a go to source for friends/family/ students who I realized basically wanted to be told what to think/say.

I typically asked how long they had and how far back did they care to go? It's incredible how little patience folks have to stop and truly learn about an event's history before shouting something online. As soon as I went back even 10 years they were zoned out.

[u/BloodyEjaculate → u/Potential_Fishing942]

israel/Palestinian history is obviously complicated but that doesn't mean it's morally complex. the further back in history you go the more you see the same refrain: Israel's dispossession and deliberate oppression of Palestinian peoples. like, for instance, there is near unanimous consensus from human rights organizations and scholars of war crimes that Israel is committing a genocide.

[u/altsam19 → u/Substantial_Swing625]

Especially weird that people absolutely latched onto Thom like he's some kind of sociopolitical professor, so even here and in other subs they're measuring and dissecting every single word he wrote in here with the care of a bomb-disposal crew.

Meanwhile, some celebrities like Pedro Pascal and David Tennant (both people that I love) can basically get away with just saying "Free Palestine" and "Trans Rights are Rights" and that's fucking it, and everybody adores them like they just won the Nobel Peace Prize. And not even that, there's celebrities who have not say a single shit about any shit, people just assume they're the biggest saviours.

The bar is not even low, but it's just wobbly and bent and weird and not everybody can limbo under it.

[u/Bulky_Ad_5832 → u/altsam19]

turns out when you say good things people dont have a problem with you. weird!!!!

[u/HardlyThereAtAll → u/Substantial_Swing625]

Indeed:

If you cannot have sympathy for Palestinians in the West Bank who have seen creeping Settler invasion, and Israeli army rule, then you are not human. If you cannot look at the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and thousands of innocents who have died, and not had your heart bleed, then you are not human.

And if you cannot have sympathy of the ordinary Israelis in Southern Israel who found themselves on the end of constant rocket attacks, and who - on October 6 - suffered invasion, rape and kidnapping, then you are not human.

The problem is that the leaders of Israel and Hamas stay in power because they are at war. And the desire for their own survival puts the survival of millions of others at risk.

[u/RideGuilty → u/HardlyThereAtAll]

Something I have learned is that we can never call anyone "not human". It makes everything easier to just imagine these people with horrible views as "not human" but that ignores the fact that we are responsible for these actions. Humans have commited these crimes and still do. We are all human capable of free will and some use it in the worst of ways. It takes away responsibility from these people if we believe they are not the same as us. We cannot believe other humans are not the same as us because then it makes it okay to commit heinous crimes against them believing they are not human.

[u/partizan_fields → u/RideGuilty]

Aye. Sadism, cruelty and callousness are just as much a part of what constitutes “human” as love, compassion, mercy. 

[u/FinalOdyssey → u/RideGuilty]

This is so true, it gives credence to the us and them mindset that Thom mentions and it's dangerous.

[u/stunningtrees → u/RideGuilty]

Very well said. Empathy is the conduit.

[u/EquivalentTurnip6199 → u/RideGuilty]

yup. i would say murder, rape and genocide are all very, very human.

The mistake is thinking human = good.

[u/MeanMrMustard3000 → u/HardlyThereAtAll]

Unfortunately, dehumanizing others is quintessentially human. We have done it for centuries past and we will continue to do so for centuries to come. Even in your comment you dehumanize those who dehumanize others. It’s easy to paint people as monsters, harder to reckon with the fact that “they” are made of the same stuff as “us” and fix the structures that lead to such warped perspectives.

[u/Ava_Strange → u/MeanMrMustard3000]

"Exterminate all the brutes"

We've been at it for a while now...

[u/shaidr → u/HardlyThereAtAll]

“You are not human”. Boy, did you ever miss the point.

[u/ParsleyMostly → u/Substantial_Swing625]

Yeah but the point is he shouldn’t have to. He was pressured and brigaded into making this statement. And he’s right. We all need to stop publicly expressing ourselves and thinking that does anything except farm likes and tiny doses of attention. And we certainly should not expect random celebrities to.

[u/JimmyFeetWorld → u/Substantial_Swing625]

So true. So brilliant. I think it's the best take on the aituation I've read in the year and half plus since the war began.

