U2 Singer Bono Compares Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir to Heinrich Himmler

Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, has sharply criticized Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine. The remarks were made in connection with U2's new song, "The Tears of Things," which explores Jewish history and the current situation in the Gaza Strip.

Bono described the song's underlying emotion as "boiling rage" and condemned Hamas's October 7th attack as an "unholy crime." However, he expressed deep shock at the rhetoric coming from some Israeli government officials. Specifically, Bono likened Minister Ben-Gvir's statements regarding Gazan residents to those of SS commander Heinrich Himmler, quoting Ben-Gvir as saying, "There are people there who are not worthy to live. They don't need to live. They are not even people."

Bono argued that such views harm Judaism itself, noting that many who have influenced him are Jewish. He stated that Ben-Gvir's stance "casts a shadow on their religion" and is "simply appalling." He also questioned Prime Minister Netanyahu's motives for keeping Ben-Gvir in his government, suggesting it was to maintain his parliamentary majority.

The U2 frontman urged the Israeli government to change its policies and pursue a just resolution, stating, "They need to fix the situation. They need to fix what happened in the Nakba through some compromise that some of these people don't want to make, and do the right thing. Justice is at the heart of Judaism."

Minister Ben-Gvir responded to Bono's comments, calling them "hypocrisy" and stating, "Bono did not compare Hamas murderers to Himmler, only the one who defends Jews from the next massacre." He added, "If you really care about the residents of Gaza, help them leave for Ireland. They are begging to immigrate from Gaza. They will have a wonderful future in Ireland."