Disturbed’s David Draiman has long had issues with Roger Waters, who he has accused of being antisemetic.
Draiman, who is Jewish, has been considerably vocal about his feelings towards Waters of late, who last year courted controversy when he sported an SS-style Nazi uniform during his tour. The rock vocalist has now addressed his feud with the Pink Floyd musician once more, calling him a “monster” and “antisemitic to his rotten core”.
His comments appeared during a new interview with Linda Advocate, in which he didn’t hold back. “He’s a piece of work, that deluded old freak,” he began. Draiman continued: “Antisemitic to his rotten core. Just ask David Gilmour and his wife — they’ll testify to it.”
Draiman then addressed Waters’ political views in more detail, continuing: “He’s a coward. He’s a hypocrite. He is a supporter of dictators and dictatorial regimes all over the world. He’s an apologist for Putin and apologist for anybody that’s on the wrong side of history. He’s a deluded wannabe-socialist as well.”
Despite recognising The Wall as “great art”, he claimed Waters “has shown himself to be a hypocrite” and Draiman’s issue began when the English artist “was flying around a pig in his stadiums with the Star of David on it”. He continued: “The guy is a bully. It’s all about hate-fuelled antisemitic, spite-filled narrative that continues to fuel this narrative of demonisation of our people. He’s a monster.”
Despite never meeting Waters in person, Draiman confidently said that if he did ever cross paths with the musician, he would “gladly serve whatever jail time and pay the bail necessary for whatever I could get done within a very limited period of time.”
Waters has been accused of antisemitism previously, but has always vehemently denied the accusations made against him. Last year, for instance, during a performance in Birmingham, Waters told the crowd he was “pissed off” at “the antisemitism bullshit”. He added: “They’re trying to cancel me like they cancelled Jeremy Corbyn and Julian Assange. I will not be cancelled.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism also released the documentary last year called The Dark Side of Roger Waters, which accuses the musician of antisemitic conduct. In the film, former Pink Floyd producer Bob Ezrin claimed that Waters called the band’s manager, Bryan Morrison, a “fucking Jew,” and saxophonist Norbert Stachel accused the musician of refusing to eat “Jew food” before making fun of his Jewish ancestors.
In response, Waters denied the accusations, stating: “I am not, and have never been, an antisemite – as anyone who really knows me will testify. I know the Jewish people to be a diverse, interesting, and complicated bunch, just like the rest of humanity. Many are allies in the fight for equality and justice, in Israel, Palestine and around the world.”
Earlier this year, Draiman revealed his opinion on Israel’s war on Gaza to the Jewish Chronicle, stating he feels “empathy for the Palestinian people” but that “Hamas celebrates death” and needs “to be eradicated”.
