U2 frontman Bono has called for Hamas to “release the hostages” and for Israel to be freed from Benjamin Netanyahu as his band was handed a top music industry award.
Bono, 65, whose real name is Paul Hewson, appeared on stage with the rest of top-selling group at the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards ceremony on Thursday night.
In a rebuke to Israel’s far-right coaltion government, he slammed “far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts. ”
When he spoke, Bono immediately referenced the conflict in the Middle East saying: “Peace creates possibilities in the most intractable situations. he said. Lord knows there’s a few of them out there right now.
“Hamas, release the hostages. Stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts.” He added: “All of you protect our aid workers, they are the best of us.
“God, you must be so tired of us children of Abraham in the rubble of our certainties, children in the rubble of our renege. God forgive us.”
The band then went on to play three acoustic version of classic songs, including their hit Sunday Bloody Sunday, originally written in relation to the troubles in Northern Ireland, but clearly relevant to conflicts elsewhere today.
Bono
One member of the audience at the ceremony, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, told Jewish News: “You could tell Bono is deeply troubled by the continued conflict in the Middle East. As he spoke he made very clear that he had no time for either Hamas or the Israeli prime minister.”
U2 became the first Irish songwriters to be named Ivors Academy Fellows, at the ceremony which was also attended Bruce Springsteen and Ed Sheeran.
After the 7 October massacre, U2 had famously changed the words of their song Pride to pay tribute to the hundreds of “beautiful kids” killed at the Nova music festival by Hamas in southern Israel.
Controversial anti-Israel Irish rap trio Kneecap were nominated for an award on Thursday night but were booed by some in the audience when their name was read out, and failed to land any prize.
The Ivors celebrated their 70th anniversary this year, with previous winners including Amy Winehouse, Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
