U2 released a 20-part Instagram post critiquing Israeli policies in Gaza on Sunday afternoon. But, unlike most celebrities who have weighed in on the issue, the bandmates have harsh words for Hamas, call for the release of the hostages, and question the hypocrisy of those who ignore humanitarian crises all around the world and only voice outrage when Israel is involved.
This post will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the Irish band’s support for Israel, and remember that following the October 7 massacre by Hamas, U2 changed the lyrics of their hit, “Pride (In the Name of Love)” to reference the Nova music festival victims and dedicated the song to them. In May, U2’s frontman, Bono, called for Hamas to release the hostages, as well as for Israel to be “released from Netanyahu.” The band played one concert in Israel in 1997.
While many will disagree with the post on Sunday afternoon, it’s undeniable that their critique echoes what many Israelis have been saying in recent weeks.
The post starts with a disclaimer in the comments, in which U2 writes, “Everyone has long been horrified by what is unfolding in Gaza - but the blocking of humanitarian aid and now plans for a military takeover of Gaza City have taken the conflict into uncharted territory. We are not experts in the politics of the region, but we want our audience to know where we each stand.”
U2 sends a message about Gaza, Israel, and the need for peace
Ten sections of the 20-part post are by Bono, who notes that, “The hemorrhaging of human life in Sudan or Ethiopia barely makes the news. Sudan alone is beyond comprehension, with a civil war that has left 150,000 dead and 2 million facing famine.” Pointing out that these crises will be made worse by the dismantling of USAID and other programs that he is familiar with through his ONE Foundation, which fights AIDS and poverty in Africa, he calls the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “evil,” blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies.
But, he also blames Hamas for carrying out the massacre that started the war, writing that they were “willing to play with the lives of two million Palestinians.” He goes on to discuss Hamas’s positioning themselves among civilians, including in hospitals, and revisits the terror group’s charter, which he says is “an evil read,” and writes, “We know Hamas is using starvation as a weapon of war.”
Condemning the Israeli government for, in his view, doing the same, he points out that “the Government of Israel is not the nation of Israel,” saying that Israel’s government “deserves our categorical and unequivocal condemnation,” and references Netanyahu’s far-right allies who have called to refuse to allow in any humanitarian aid and to occupy Gaza.
While few Israelis will support his call for convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouthi to lead the Palestinians, Bono quotes former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy, calling him “probably the most sane and the most qualified person” for this task.
He acknowledges that, “Wiser heads than mine will have a view, but surely the hostages deserve a different approach – and quick.”
He urges Israelis to demand more humanitarian aid, noting that, “The flooding of humanitarian aid will also undercut the black marketing that has been happening to benefit Hamas.”
The Edge addresses three questions to Netanyahu about what he thinks Israel will accomplish through his recent policies – again, echoing a debate currently taking place in many sectors of Israeli society.
Adam Clayton writes, “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by Israel’s aid blockade and bombing looks like revenge on a civilian population who are not responsible for Hamas’ murderous attack on October 7… Preserving civilian life is a choice in this war.”
Larry Mullen Jr.’s part of the post will likely raise the most hackles in Israel, as he writes that while Hamas expected that Israel would respond militarily, it hadn’t expected that “a majority of those killed” were women and children, taking Hamas’s health ministry figures at face value, which do not acknowledge the deaths of any of their fighters.
While he claims that only a “small but increasingly vocal minority” of the Israeli public has opposed the government’s policies in Gaza, he ignores the fact that recent polls consistently show more than 70% of Israelis in favor of a ceasefire/hostage deal and that hundreds of thousands demonstrate for this every Saturday night across the country. He does end by saying, “I undoubtedly support Israel’s right to exist and I also believe Palestinians deserve the same right.”
While few Israelis will embrace all of what U2 writes in this post, these band members are among a very small minority of those speaking out about the Gaza humanitarian situation around the world to acknowledge that the reality on the ground is complicated, to reference the October 7 attack, the hostages, Hamas’s policy of hiding out among civilians, and Hamas’s looting of food aid.
Nearly a thousand comments voiced approval from every side, as well as criticism from all factions.