Damon Albarn has spoken out on what he has described as the “genocide” in Gaza, saying “we cannot deny the Palestinians their existence”.
The Blur and Gorillaz frontman was asked for his view on the ongoing situation between Israel and Palestine during an interview with Channel 4 News.
“I’ve been, in one way or another, engaged with Palestine for a long time,” he said. “I think it’s about not denying the legitimacy of Palestine, not denying the historical presence of Palestinians and recognising the genocide that is taking place there.”
“It’s impossible to watch. It just feels so horrendously helpless and we cannot deny the Palestinians their existence, which is what’s going on at the moment. It’s just wrong. Palestinians belong there and you can’t just kick them out. It’s not acceptable.”
When pressed by interviewer Krishnan Guru-Murthy on why British artists haven’t spoken out more, Albarn added: “It’s a very difficult thing to…even now, I feel emotional and I don’t want to say the wrong thing, you know. I want to be absolutely clear, because, I mean, ultimately, I come from a family of pacifists and my inclination is towards a more pluralistic approach to things. But on this occasion, I recognise that that in a way is problematic for the Palestinians and I’m with the Palestinians.”
Since Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, multiple UN human-rights experts and UN bodies have stated that Israel’s military actions in Gaza may amount to genocide, and the International Court of Justice has found claims of genocide plausible. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 61,158 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. Israel rejects the genocide accusations and denies committing any war crimes, maintaining that its operations are lawful acts of self-defence.
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Last month, Albarn said he would like to work with musicians in both Palestine and Israel. “Africa Express could go into Palestine,” he said. “It’s not about politics, it’s about culture. And so I would also want to go to Israel and bring people together. If I was asked to go to Russia, I would go. I’d go to Ukraine too.”
He also spoke about Bob Vylan’s controversial Glastonbury 2025 set, in which the duo led the crowd in a chant of “death, death to the IDF”.
“It was one of the most spectacular misfires I’ve seen in my life,” Albarn said of the performance. “Especially when he started to goose-step in tennis gear. I mean I’ve had my moments — not quite as catastrophic as that but you do get carried away. The old testosterone gets you going. But it’s unfortunate. Everyone’s just so hysterical.”
Bob Vylan responded to his comments, referring to him as an “out of touch ‘90s musician”, and urging their fans to keep their focus on the “genocide” that was “being live streamed for all to see”.
Albarn, meanwhile, is set to be part of Brian Eno’s one-off show at Wembley Arena on September 17, which will see a host of artists come together to send “a message of love and solidarity to the people of Palestine”.
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