Overview
- Matthews read a prepared statement at a Raleigh concert on Friday, June 5, saying his criticism of Israeli policy should not be twisted into being bigoted or antisemitic and apologizing for any pain his words caused.
- He explicitly affirmed respect for Jewish people and culture, named Jewish thinkers and artists he admires, and said it “breaks my heart” that his views have been portrayed as hateful.
- Matthews reiterated his call to end violence in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and other conflict zones and said he is especially opposed to violence against children.
- He recalled attending a friend’s son’s bar mitzvah that was interrupted by the October 7 attacks and pointed to his 2024 protest of Benjamin Netanyahu’s U.S. visit as part of a long record of public criticism.
- News outlets placed his remarks in a wider context that includes a U.N. commission finding of genocide last September and Israel’s rejection of that finding, and his statement may shape how artists and public figures balance political advocacy with concerns about being labeled antisemitic.