SWC Calls Out Joe Rogan for Giving a Voice to Anti-Semite, Israel Hater Roger Waters

October 14, 2022

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is condemning popular podcaster Joe Rogan for his decision to grant a platform to Pink Floyd front man and anti-Israel zealot Roger Waters on a recent episode. Throughout the interview, Rogan agreed with Waters that Israel’s existence is an exercise in segregation and racism and allowed him to claim that none of this was anti-Semitic. 

One of Waters unchallenged, lurid allegations was that the Jewish State is attempting to manufacture a new ‘intifada’ with the ultimate goal of ‘killing as many Palestinians as possible.’ 

"The Israelis seem now to have a policy of ... murdering so many of them that they are absolutely trying to create another intifada,” said Roger Waters. “So, they can make it an armed conflict...so they can just kill them all," he said, adding that Israel is provoking the Palestinians into an armed conflict in order to manufacture an excuse to destroy them.”

“To provide this celebrity anti-Semite a platform, at a time of raging anti-Semitism in America was irresponsible, to fail to challenge Waters on his lurid hate fantasies is incomprehensible. What are Joe Rogan’s millions of fans to react to this unanswered diatribe? We are therefore asking for equal time with Joe Rogan to debunk the lies and detail the hate targeting our community online, on campuses and our Houses of Worship,” stated Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action at SWC and the Vice Chair of the Unites States Commission of International Religious Freedom. 

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Shawn Rodgers at srodgers@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Media may also contact James Lambert, Vice President of Rubenstein Public Relations, at jlambert@rubensteinpr.com.  

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is a Jewish global human rights organization researching the Holocaust and hate in a historic and contemporary context. The Center confronts anti-Semitism, hate and terrorism, promotes human rights and dignity, stands with Israel, defends the safety of Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations. With a constituency of over 400,000 households in the United States, it is accredited as an NGO at international organizations including the United Nations, UNESCO, OSCE, Organization of American States (OAS), the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO) and the Council of Europe.