Former Pink Floyd bassist and well-known BDS supporter Roger Waters is continuing his campaign and is calling on other musicians to join him. Most recently, he publicly requested that legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder refuse to accept the Wolf Prize, because it is granted in Israel.
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Wonder was awarded the prestigious international award in February for "his tremendous contribution to music and society enriching the lives of entire generations of music lovers," according to a statement from President Reuven Rivlin's office.
In a video Waters posted on Twitter on Tuesday, he reminded Wonder that a few years earlier, he had canceled a concert for a group that raised money for the IDF and called on him to stand up against the "apartheid regime" again.
"I know you're not going to accept this Wolf Prize, and neither you should. This is an apartheid regime. This is Israel. You will be whitewashing them beyond all belief if you accept the Wolf Prize," Waters said in the video.
.@steviewonder, with respect, you turned down Haim Saban's IDF fundraiser in 2012. Please turn down Israel's @WolfPrize_ in 2021.
Love
R.https://t.co/VXS3pWP2X9 pic.twitter.com/KTeFk5ePck— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) March 9, 2021
Wonder was scheduled to perform at the Friends of the IDF concert in 2012 that was raising money for the Israeli army but decided to call it off due to petitions from pro-Palestinian groups and recommendations of the United Nations.
In his Twitter post, Waters praised Wonder for his decision back in 2012, for the money would have otherwise been used by the IDF to "go out and murder more innocent Palestinians with impunity."
Waters has a history of similar requests, having previously called on musicians like John Bon Jovi, Lana Del Rey, Robbie Williams, and Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke to not perform in Israel.
In 2019, the year Israel hosted the Eurovision contest, Waters and other European artists signed a letter calling for the song competition to be moved elsewhere, and called on Madonna, who was scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony, to cancel.
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