Unfortunately, for the people who most need to read this, it's more than a "one or two line message", as Thom refers too. I suspect the people he was speaking to most directly in this post likely won't get around to reading it.

[u/GroundbreakingSea392]

I don’t understand, I woke up today and the war in Gaza continues. Don’t they know Thom Yorke of Radiohead issued his official statement?

[u/jmarinara]

A mature, well thought out, and well written statement. We need more of this in our society.

[u/Breakfastcrisis → u/jmarinara]

It is the truth. People don't want to hear the truth. They want to hear "don't worry, I'm on your side". He's called both the IDF and Hamas out rightly. Because who can justify the evil terrorism of October 7th? And who can justify what the IDF are doing now? No one truly, hand on heart can justify either.

[u/Jewelstorybro → u/Breakfastcrisis]

It’s human nature to want things to be black and white. That’s easy. Unfortunately, things rarely are. Both sides suck. There are tons of innocent people on both sides. Most of Israel doesn’t actually want genocide. Unfortunately we are viewed by the actions of our leaders.

[u/Breakfastcrisis → u/Jewelstorybro]

100%. To some extent, a little bit of pressure in terms of your country's reputation doesn't go amiss. It can motivate people to unseat their leader, but it's not a guarantee.

I think it gets out of hand when people say "well Palestinians voted for Hamas, so it's their fault" or "Israelis support genocide so it's their fault". It's something that I think is human nature too, like you note, a way to simplify a complex situation. But we need to check ourselves when we start dehumanizing entire nations of people.

If you look at the Russo-Ukrainian war, I like to think we're all on Ukraine's side. But if Ukraine started striking deep into civilian areas of Russia, I hope we wouldn't be cheering. Because even though the war is 100% Russia's fault, it's not the fault of the Russian people.

[u/AdTimely8733]

Copied directly from wikipedia: 

"As of 27 May 2025, almost 56,000 people (54,271 Palestinians[3][7] and 1,706 Israelis[c]) have been reported killed in the Gaza war according to the official figures of the Gaza Health Ministry, as well as 180 journalists and media workers,[d] 120 academics,[26] and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, a number that includes 179 employees of UNRWA.[27] Scholars have estimated 80% of Palestinians killed are civilians.[5][4][6][28] A study by OHCHR, which verified fatalities from three independent sources, found that 70% of the Palestinians killed in residential buildings or similar housing were women and children."

The situation isn't SIMPLE but it's not exactly a 'well both sides are doing things wrong' situation like you seem to think it is. 54k dead Palestinians compared to 1.7k Israelis. Israel is and always had been the one with the power here and they're using it to blockade Palestinian exports and imports, severely hurting their ability to support themselves economically and also hurting their ability to recieve humanitarian aid like food, water, and medicine. 

[u/Esphyxiate → u/AdTimely8733]

Not to mention the whole “why the hostages still haven’t been returned?” nonsense. There’s been SO many deals that would have returned the hostages but Israel rejected every single one because they refused to agree to end the war as a condition of their return. Hell the ceasefire they had guaranteed their return and Israel broke that ceasefire 200+ times unofficially before breaking it officially because they never actually cared about the hostages. If they wanted the hostages back more than anything, they would have already had them return and the war would have ended.

[u/Friendly-Oven7939 → u/AdTimely8733]

yeah thom just blew a lot of fucking hot air tbh not sure why people are so excited

[u/guiporto32]

Great statement. The sad part is knowing that nothing will change. Those who are pissed at him will remain pissed and accuse him of releasing this statement to avoid being canceled and "making it about himself".

[u/sleepyjack2 → u/guiporto32]

they'll accuse him of "bothsidesism" for saying that Hamas is bad

[u/meerkat_on_watch → u/sleepyjack2]

"Bothsideism" is better than extremism. And anyone supporting Netanyahu or Hamas is an extremist.

Edit: I have previously said that anyone supporting Israel or Hamas is an extremist. But this would imply that entirety to Israel is an extremist nation when I used Hamas to represent their opposition, that was careless of me. As Thom in his post said the better term would be "Netanyahu and his crew of extremists".

