Disturbed Singer David Draiman Blasts Roger Waters
The controversial decision by Roger Waters to place a Star of David on an inflatable pig during a recent performance of 'The Wall' has gotten him in hot water with leading Jewish rights organizations. Now, David Draiman of the metal band Disturbed has taken offense to Waters' actions and penned a stinging response.
Draiman, who is Jewish with family in Israel, wrote on the band's Facebook page that Waters crossed the line between political protest and went into anti-Semitic territory. Stating that he is a longtime fan of Waters and Pink Floyd, he urged his fans to speak out against the use of the Star of David and demanded a formal apology and explanation from Waters.
Draiman wrote:
Wether (sic) or not you agree with the policies of the Israeli government (and there are times where I myself, a half Israeli jew, with a large number of relatives still living in Israel, including my brother and grandmother; do not agree with some of their policies), nothing excuses the usage of the Star of David (the symbol of the Jewish people as a whole, not Israel or its government) emblazoned on a flying pig/zeppelin during his performances for 'The Wall". It is uncalled for, abhorrent, and blatantly Anti-Semitic.
If the pig is in fact a symbol of greed and tyranny as described in the song from 'The Wall' called 'In the Flesh,' then affixing the symbol of the Jewish people to it, is an attempt at reinforcing an age old Anti-Semitic stereotype that is unwarranted and beyond offensive. All he is doing through such symbolism is encouraging hatred and teaching his fans that Jews are greedy tyrannical people, which could not be further from the actual truth. If he wanted to make a political statement against the policies of the Israeli government (which I would not be in agreement with either, but would be political and not religious/racial, and therefore understandable), he should have had an image of the Israeli flag on it, the symbol of the government, and not the lone star of David, the symbol of the Jewish people as a whole.
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Once again, this is not an issue of freedom of speech, or expression, as Mr. Waters is well within his rights to say and display anything he chooses, even if it does incite hatred, but it does NOT mean that we as responsible individuals against hatred and Anti-Semitic imagery, have to sit back and just take it. Freedom of speech and expression is a two way street, and sometimes you will reap what you sow.I therefore urge all of my followers, friends, and colleagues, and certainly the Jewish people within the entertainment community to take issue with this Anti-Semitic symbolism, and to demand that the Star of David be stricken from the flying pig, and that a formal apology/explanation be given from Mr. Waters himself.
Draiman has often used his fame to speak out against anti-Semitism. In 2012, he was interviewed by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for his song 'Never Again,' which deals with Holocaust deniers.