Opinion: Boy George’s recent support for Israel is likely linked to his declining relevance.
Boy George’s snivelling crawl towards relevancy hit a new low with his recent support for Israel. But the one-hit — or is it a two-hit? — wonder has also gone one step further, releasing a song of support.
In it, he says, “You say genocide, I say war,” parroting the Netanyahu regime’s propaganda — talking points that only add to the suffering of Palestinians caught up in a war they did not want.
It’s a Genocide
The growing consensus amongst scholars accepts that a genocide is being carried out in Gaza, with Zionist settlers plundering the West Bank, too. Evicting residents to make way for people from all over the world, the systematic removal of all and any trace of Palestinians is in full swing. Why does Boy George seek to add to such an insidious agenda?
A Narrow View
In an interview with The Telegraph, he said: “Over the years it’s been a really personal thing. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have compassion for Palestinians, it doesn’t mean that I agree with what’s going on in Israel, but I am always going to defend the people that I love. I have a lot of Jewish friends and there would never be a situation where I’d turn my back on them.”
This statement is a defensive qualification used to deflect criticism of his position. In my view, it amounts to a backhanded disclaimer.
More than 70,000 people have been killed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, with the number suspected to be much higher. According to the UN, more than 20,000 of those killed were children. Gaza also has one of the youngest populations in the world, with a median age before the war being around just 19–20 years of age.
The Has-Been
Like most celebrities who fall from grace, George is part of a growing community of has-beens whose only option is to pander to the far-right. He’s not the first washed-up celebrity to take what he can; there’s a whole list of former front-pagers out there.
Leave a Reply