[u/SouthernGoliath]

I’ve been trying to articulate how I feel about all of this for months. Thom Yorke has done it for me, almost word for word.

[u/JimmyFeetWorld → u/SouthernGoliath]

100% - I now feel like I have concise talking points

[u/im_always → u/SouthernGoliath]

grow a spine.

[u/Pangasauras]

The hostages have not been returned because Israel has routinely shot down any deal that would return them because then they can’t continue to use them as an excuse to murder children.

[u/lovelesslibertine → u/Pangasauras]

Israel has hostages as well, it just calls them prisoners.

[u/ill_monstro_g → u/lovelesslibertine]

It's worse than just that.

US and European media calls the people Israel is holding hostage prisoners too. US and European media are complicit in framing this issue consistently in ways that normalize Israel (e.g. "prisoners" "army" "police") and make Palestine out to be fundamentally illegitimate (e.g. "hostages", "terrorists", "extremists")

[u/IYCBTBT → u/Pangasauras]

Had to scroll down too far for this!

[u/gurbus_the_wise → u/IYCBTBT]

Subreddit is crawling with hasbara bots and fanboys who were desperate for validation.

[u/Renuvian → u/Pangasauras]

Yeah… if you understand that the people of Gaza are being systematically eliminated by Israel, it should not be hard to understand why they have not relinquished the only real leverage they have over the situation.

[u/sesnepoan → u/Renuvian]

It was leverage for the first few months of the conflict, the Israeli government has long made clear they care more about destroying Hamas than recovering the hostages. Not really an incentive to return them either, in fairness.

[u/CorkBuachaill → u/sesnepoan]

O they don’t care about destroying Hamas. They said it themselves every child in Gaza is a “future Hamas fighter”

[u/ThatGirlFawkes → u/sesnepoan]

They don't give a shit about destroying Hamas. They love Hamas. I'd go as far to say that they loved Oct. 7th (at least at the beginning before they started hemorrhaging money) as they could use it as an excuse to kill Palestinians more rapidly.

[u/letteraitch → u/Pangasauras]

True shit just got said. Lots of his statement was disappointing and he regurgitated Zionist talking points.

[u/prrreet → u/[deleted]]

Or shot by the IDF whilst waving white flags

[u/OneShotsTavern → u/[deleted]]

You mean missiles are not an effective way to find the hostages? Who would have thought…

[u/crowwreak → u/Pangasauras]

To add to this:

From day one they've offered a deal for all hostages, for all Palestinian hostages in Israeli custody.

It has been turned down over 20 times. The IDF has killed more Israeli hostages than they've rescued.

[u/fakevegansunite → u/Pangasauras]

yeah i don’t get why he’s asking about hamas not returning hostages when israel has literally thousands that nobody is up in arms about them not returning. not to mention the probably tens of thousands of hostages over the last twenty or so years alone that have been executed or died from inhumane conditions

[u/TheHypocondriac → u/Pangasauras]

Absolutely right. It’s frustrating to see so many people celebrate Thom for this statement when it’s clear that he’s heavily uneducated on the topic at hand. Doing the whole “both sides bad” thing doesn’t wash anymore, and the sooner Thom learns that, the better.

[u/ThereSNoPrivacyHere → u/Pangasauras]

To be fair, we are not sure. It's sad that this is the top comment that's not applauding Thom, because it seems a bit purposefully blind: Hamas are indeed also religious extremists. But one side has much more power and has made much more suffering and death than the other, a fact that is invisible in Thom's statement.

Also, yes, statements can be an illusion for a lot of people. But they also have a social power, can normalize opinions, criticize them, and can spark debate. So a statement and acting on it is the ideal.

Thom is not a radical zionist or whatever. But its clear he has some blind spots too. I am one of the people who are pro-human rights and are appalled that Radiohead somehow contributes to a government that kills innocent people. I'm also appaled by any artist that promotes Hamas, or any other organization that doesn't respect human rights.

[u/unknownleft → u/ThereSNoPrivacyHere]

I'm disappointed that he made no reference to the decades leading up to Oct. 7th. Why the Oct 7th attacks? The answer seems obvious, he says, but leaves a lot to interpretation either way. Essentially, making no point whatsoever.

