Jonny Greenwood recently joined Israeli musician Dudu Tassa for a surprise concert in Tel Avi, a day after he reportedly participated in protests calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza and new elections in Israel.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Greenwood and Tassa took the stage at Barby on Sunday, May 26th, where they performed material from their 2023 collaborative album, Jarak Qaribak.
There were repeated calls for peace throughout the concert, with Tassa reportedly remarking, “There are musicians here, not politicians. Music has always worked wonders, may we know better days and may everyone return safely.”
Jarak Qaribak marked the second collaborative album between Greenwood and Tassa, and featured vocalists from a variety of Middle East countries, including Palestine, Beirut, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia.
Greenwood is married to Israeli artist Sharona Katan. Their family recently lost a nephew serving in the Israel Defense Forces during Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas.
Greenwood’s band Radiohead has also performed in Israel several times over the years. In 2017, Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd, publicly called on Radiohead to cancel a concert scheduled in Tel Aviv over Israel’s treatment of Palestine. Radiohead ultimately went through with the concert as scheduled.
