Greenwood and Tassa were expected to perform together in Bristol on June 23 and two days later in London. The British musician and Israeli singer released a joint album in 2023 titled “Jarak Qaribak,” which features vocalists and musicians from various countries in the Middle East. Tassa – who is of Iraqi, Jewish, and Yemeni descent – has been collaborating with Greenwood since 2008. Tassa’s band – Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis – was also Radiohead’s opening act for their spring tour in the US in 2017.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) claimed the concerts in Hackney Church in east London and the Lantern Hall at Bristol Beacon were canceled following “peaceful BDS pressure.” The anti-Israel campaign believe the shows “would have whitewashed Israel’s genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and underlying settler-colonial apartheid.” They welcomed the cancellation of the two concerts and urged all venues to boycott future concerts by the duo. PACBI also reiterated calls to have venues boycott any future shows by Greenwood, including with Radiohead, “unless they convincingly distance themselves, at a minimum, from his consistent, shameful complicity in artwashing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”

Radiohead has previously performed in Israel. 

In their statement on Tuesday, Greenwood and Tassa condemned efforts by BDS supporters who pushed for the two concerts next month to be canceled.

“Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing,” they said. “Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves. This cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don’t find that anything positive has been achieved.”

The musicians also pointed out that the performers featured on “Jarak Qaribak” hail from countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. “The silencing campaign has demanded that the venues ‘reaffirm [their] commitment to ethical, inclusive cultural programming.’ Just not this particular mix of cultures, apparently,” they said.

“For some on the right, we’re playing the ‘wrong’ kind of music — too inclusive, too aware of the rich and beautiful diversity of Middle Eastern culture. For some on the left, we’re only playing it to absolve ourselves of our collective sins. We dread the weaponization of this cancellation by reactionary figures as much as we lament its celebration by some progressives” Greenwood and Tassa added.

“We believe art exists above and beyond politics,” they further noted. “That art that seeks to establish the common identity of musicians across borders in the Middle East should be encouraged, not decried; and that artists should be free to express themselves regardless of their citizenship or their religion — and certainly regardless of the decisions made by their governments.”

Greenwood and Tassa additionally cited a statement made by a collective of British artists who recently defended the Irish rap trio Kneecap, after some of their concerts were canceled because of hateful comments made by group members, which include calling for the deaths of members of Parliament in the UK.

“We feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom,” dozens of bands and singers said in defense of Kneecap. “In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people.”

Greenwood and Tassa said in their statement: “We have no judgment to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours.”

“We feel great admiration, love. and respect for all the performers in this band, especially the Arab musicians and singers who have shown amazing bravery and conviction in contributing to our first record, and in touring with us,” they said in conclusion. “Their artistic achievements are toweringly important, and we hope one day you will get to hear us play these songs – love songs mostly … If that happens, it won’t be a victory for any country, religion or political cause. It’ll be a victory for our shared love and respect of the music – and of each other.”

Greenwood and Tassa also faced backlash from BDS supporters, including threats, when they performed together in festivals across Europe in the summer of 2024. The duo’s concert in Israel that same year was also condemned by pro-BDS activists, who seek to isolate Israel internationally as a step toward the Jewish state’s eventual elimination.

Greenwood is married to Israeli visual artist Sharona Katan, whose nephew was killed in 2024 while serving in the Israel Defense Forces during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Last year, she wrote an op-ed for Haaretz defending her husband’s decision to perform in Israel while condemning boycotters who were “demonizing Israelis and Jews.”