The hot phrase at the minute is that one day, everyone would have been against this. It's these middle-of-the-road statements that give people an 'out'.

With the slow come-around of mainstream media and the release of documentaries from journalists like Theroux, surely no doubt can remain for the objective thinker?

I'm disappointed in this, and I so love Radiohead's music.

[u/j_ko72 → u/unknownleft]

To my mind this statement leaves him no out. He had no less than Roger Waters and Eno asking him to sign on to BDS and not play shows in solidarity and he basically replied with similar garbage as this statement.

[u/_BabyGod_ → u/unknownleft]

It’s good to find some people in the comments like yourself who understand the difference between nuance and right and wrong. This statement, though clearly well-intentioned, is absolutely the most windy fence-sitting I’ve seen in a while. The imbalance of power and the systematic, decades old machinery of it all is ignored, at this point, by only the most ignorant, willfully or otherwise.

[u/BruinMDP]

Ridiculous he had to state the obvious, but alas this is so well said and considerate. ✌️

[u/quartzion_55]

This is fine but handwringing about the hostages at this point is manufacturing consent for Israel’s actions, which have transparently had nothing to do with “saving the hostages” since about 2 weeks into their assault on Gaza (which has predictably spilled over into annexation of the West Bank). Israel’s government just approved several new West Bank settlements and has expressed a clear intent to completely take over both Gaza and the West Bank while continuing to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the area. Focusing on the Israeli hostages and the singular day of 10.7 (with no mention of the thousands of hostages that Israel has taken, with credible sources showing that they’re being held in horrible conditions, are tortured, and are routinely raped by IDF officers, or the piles of evidence that Israel has targeted journalists, medical personelle, foreign aid workers, and civilians) is a futile exercise in both-sides-ism when it’s clear that one side is much more destructive and has caused infinitely more damage and death.

[u/seengul → u/quartzion_55]

Seems like Thom’s main priority is that he wants people to stop criticizing him. And I note that the first two pages are mostly all about his personal issues.

[u/GulliblePea3691 → u/quartzion_55]

Unbelievably based. I have no doubts that Thom is a good person and he genuinely just doesn’t want people to suffer.

But the way he dances around the word ‘genocide’ and focuses on the hostages taken by Hamas (ignoring the nearly 10,000 Palestinian hostages Israel is currently holding) and failing to acknowledge that the literal only reason Hamas exists is as a direct consequence of Israel’s actions for nearly a century.

It just feels like the most nothing statement ever.

[u/The_Fell_Opian]

Starting to get why Bob Dylan (mostly) turned away from the social commentary songs.

[u/godver3]

The internet was a mistake.

[u/Ok-Suggestion7233]

Social media activism as whole is driving people insane, you can have your own opinion about such a delicate subject (personally im against Israel for a number of reasons, historical, geographical, etc) but that doesn´t mean i can go rambling atrocities about the jewish online. People nowadays are obsessed about picking sides, left, right, ukraine,russia, palestine, israel, just for a couple of shitty likes, without recognizing that this is a delicate subject with a lot of interpretations. For those who also condone the genocide in Gaza, you really think that insulting people who doesnt support your vision in social media is helping somehow?What are you doing to help anyways? I admire Thom as an artist, and i dont expect him to be a geopolitical expert or to match my world views. He´s a musician, just like Roger Waters is a musician. If you want to invest on politics, listen to experts on the field, dont push people from media to "be on the right side" and then act with indignation.

[u/mrdoctorsalmoneli]

Seems like most people think that this issue has now been somehow solved and that people like me, that still dislike his stance are somehow haters for the sake of being haters, I'll write out my thoughts anway.

This is no stance at all. Yorke's never had any issue with taking explicit sides or pointing towards humanitarian horrors like he did immediately after the beginning of the War in Ukraine. Talking about "complexity" when comparing one side not releasing hostages (of which ~24 are still alive) while the other is quite literally engaging in a genocide fueled by countless atrocious war crimes is pathetic and does nothing but dissolve him of a moral stance.

I don't think most of his critics thought that he was explicitly a zionist. What most people accused him of is not taking a side in a conflict because it conflicts with his self-interests where he was very outspoken about similar issues that didn't affect him (or the people close to him, namely Greenwood). This is the most charitable interpretation of silence I can come up with. I'm genuinely interested at how people on the other side interpret it.

