Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder has Israelis upset after comments his made during his show Friday night (July 11) in England. Vedder had interrupted his song "Daughter" to give a passionate anti-war speech, which angered fans who interpreted his comments as aimed at Israel. They believe Vedder was accusing Israel of war-mongering in light of the heightened military tensions between Israel and Palestine.
Footage from the show captured Vedder drinking from a wine bottle and launching into a tirade, which begins at the 4:10 mark.
"What the f**k? What the f**k? We can have this many people having a peaceful time. We can have modern technology. We can reach our friends. We know what they're thinking before they're thinking it. The advertisers know what we're thinking before we're thinking it. We have technology - all this in our hands. At the same time that something this positive is happening, at the same f**king time, not even that far away, they're f**king dropping bombs on each other. What the f**king f**k?"
"And I get it if war is the last resort. I get it. I get it. You don't want to be in that situation. But I swear to f**king God, there are people out there who are looking for a reason to kill! They're looking for a reason to go across borders and take over land that doesn't belong to them. They should get the f**k out, and mind their own f**king business... Everyone wants the same goddamn thing: to have our children, eat, procreate, draw a painting, make some art, listen to music, f**k some more, have another baby, eat, work, eat, work, love, love, love, everyone's the f**kin' same! So why are people at war? Stop the f**king shit, now! Now! Now! We don't want to give them our money. We don't want to give them our taxes to drop bombs on children! Now! No more! Now!"
He ends his diatribe by singing Edwin Starr's "War" alongside a chanting crowd, before dropping to his knees and begging for peace.
The Jerusalem Post (via SPIN) criticized the speech as an "anti-Israel diatribe," pointing out that despite Vedder never mentioning Israel by name he denounced countries that "go across borders and take over land that doesn't belong to them."
Vedder's comments angered Israeli Pearl Jam fans who had previously launched a social media campaign aimed at bringing the band to their country to perform.
Ben Red, a rock disc jockey for Israel Radio's music station 88FM and one of the original campaign organizers, denounced Vedder on Facebook.
"Eddie Vedder, your true face is finally being revealed," Red wrote. "You are invited not to come here. I personally do not want to see you, and I will erase the Facebook page calling on bringing [Pearl Jam] to Israel, but not before I expose who you really are."
Vedder's Facebook page has also been inundated with angry comments.
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