The Simon Wiesenthal Center slammed comments made by British rock star Roger Waters who in an interview with CounterPunch magazine lamented the “power” of “the Jewish lobby” and accused Israel of being an ‘’apartheid, racist, murdering regime’’, comparing it to Nazi Germany's genocide of European Jewry during WWII.
In the interview, the co-founder of the Pink Floyd group said : "The situation in Israel/ Palestine, with the occupation, the ethnic cleansing and the systematic racist apartheid Israeli regime is unacceptable. So for an artist to go and play in a country that occupies other people’s land and oppresses them the way Israel does, is plain wrong. They should say no. I would not have played for the Vichy government in occupied France in the Second World War, I would not have played in Berlin either during this time.’’
Waters also dismisses Israeli fears over the threat of a nuclearized Iran as "a huge bucket of crap that they are pouring into the mouth of a gullible public… It’s a diversionary tactic" and confirms his ongoing activism in the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, acknowledging that he wrote singer Cindy Lauper to cancel a Tel Aviv concert.
For Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Waters with this ‘’venomous’’ interview, Waters ‘’confirms his status as one of the most virulent haters of the Jewish state anywhere.’’
"The Wiesenthal Center calls on his peers in the entertainment world to condemn Waters' slanders and to show through their continued appearances to Israel that they share our contempt for this bigot", Rabbi Cooper said.
Last July, Waters caused a stir when it was revealed that an inflatable pig released as a concert prop at his performances featured a Star of David. Later, his active promotion of the anti-Israel boycott movement drew a sharp response from Israeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli whose image was being used in Waters' concert performances.
“Roger Waters, you should remove my picture from videos at your concerts. If you’re going to boycott, then go all the way,” she said.
According to the US State Department and the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism, ''drawing comparisons of Israeli policy to that of the Nazis,'' is considered anti-Semitic.