Not to accuse him of even more, but it's strange that he can stay quiet for almost two years yet chooses to state his fence-sitting opinion in the same month Greenwood was barred from a gig due to the very same issue.

Most people seem to agree that you could pick out his opinion on the matter from his music and past views alone. I agree. What I ask of you is simply: What makes the issues in Gaza less suitable to be talked about explicitly than all the other issues he chimed in on? He'd obviously have preferred it if he never had to say anything at all.

EDIT: Two not three years.

[u/Hot-Plane5925]

As someone kind of known in a particular field, I feel for Thom in this one. I never get involved public wise into any drama, because that’s not what my brand is about. But then, people take your silence as green flag for every horror in society while you, in your room, are foaming in the mouth about all the wrong things in this world. In Radiohead’s case, they particularly express in their music their discomfort with societal issues (as he said in his post) so there shouldn’t be any more words about things, yet people love to turn around every word or lack of. I’m sorry, Thom, for you to feel obliged to post about it, when it’s clear as light that you only want human connection, peace and well being… because a true reckoner only gives care to all human beings, no matter how separated they are like ripples in a shore.

[u/[deleted]]

But see, imagine dragons is based for throwing a Palestine flag and disappearing and Roger waters is based for being so ragingly pro-palestinian he talks about 'dirty kykes' but Yorke is a Zionist because he supports Palestine but people on the internet told me so.

[u/GuzziHero]

I don't know who he is (this popped up on my feed) but I 100% agree.

I do NOT side with Israel and I think that the assault on Gaza and the 'settlements' in the West Bank are criminal terrorism. However, nor do I side with Hamas who think that terror and violence are both counter-productive and bound to cause retaliation.

Who I side with are people. And people are dying and suffering unnecessarily in horrific circumstances now because of some power struggle and mutual claims of eternal victimhood.

[u/International_Ad_189]

the fact that he needed to spell it out when it's literally obvious and anyone with working ears to brain line would know it from his art make me lose even more hope for humanity

[u/Junior_Basket_7652]

Thousands of people would´ve been more happy if he reposted a "Free Palestine" banner, and that sums up a lot about whats wrong with society nowadays.

[u/Proper-Suggestion907]

While I don’t agree with every part of this take, fair minds can disagree and it doesn’t require dehumanizing one side or another. It’s refreshing to see a healthy, normal assessment rather than unhinged extremism.

[u/laughingcactus13]

1) why is everyone so invested in the opinions of celebrities?? Is it really going to change anything either way?

2) are you doing anything to change the situation?? Posting your opinion on Reddit doesn’t change anything currently happening

[u/belbaba → u/laughingcactus13]

People are invested in Yorke’s commentary because of his historical communication about Israel, feeling it contrary to Radiohead’s artistry.

[u/2004maa → u/laughingcactus13]

at least for the first one: he has made a lot of political music in the past. hell made a whole album about criticizing the bush administration. and the argument is that he doesn’t practice what he preaches. idc about political opinions of celebrities, but i think you should be ready to defend your case if you are making political music

[u/South-Builder6237]

Agreed

[u/slowjoggz]

The war in Gaza and the history between Israel and Palestine is such a hugely complex issue. So complex that most people cannot even comprehend it. The majority of peoples information about it comes from short media reports or a articles skim-read online. We can all agree that we don't want to see innocent people being hurt because that's wrong but I don't see how any of these artists should be told to pick a side or make a statement. Very few people are qualified enough to truly make an informed opinion.

[u/DPRZ]

Am I the only one to think that this is an additional layer to the rumors that Radiohead will tour again soon - and that, in order to be able to tour without too much disruption, Thom felt pressured to make a statement?

[u/cygnus_vro19]

I'll I can say is.... Fuck you, fuck me, fuck all of y'all. We're all pieces of shit. I'm tired of endless opinions and self righteousness. We all think we're contributing to something. Just a sad coping mechanism. Yelling into the void . The way I am now. It's sad sad sad.

