Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie: “I think the whole thing is set up to normalise the State of Israel and its disgraceful treatment of the Palestinian people.
For some reason, which BBC2 Executives will no doubt rue, BBC Newsnight decided to interview Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie tonight and to ask him about Madonna’s decision to perform during the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv this weekend.
Speaking to Newsnight ahead of the release of a new greatest hits album, the rock band’s lead singer called Madonna a “total prostitute” adding, “I’ve nothing against prostitutes…. Primal Scream would never perform in Israel”.
“It’s set up to normalise the State of Israel and its disgraceful treatment of the Palestinian people. By going to perform in Israel I think what you do is you normalise that,”
Earlier this week, Madonna said: “I’ll never stop playing music to suit someone’s political agenda nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights wherever in the world they may be.” So if the political agenda is Israel’s violation of human rights then Madonna would prefer to take the money than not play!
Gillespie’s answers are precisely the way to deal with the Zionist trope about the ‘right to exist’ of the Israeli state. When I was asked that question on BBC Big Questions some years ago I responded by saying that no state has the right to exist. A state is not a person and only a fascist equates a state with the people living in it.
Even better was when Bobby Gillespie was told by Kirsty Wark that he would be seen as ‘anti-Semitic’. His response? ‘All my heroes are Jews – Karl Marx, Bob Dylan and the Marx Brothers.’ Which left Kirsty Wark speechless. I haven’t shown the pathetic declaration of Madonna at the beginning of the week talking about this ‘ancient conflict’. The conflict goes back to 1917 and the Balfour Declaration. Which isn’t all that ancient!
Tony Greenstein
Kirsty Wark: ‘Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv. Madonna’s going to play.’
Bobby Gillespie ‘Well Madonna will do anything for money. She is a total prostitute. I’ve nothing against prostitutes. It’s set up to normalise the State of Israel and its disgraceful treatment of the Palestinian people. By going to perform in Israel what you do is normalise that. So Primal Scream would never perform in Israel. I think Madonna is just desperate for publicity and desperate for the money because she’ll be getting… they pay very very well.
Kirsty Wark: This gets into difficult territory because you believe in the State of Israel’s right to exist? Because this is what the big argument is.
Bobby Gillespie: I believe in the rights of the Palestinian people.
Kirsty Wark: And the rights of the Israelis?
Bobby Gillespie: Stolen land
Kirsty Wark: I have to just ask this one question which is, if you don’t believe in the right of the State of Israel to exist you understand why you are then seen as anti-Semitic?
Bobby Gillespie: I’m not anti-Semitic at all. All my heroes are Jews. Karl Marx, Bob Dylan, Marx Brothers
