U2 frontman Bono says Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s rhetoric about Palestinians in Gaza resembles the language used by Nazi official Heinrich Himmler. In an interview with Rolling Stone, conducted by journalist Brian Hiatt, Bono criticises Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for keeping the far-right minister in government, saying Ben-Gvir’s statements undermine Judaism’s moral standing.
Bono also calls on Israel to confront the legacy of the Nakba, describing it as the ethnic cleansing of more than 750,000 Palestinians and urging acceptance of compromises to secure justice for Palestinians. The remarks are made in the context of U2’s new material, with Bono discussing the song “The Tears of Things,” which he says explores Jewish history and events leading up to the Gaza war.
The Jerusalem Post frames Bono’s comments as directly tied to Ben-Gvir’s statements about Gazans, which Bono addresses in relation to a separate conversation involving Rom Braslavski. Ben-Gvir responds on social media, telling Bono that if he cares about people in Gaza he should help them leave for Ireland.