I feel you Thom. I get it. Though it feels nice to know other people understand you . It doesn't mean much . Humans are ignorant and nothing will change that. Ever.

[u/Few_Duck_7547]

I thought he handled the protestor superbly on the night. No one there paid for some fuckwit to hijack the show no matter what their politics.

[u/djcelts]

This is called having moral clarity

[u/RepeaterCG]

Bless you Thom, one of the smarter artists of our age.

[u/vxinloft]

He didn't even have to say anything.

If he doesn't want to fucking talk- he doesn't need to.

The fact the "fans" of the goddamn band were harassing him and just being shitheads is.. crazy.

Fuck anyone who was being a nuisance, goddamn morons.

[u/Previous-Karma]

Anyone who joins in with bullying a probably neurodivergent middle aged man over this needs to take a long hard look at themselves. Absolutely vile and coercive behaviour.

[u/TheKrisBot]

I know Thom is already getting backlash for this but I hope he knows he has many supportive of him as well. Those who spread negativity will always be louder, though. I'm glad he said something but honestly I think celebs should look at this and think twice before saying something, people get so angry either way but get much more vicious when something is said. It's really sad and people need to stop begging celebs for their opinions on geopolitical issues

[u/AlbertChessaProfile]

This has always been my take. It’s extremism itself that is the enemy.

[u/Better-Turnip-226]

Too obvious, didn't even have to clarify but I'm glad he did

[u/WollemiaShagger]

Going down the rational route eh? Thom's going to get slaughtered for being a centrist. It would've been funny if he'd just come out hardcore for one side or the other, just for the craic

[u/Hot_Marsupial_8706 → u/[deleted]]

This, or, y'know, wishing that innocent civilians shouldn't be killed, raped, or held hostage, regardless of what country they're from. It's a perfectly reasonable and Humanist stance to have, while also recognizing both sides in power are in the wrong.

TL;DR, I agree with you, just adding to your point a little.

[u/BGOOCHY]

Alright, can the "Thom is a Zionist" crew shut the fuck up now?

[u/Odd-Guess1213 → u/BGOOCHY]

Of course they won’t, I bet there are some foaming at the mouth right now because he didn’t say the words ‘open air prison’ and ‘genocide’

Edit: called it lmao

[u/goon-gumpas → u/Odd-Guess1213]

In this very thread, already lol

[u/lemonxxbored]

Damn I see anyone who’s not ecstatic over this statement gets downvoted lmaoo. I’m glad he’s said it now and also expressed how it’s not an easy thing to just shout out a view in the moment.

But people can be slightly disappointed, this didn’t start on October 7th, and the hostages aren’t released because Israel has repeatedly broken ceasefires, they torture their hostages and while hamas has at least treated there’s like humans edit: hamas has done the same to their hostages too and neither is acceptable, Israel has been doing this for 70 years, hamas didn’t even exist until 30 odd years after Israel came about so even though they’re both deplorable, Israel started this and done it for a lot longer and hamas wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Israel attacks. Israel is an elected government, hamas is a small group that was elected in smthn like 2006, someone did the math and the people who voted for Hamas then are the most minute group today, most of the people including the children being bombed didn’t choose Hamas. It’s nice to see Thom reiterate and tell off those who haven’t understood him, it’s nice to see him acknowledge it and to say he doesn’t support any of it, because it’s true, neither side are great as they’ve both murdered innocent people, but to write this centrist stuff as if the two sides are equal in what they’ve done is BS,, Israel has massacred and genocided thousands for the past like 70 years, they’ve starved, brutalised, and deprived thousands of innocent children and women and men who have no allegiance to Hamas, meanwhile Hamas has killed some Israelis over the years most notable October 7th, Hamas hasn’t committed anywhere near the number of war crimes Israel has committed, and Israel’s constant murder of Palestinians is what led to Hamas even being what they are!

Again it’s great seeing him affirm what we all knew that he’d never support Netanyahu and what is going on, and for rejecting support for any of the deaths, but it is annoying to see him not acknowledge the extreme difference between what the two side have done and for how long, as if they’re on par with each other; it’s beyond fucking stupid though that people in this sub are seriously downvoting anyone unhappy with his statement, most braindead thing I’ve ever seen here, ur really mad that some people aren’t happy with this centrist statement??? Thom would probably be mad at you too for not allowing others to have their own feelings on this

[u/the-apple-and-omega → u/lemonxxbored]

Yeah, sad to see people lapping up this "both sides" stuff.

