Jun 19, 2022; Washington, DC, US: Dave Matthews Band performs at the Moon Stage during the Something in the Water music festival on June 19, 2022. Photo: Jarrad Henderson-USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Dave Matthews discussed his pro-Palestinian views but also expressed “deep respect” and admiration for Jews while addressing the audience at his concert on Friday.

The lead vocalist of the Dave Matthews Band performed at the Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, North Carolina, and read out a prepared speech referencing remarks he made in 2024.

At the time, Matthews protested outside of Capitol Hill against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US to address a joint session of Congress. During the demonstration, he spoke to Al Jazeera and said of Netanyahu, “This man is the pinnacle of the obstacle toward that freedom, and that we have him visiting the [US] is obscene; it’s disgusting to show support for someone that doesn’t deserve our support.”

In his prepared speech on Friday, Matthews clarified that while he disagrees with the policies of Israel and the US toward Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, “that should by no means be twisted into anyone thinking that I am bigoted or antisemitic in any way at all.”

“On the contrary, I have a deep respect and love — for all my life that I can remember — and admiration for the culture and history of the Jewish people,” he added, before noting that some of his “closest and dearest” friends are Jewish.

The musician said he does not think “any other group of people have contributed more to the advancement and evolution of our understanding of each other and of the world around us and the universe,” and named several people as examples, including Albert Einstein, George Gershwin, Hannah Arendt, Howard Zinn, and Anne Frank.

“I hold the Jewish people in the highest regard, and it breaks my heart that my opinions borne out of deep commitment to nonviolent resolution and resistance can be twisted into serve any hateful, racist, or bigoted ideas,” he said. “It breaks my heart, and I am so sorry for any misunderstanding or pain I might’ve caused, but my intention is to help bring an end to the seemingly endless violence in the world.”

Matthews also mentioned the Hamas-led deadly massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, saying he initially wasn’t sure if he should talk about the terrorist attack. He revealed that he was attending the bar mitzvah of a close friend’s son on the day of the attack.

“It was a beautiful day of witnessing and respect and love for this young man,” he said. “And it was interrupted by the horror and the violence on the other side of the world. An ongoing horror. But the violence borne out of that day against the Palestinian people is no less horrific and multiplies the death and the suffering over and over and over. 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 horrific violence against immigrants and their neighbors in our country,” he added. “I am opposed to violence from any government to any people and against children most of all. Because all children are our children. Every one. But my deepest fear is that we are becoming numb to it. Let’s not do that. Let’s work as long as we can to make a better world for our children.”