Dave Matthews has said that his pro Palestinian views have been "twisted".
This comes as the singer formed part of a strong protest against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu appearing at the United States Congress, which he described as "obscene" and a “disgusting show of support for someone that doesn’t deserve our support” back in 2024.
Matthews performed at the Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, where he read out a pre prepared speech, clarifying his views and stating that they should “by no means be twisted into anyone thinking that I am bigoted or anti-Semitic in any way at all”.
He added that while he fundamentally disagrees with Israel and the USA's policies when it comes to their treatment of the civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, he had “a deep respect and love — for all my life that I can remember — and admiration for the culture and history of the Jewish people".
He does not think that any group of people had “contributed more to the advancement and evolution of our understanding of each other”, mentioning several people including George Gershwin, Albert Einstein, Howard Zinn, Hannah Arendt and Anne Frank as examples.
He added: “I hold the Jewish people in the highest regard and it breaks my heart that my opinions borne out of deep commitment to nonviolent resolution and resistance can be twisted into serve any hateful, racist, or bigoted ideas".