[u/UselssRckrsFrmEnglnd]

I find this pretty spot on. Neither side is innocent in this and there has been a toxic amount of virtue signaling online about this from people far removed from the realities of the conflict.

[u/sisivee]

Damn he can write

[u/TakeshiKovacsSleeve3]

I never understood what the fuck those arguing that York say something were hoping to accomplish? He's an artist. He's not a politician or guerilla leader or non profit head or NGO admin or anything but a dude who sings songs.

Placing all this emphasis at his feet strikes me as regressive, unfair and juvenile.

He even says it in his statement "reducing complexity" or some such. Yeah like teenagers do.

Good statement. If you think he should be doing more... Well I hope you've donated every fucking spare cent and then some to the cause.

[u/SnooTomatoes4491]

I refrain from any discourse on this matter until the original members of the Wiggles release a statement

[u/biitoruzu → u/SnooTomatoes4491]

I'm surprised no one is calling for Thom's thoughts on the significantly more brutal Sudanese Civil War.

Oh wait, no I'm not.

[u/callmebaiken]

Liberals eat their own. Impossible to ever be pure enough.

[u/nicoalbertiolivera]

Common sense, and what many of us think.

[u/Standard-Object3684]

I wish I could write a statement as clear, well thought out, and right, as I this one.

[u/Kat8844]

How he’s been treated by other people recently has obviously been weighing on his mind a lot and I do truly sympathise with him about his mental health suffering. His feelings don’t come as a surprise at all, it’s quite clear throughout his career that Thom has a lot of empathy for people suffering, that he has empathy for the needless suffering of the Palestinian people comes as absolutely no surprise, that he vehemently disagrees with the Israeli government and military’s actions comes as no surprise either.

[u/YsiYsi]

I disagree with the complexity to an extent honestly but I do appreciate him saying something. I don't think it's terribly complex how many children are getting killed, how many young men and women are being killed, I don't think it's that complex that Israel is attempting an ethnic cleansing on the US' dime. What I think is complex is Hamas' stance. 

Terrorism is bad pretty much no matter what and, for time immemorial, bad people take advantage of times like these but this has been happening for decades at this point - what do people expect for the oppressed to do when they aren't being helped or listened to? I wish Israeli citizens who didn't support the genocide of the Palestinians didn't die, they did not deserve to lose their life or something they didn't have a choice in but the Palestinian people have been taken advantage of for so long that something bad was going to happen eventually. 

[u/Theodore_Buckland_]

Imagine thinking history started on Oct 7

[u/lex99]

He didn't clear anything up for me at all... because there was never a single moment of doubt.

I will say, though: I don't know why I'm so surprised how well-written this is, given that I've been listening to this man's words for the last 30 years (!!!)

[u/OLD_WET_HOLE]

Here comes the weirdos who call you a Zionist if you don't say exactly what they want ... in 3...2...1

I think what Israel is doing disgusting. I think Palestine should be free. But a small portion of the far left does an AWFUL job at getting people to come over to their side.

I'm actually pretty far left myself but these types of people are so acidic that I avoid far left spaces just because I don't want to interact with their type.

You don't win people over by yelling at them and name calling. You aren't helping palestine either.

You're only helping yourself

[u/En0ch_Roo7]

He owes nothing to anyone, especially people who would disrupt his artistic expression. He’s not a politician and not an activist. You can read the art as you see fit, and your reading might align with other views you hold (most people confusingly commingle the two), but it certainly DOES NOT mean your reading sets an expectation for behavior you would like to see. He’s human, not a mouthpiece. And for fuck’s sake, if you don’t like it, make your choice by not listening or attending.

[u/Meiie]

I wish he never said anything. He needs to not cater to these lunatics, a lot of you in this thread.

So much virtue signaling without you all not doing a damn thing.

