Former Pink Floyd frontman and anti-Israel activist Roger Waters on Tuesday defended the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, saying, “The people fighting on behalf of Palestine liberation have a legal and moral right to fight back against the oppressor.”
In an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the 80-year-old Waters blamed Israel for the deaths of more than 1,200 of its citizens on October 7 and denied that there is any proof that Hamas terrorists raped any of its victims.
“All those piles of cars that were destroyed by Apache missiles from helicopters... Hamas didn't have helicopters,” he said, referring to the site of the Nova festival in which over 350 party-goers were slaughtered.
Regarding the evidence of testimony of rape and sexual abuse by Hamas of its captors, Waters said, “There was no evidence. You can say anything that you want, but there is no evidence.”
He called those who claimed otherwise "filthy, disgusting" liars.
Piers responded: "Actually women were raped.”
Waters questions IDF ability to defend Israel
Waters answered: "No they weren’t. There’s no evidence."
Waters also questioned the prowess of the IDF and its ability to defend Israel.
“What I am saying is there is all this talk about does Israel have a right to defend itself why didn't Israel defend itself that morning?”
“Why did they wait seven hours before they started machine-gunning everyone?” he asked.
Waters has a longstanding record of criticizing Israel, and making antisemitic comments.
Polly Samson, wife of Waters’ former Pink Floyd bandmate Dave Gilmour, and a former Pink Floyd lyricist, once described him as "antisemitic to the rotten core."
The popular Morgan promoted the show’s episode by tweeting "I interviewed Pink Floyd star @rogerwaters yesterday, after calling him ‘the world’s dumbest rock star’ and a ‘complete and utter moron'. "It went as well as could be expected.”
At one point in the heated interview, Waters appeared to be talking to himself, saying “'Roger, Roger calm down. Don't sink to his level, alright I won't. Stop shouting. Stop shouting back. Let him interrupt you as much as he wants.”
Summing up his view of October 7, Waters said, “If someone invades your country, kicks all the people out of their home, steals everything and is stealing all your land and occupies all your land for 75 years you have an absolute right to armed resistance.”
Kibbutz Be’eri condemns Waters
In response to the interview, Kibbutz Be'eri, which was devastatingly attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, condemned Waters, calling his denial appalling and reminding him of the children who were murdered in the kibbutz.
"Kibbutz Be’eri is appalled by Roger Waters's denial that kids and babies had been brutally murdered on the October 7th massacre. The facts are there for all to see if one only wants to acknowledge reality," the statement from the kibbutz said.
"In kibbutz Be’eri alone, ten kids have been murdered - the younger one of which was only ten months old at the time of her death," it added.
Gavin Heller, the British father of 12-year-old twins Liel and Yannai Hetzroni, who were both brutally murdered on October 7, added, “Not only my children but a lot of other children were murdered, burnt, tortured. This is not a fabrication. This is actually something that happened… I strongly condemn what he said in every single way possible. The whole world knows what happened on that dreadful day on October 7. All families, friends of families, all know and can't comprehend what happened on that faithful morning. For Roger Waters to come out with these unsubstantiated lies is completely disgusting and an insult to all the murdered victims.”
In late June, Waters participated in an event at St Pancras Church with the rapper Lowkey. The Board of Deputies of British Jews commented in response in a post on X, formerly Twitter, "The decision of St Pancras Church to move forward with an event on its premises featuring Roger Waters and Lowkey, both with longstanding histories of baiting Jewish community, is a complete betrayal of the Jewish community.
"Particularly at this time, this sends a toxic message that encourages hate speech, racism and division. It contributes nothing to community cohesion or to resolving the conflict in the Middle East," the statement concluded.