Boy George says he’s received threats, been harassed over upcoming shows in Israel

British singer Boy George told Channel 12 in an interview that aired Saturday that he has faced threats, professional isolation, and accusations of fascism over his support for Israel.

However, he insisted he will perform in the country as scheduled next month despite the backlash.

“I’ve had threats, and I’ve had people defacing my pictures and concert posters,” George said in the television interview. “For me personally, none of those people [attacking me] look like peace.”

0:00 / 0:00

Promoted: Pinsker 6, Tel Aviv. From Preservation to Reconstruction 

The British musician, who is not Jewish, described long-time peers who abandoned him for his support of Israel.

“Some of these people do not care about anything,” he said. “Their political views are [fashion brand] Dolce & Gabbana. Suddenly, to have a position on something that I know you don’t care about, it makes me so angry.”

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories

By signing up, you agree to the terms

He insisted that his support for Israel does not mean he is indifferent toward Palestinians, emphasizing that it is instead about Jewish people who, like everyone else, want to feel safe.

“I never, ever said I didn’t care about Palestine,” he said. “I just know Jewish people and I know they’re good people, and I know they want to live.”

The pro-Israel singer also spoke to Channel 12 about his pro-Israel song, “We Will Dance Again,” which he has said he was inspired to write after visiting an exhibition in London about the Nova music festival, where hundreds of people were murdered and dozens kidnapped during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack. The name of the song is a phrase adopted by survivors of the massacre at the rave.

“I saw it on TV, and I remember being absolutely physically traumatized by what I was seeing,” Boy George said of the Hamas massacre. “Just so shocked. And to see people with children, and women, saying that it didn’t happen is mind-blowing to me.”

“When I wrote We Will Dance Again, I felt like the world had really broken my heart again,” he said, recalling the difficult experience of turning his emotions over the massacre into music, and calling the resulting song “an emotional statement rather than a political one.”

“It just happened. I was just sitting in my flat on Friday night writing away, writing lyrics, and then I played it back…and I got quite tearful.”

Turning to his upcoming shows in Israel next month, Boy George admitted that he has been having difficulties finding musicians willing to join him.

“We are trying to find a band right now,” he laughed. “We’re working on it.”

“I can do it on my own, I can do it like Ed Sheeran with  an acoustic guitar,” he joked, apparently referring to the recent fallout that Sheeran has experienced, including his band quitting his tour, after Macklemore was dropped over pro-Palestinian remarks he made on stage.

“I won’t need to do that though,” he said. “I’m trying to find people who are brave enough to come.”

To that end, Boy George criticized what he sees as a culture of silence among younger musicians and promoters who fear career repercussions for expressing political opinions.

“They live in that world with young people, and it’s like vampire blood,” he said. “They need that blood to survive, so they can’t say what they think.”

Tickets to Boy George’s November 4 concert at Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena are sold out, and he has added a second show on November 7.

Help us report truthfully on social media

As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.

This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 

If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.

— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist

Support our work Support our work Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this