Roger Waters resigns from BMG after Israeli comments

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Music rights company BMG is preparing to completely part ways with Roger Waters following controversial comments he made regarding Israel, Ukraine and the United States. diverse Reports.

According to the post, the Pink Floyd co-founder and the Germany-based label signed a publishing agreement in 2016 and had plans to release a re-recorded version of the band's 1973 album. The dark side of the moon last year. However, the deal was canceled after Thomas Quesfeld was appointed CEO on 1 July 2023, and the record was released by UK-based Cooking Vinyl instead.

A BMG representative declined to comment on it Rolling Stone.

The musician has also used his platform as a sounding board for political stances. In August 2022, he called President Joe Biden a “war criminal” during a CNN broadcast and claimed he was directly “fueling the war in Ukraine.” The following month, Waters published an open letter to Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska that targeted the country's Western arms source.

Speaking before the UN Security Council in February last year, the artist condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “illegal”, but also claimed that it was “not unprovoked”. “I therefore also condemn the instigators in the strongest possible terms,” he added. There, that's out of the way.”

Waters has referenced alleged plots against him in the past, including in a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone. Waters said he believes his name is on a “Ukrainian government-backed kill list,” and in the same conversation, the singer shifted blame from the ongoing war from Russia to NATO, suggesting the organization has essentially left Putin without any help. Another option is to invade Ukraine.

The artist has been a long-time supporter of Palestine and a critic of Israel, and over the years, his support for issues such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has led to allegations that he is anti-Semitic. Waters has always denied the accusations.

In an interview with Glenn Greenwald Last November, Waters said he was “fired” by BMG and parted ways as a result of pressure from the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish nonprofit. A source told BMG diverse The company disagrees with Waters' version of events.