Dave Matthews: “I Oppose Israel’s Policies, But I Am Not Antisemitic”

After reports of antisemitic chants at one of his shows, the American musician sought to distance himself from them and devoted an entire speech to clarifying his views: “On October 7, an atrocity took place on the other side of the world, and it continues to this day. I will never stop calling for an end to the violence in Gaza.”

Amit Atias, N12 Published: 10.06.26, 10:10 | Updated: 10.06.26, 14:40

Dave Matthews | Photo: Reuters

A performance by American musician Dave Matthews in North Carolina last weekend went viral in recent days, following a speech in which he clarified his views on Israel. Matthews’ move came after reports of antisemitic chants heard among the audience at a previous concert by the singer.

At his latest show in Raleigh, North Carolina, Matthews distanced himself from those remarks and read a prepared statement in which he sought to make his beliefs clear. “It is no secret, at least I am not trying to hide it, that I do not agree with the policies of Israel and of the United States regarding their treatment of the civilian population in Gaza and the West Bank. But in no way should that be interpreted as meaning I am racist or antisemitic,” Matthews began. “On the contrary,” he continued. “I have deep respect, love and appreciation for the culture and history of the Jewish people for as long as I can remember. I do not think there is a group that has contributed more to the advancement and development of our understanding of one another, of the world around us and of the universe as a whole. If you think of Albert Einstein, of the music of George Gershwin, of the philosopher Hannah Arendt, of Howard Zinn or of course the most famous girl in the world, Anne Frank. And there are so many others. I have to say that many of my closest and dearest friends are Jewish.”

In 2024, Matthews, the lead singer of the touring band Dave Matthews Band, joined a pro-Palestinian protest and demonstrated against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before the U.S. Congress. In an interview at the time, he said, “This is a disgusting show of support for a man who does not deserve our support. I am ashamed that my tax money funds the abuse of an entire people.”

Matthews said at his show last weekend that “I hold the Jewish people in the highest esteem, and it breaks my heart that my views, which stem from a deep commitment to nonviolent solutions and nonviolent resistance, can be twisted to serve ideas of hatred, racism or prejudice. It breaks my heart, and I am very sorry for any misunderstanding or pain I may have caused, but my intention is to help bring an end to the seemingly endless violence.”

“I just wanted to mention something, I’m not sure if I need to, but I’ll do it anyway,” the musician said. “On October 7, two and a half years ago, I attended the bar mitzvah of the son of one of my closest friends. It was a beautiful day of witnessing respect, love and appreciation for that young man. Then everything was interrupted by the atrocity and violence that took place on the other side of the world. An atrocity that continues to this day. But the violence that was born from that day and directed against the Palestinian people is no less horrific, and it only multiplies death and suffering again and again.”

To the sound of applause from the audience, Matthews concluded his remarks at the show by saying, “I will never stop calling for an end to the violence in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, as well as in Congo, Sudan and Ukraine. Or the horrific violence against immigrants and their neighbors in our country. I oppose the violence of any government against any people, especially children. Because all children are our children. But my greatest fear is that we are beginning to get used to it. Let’s not let that happen. Let’s keep working, while we still can, to create a better world for our children.”