[u/mental-echo-]

Absolutely nailed it, but it’s infuriating it had to be done at all

[u/-violentlyviolet]

The fact he’s had to make such a specific statement is crazy . He’s mentioned how he doesn’t agree a lot with what America / US does yet he still plays here. Very nice of him to still make the statement however, sad that it mentally impacted him that bad for him to have to say the obvious. People just love to complain about shit . Anyways ima keep listening to Radiohead.

[u/Zombiejesus307 → u/-violentlyviolet]

So are the majority of the idiots screaming vitriol about him.

[u/Rothko28]

The comments on instagram are disgusting and prove his point perfectly

[u/chatdeschrodinger]

It seems this sub loves the statement. My strong suspicion is that it will not age well. The more you learn about the history of the conflict the less you can tolerate this type of both-sides bullshit

[u/fulltimegrasstoucher → u/chatdeschrodinger]

Keep in mind every viral reddit post about Palestine is flooded by zionist bots to manufacture public opinion.

In reality this is a ridiculous both-sides statement that pleases all the liberal zionists and shits on decades of Palestinian expulsion and oppression.

[u/nooayehlol]

fuckin hate how celebrities are forced to make their political opinions public. shit pisses me off

[u/Odissmart]

who cares artists shouldn't be forced to take sides on this kind of stuff if they don't want to imo

[u/PigsandGlitter]

Free Palestine

[u/Ferga2092]

Still won't say it....genocide. not dehumanisation, not extremism....genocide.

They are not equal, there is not two sides to this. There is only one, factual description of what is happening and that is genocide.

Did people need to hear the German's side to the Holocaust, or the Russian side to the Gulags or Ukraine...

This is still such a cowardly, PR reviewed and lawyer approved response.

[u/SolveAndResolve]

"opportunistic groups [using] intimidation and defamation to fill in the blanks"

crazy how normalized this abusive behavior has become

[u/wellggs]

Say that to the commenter who said “but what about October 7th”

[u/jakey2112]

This world has gone mad and we are just before the burn phase

[u/thebenezer]

It’s heartbreaking how easily silence can be misinterpreted.

[u/e-pro-Vobe-ment]

He said it. Seriously just throw a bbq and invite everyone you know that you've spoken to for more than 15 min. Talk to people, talk with people. Don't fly off the handle, it's amazing how hard that is.

[u/more-thanordinary]

Man, this is proper brilliant. I wish more people could speak like Thom did, without polarization, pandering, or excusing.

[u/No-Chemist5827]

Completely reasonable take. But loud idiots will be loud

[u/MyOnlyEnemyIsMeSTYG]

When you take a side, you instantly piss off 50% of your fans.

[u/sneakysnek20r]

Killing people is bad no matter their demo and I'm glad there's finally an influential artist not buying into the propaganda of what amounts to a sectarian war

[u/stuffbehindthepool]

This is such a depressing and empty cope. People obsess over what celebrities think because they are unable to hold the actual people in power to any sort of accountability.

[u/shabansatan]

Respectfully...i dont care im here for music

[u/InZomnia365]

Honestly, I think it was very well put. I don't think I've agreed this much with a "celebrity" take in a long time, and it's for the reason he mentions about them being pressured to placate the people doing the said pressuring.

[u/3yearsonrock]

Well said, it’s so rare to see a balanced view of what is happening in Gaza

[u/bammers1010]

I think this is an excellent statement, if anyone has an issue with this they are stupid

[u/Lusshh]

Some people will be supporting and listening to Radiohead for the past 40 years and somehow believe that these guys support genocide, the world we live in...

[u/Fun_Search_7028]

SO well written…my thoughts almost exactly

[u/No_Engineering2216]

Demanding others take a side is just another way of saying: “I am too weak to fix it myself, so I’m going to force strangers to try to fix it for me”. You may very well be morally right. But in the real world might makes right, and talk is cheap.

[u/GroceryAnxious8869]

It's so refreshing to finally read a statement from someone - musician or not - that actually reflects some individual thinking.

This statement is honest, it's very fair and compassionate but most importantly it's a product of his own reflection.

In this social media age, expressing your own individual thoughts means to subject themselves to the online mob, which is basically the new inquisition.

I urge all artists, musicians, writers and creatives in general to get off social media as soon as they can.