Dave Matthews pushes back on claims his criticism of Israel is antisemitic

JTA – Dave Matthews, the frontman of the American rock band Dave Matthews Band, has pushed back on allegations that his vocal criticism of Israel in recent years had crossed into antisemitism. 

Reading his remarks from a sheet of paper on stage at the Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, Matthews, whose criticism of Israel has drawn backlash from some Jewish and pro-Israel voices, pushed back on accusations of antisemitism. 

“It’s no secret, at least I don’t try to make it a secret, that I disagree with the policies of Israel and the United States, and their treatment of the civilian population in Gaza and the West Bank,” Matthews said. “But that should by no means be twisted into anybody thinking that I am bigoted or antisemitic in any way at all.” 

Matthews continued, “On the contrary, I have [had] a deep respect and love for all of my life that I can remember, and an admiration for the culture and history of the Jewish people.” 

The frontman of the band continued to list a host of prominent Jewish figures he admired, including Albert Einstein, George Gershwin, Hannah Arendt, and Anne Frank, and described being at a friend’s son’s Barmitzvah on 7 October when Hamas attacked Israel. 

“I hold the Jewish people in the highest regard, and it breaks my heart that my opinions born out of deep commitment to nonviolent resolution and resistance can be twisted to serve any hateful or racist or bigoted ideas,” Matthews said. 

His remarks come after years of outspoken criticism of Israel, including in 2024 when he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Washington, DC, against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. 

“I’m ashamed that my tax dollars are going to the brutalising of an entire people,” Matthews told Al Jazeera at the time. “It’s shameful. And I’m ashamed that our government is welcoming him here.” 

At a New Jersey concert last year, Matthews also donned a keffiyeh, the traditional Palestinian headscarf, and held up signs reading “Stop the Genocide” and “Stop Killing Children”. 

A representative for Matthews didn’t immediately respond to a request for clarification of what prompted his remarks on Friday. 

Matthews is among a growing number of prominent artists who have become outspoken critics of Israel in recent years, including Macklemore, the Irish rap group Kneecap, and the British punk band Bob Vylan. 

Matthews’ statement on Friday was not the first time the artist has defended his rhetoric. In a December 2023 letter to his Jewish fans obtained by JNS, he also assured fans that he “strongly and unequivocally condemns the horrific events of 7 October”. 

“I will never stop calling for an end to the violence in Gaza and the West Bank and Lebanon, and for that matter, the Congo and Sudan and Ukraine, or the violence, or the horrific violence against immigrants and their neighbours in our country,” Matthews concluded in his remarks on Friday.