Lydon Slams Critics Over Israel Show

20 July 2010
John Lydon, Public Image Ltd

Picture: Singer John Lydon of PiL, Public Image Ltd performs live on stage at the Shepherds Bush Empire London, England - 19.07.10

Lydon Slams Critics Over Israel Show

Punk legend John Lydon has furiously defended his decision to play a gig in Israel - insisting he will not be bullied into axing the show.

The rocker - known in his Sex Pistols heyday as Johnny Rotten - is taking his reformed band, Public Image Ltd. (PiL), to Tel Aviv to headline the Heineken Music Conference 2010 Festival in August (10).

The planned show has been met with criticism and hate mail from some fans who insist he should follow Elvis Costello's lead and boycott the country in protest over its policy towards Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Campaigners in Lydon's native Britain are even planning demonstrations outside a PiL concert in Leeds, England on Friday (23Jul10), but the punk star is adamant he won't cancel the Israel show - and he is livid at the controversy his decision has caused.

He tells British newspaper The Independent, "I really resent the presumption that I'm going there to play to right-wing Nazi jews. If Elvis-f**king-Costello wants to pull out of a gig in Israel because he's suddenly got this compassion for Palestinians, then good on him.

"But I have absolutely one rule, right? Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won't understand how anyone can have a problem with how they're treated."


Contactmusic
Comment on this article

Tags: John Lydon - Pi

More From Contactmusic.com

More From The Web

Editors Recommendations

A Seat Beside Leonardo DiCaprio On Space Journey Sells For Millions

A trip to space with Leonardo DiCaprio has been auctioned off for...

A Seat Beside Leonardo DiCaprio On Space Journey Sells For Millions

Abbie Cornish Laughs Off Death Rumours

The Sucker Punch star became a hot topic on social networking websites this week...

Abbie Cornish - Abbie Cornish Laughs Off Death Rumours

Epic Movie Review

The story begins as teen Mary Katherine, better known as MK (voiced by Seyfried), returns home to live...

Epic Movie Review

Will The Real Psy Please Stand Up? Fraud Exposed At Cannes! [Pictures]

It looks like Psy has a mimic, with the South Korean rapper denying his alleged appearance...

Will The Real Psy Please Stand Up? Fraud Exposed At Cannes! [Pictures]

Katy Perry spends $11.2m on two Hollywood homes

The 'California Gurls' hitmaker has treated herself after recently putting hers and ex-husband Russell Brand's...

Katy Perry - Katy Perry spends $11.2m on two Hollywood homes

Without Assange's Blessing, 'WikiLeaks: We Steal Secrets' Rolls Out In Theaters

Acclaimed documentarian Alex Gibney has returned with no-holds-bared look...

Without Assange's Blessing, 'WikiLeaks: We Steal Secrets' Rolls Out In Theaters

The Hangover Part III

For the final instalment of the trilogy, filmmaker Todd Phillips takes a sharp left turn, abandoning the formula...

The Hangover Part III Movie Review

Vampire Weekend's Billboard No.1 Is A Triumph For Independent Music

Indie rockers Vampire Weekend have topped the Billboard 200 chart with their latest record 'Modern Vampires of the City,'...

Vampire Weekend's Billboard No.1 Is A Triumph For Independent Music

Sweet Jesus! Jennifer Aniston Strips Down In 'We're The Millers' [Trailer]

Remember when the trailer for Horrible Bosses rolled out online? Yeah, the internet buckled under the weight...

Sweet Jesus! Jennifer Aniston Strips Down In 'We're The Millers' [Trailer]


More recommendations

Comments View All Comments (7)

23rd February 2012 14:00

ziv     (116)

good for lydon, being able to see through the hipocracy and hate towards israel, unlike many others such as pixies (which i still listen to and love dearly) and roger waters (who's music i've been listening to since 15 yo).may the hate and facist views of the boycoting movements stop and also maybe one day we will all live to see one democratic muslim country

10th January 2012 19:00

joamiq     (1)

There are plenty of Muslim countries with democracies. I come from one (Bangladesh). There are others (Turkey, Indonesia). And of course the Arab Spring will result in more. Those who keep their eyes shut never see anything. Way to prove your willful blindness, Johnny Rotten.

15th May 2011 06:00

therealTim     (1)

I used to think it was not possible to detest Johnny Rotten any more than I already did. I was wrong.

15th March 2011 02:00

Wendy Miller     (1)

Right on, Johnny! Tell it like it is. Israel loves you!!!!!!!

7th March 2011 21:00

Hollywood Celeb...     (33)

The Common denominator for Christianity is we are forgiven for being born, by faith through God’s grace. The Christian Authority the Pope and others have as Christians is to say you are forgiven for being born (you are forgiven your sins), instead of praying people to be forgiven for their actions and motions; especially when the main actions and motions they are talking about is the actions and motions before we were born. The Christian Doctrine gives the Pope and other Christians the right to preach for people to forgive their enemies not to say they are forgiven for doing bad things to you when you were little. When you pray people to be forgiven for being you help the innocent people live comfortable for being innocent and you help the people that are wrong first admit to themselves they are wrong first, so they do not repeat their wrongs. Judaism: Honor thy father and mother for being born with or without your father and mother being closely related and with or without your father and mother being straight. Christianity: The Christian Authority is to say you are forgiven for being born (you are forgiven your sins); instead of praying people to be forgiven for their actions and motions; especially when the main sins they are talking about is the actions and motions before we were born. Islam: The Islam Religion embracing grace and mercy for all that Honor thy father and mother for being born and for praying people to be forgiven for being born. When it comes to our troops, I hope our United States troops and our United States allied troops are strong legal and logical, including the Israeli troops. Our United States troops and our United States allied troops are forgiven for being born and are forgiven for being and I hope that makes them strong legal and logical.

John Lydon Newsletter

Subscribe to this news alert service to receive news and reviews on John Lydon

Unsubscribe | Unsubscribe All