U2's Bono Compares Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir to Nazi Heinrich Himmler

Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, has sharply criticized Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine. Bono drew a parallel between Ben-Gvir's rhetoric and that of Heinrich Himmler, a high-ranking Nazi official and architect of the Holocaust, stating that Ben-Gvir "casts a shadow over Judaism."

Ben-Gvir responded forcefully on social media platform X, calling Bono a "terror supporter" and accusing him of hypocrisy. "There is no limit to the hypocrisy of the world's supporters of terrorism," Ben-Gvir wrote. "Bono did not compare the Hamas murderers to Himmler, only those who defend the Jews from the next massacre." He added, "We can do without your sympathy for dead Jews; we prefer to stay alive and absorb your criticism."

The interview referenced comments Ben-Gvir made in August on a podcast, where he stated that some residents of Gaza "are not worthy of living" and "are not even human beings." Bono, who stated he "stands with Israel" while also supporting the Palestinian people and the establishment of a Palestinian state, questioned why Ben-Gvir remained in government, especially after such remarks, and noted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reliance on him for his coalition majority.

This is not the first time Bono has criticized Ben-Gvir or the Israeli government. Earlier this year, he publicly addressed Minister Bezalel Smotrich and, in an article, called for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian leader imprisoned in Israel. In that same article, Bono wrote that Ben-Gvir "really wants is to execute the peace process."