Boy George Releases Reggae Song Denying Israel’s Genocide

Boy George has released a pro-Israel reggae song with lyrics that deny a genocide is happening in Palestine.

The song, entitled “Od Nikrod (We Will Dance Again)”, was posted on the Culture Club frontman’s X account along with the comment “#Shalom”.

The lyrics say: “You say genocide, I say war. When you’re attacked, it’s what the army is for. Does it get ugly? You bet it does. When I know you want to kill every last one of us.”

The phrase We Will Dance Again is a reference to the 7 October Hamas attack on the Supernova Sukkot Gathering festival which led to the death of 378 people.

The song also criticises the pro-Palestine movement saying: “You condemn the Jews, with selective memory. Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep. Propaganda fuelled by the internet feels so weak.”

The song was panned by users of X with one calling it a “depraved piece of repellant Zionist propaganda”. Even the pro-Israel Telegraph newspaper admitted it “might not be his best” but said it “is his bravest”, complimenting its “rootsy and authentic Jamaican reggae feel.”

The song appears to be a stepping up of support for Israel from Boy George. Previously, he said he did not have an opinion on the country. 

In April, when he competed in the Eurovision Song Contest for San Marino, the artist commented on Israel’s controversial inclusion, saying: “From the beginning of my career, I wore the Star of David. Go back and look at photos of Culture Club. 

“I feel very connected to the Jewish people. I’m not necessarily connected to Israel. I don’t really have an opinion on that. But the mission of music is to unite people.” 

He has previously talked of supporting his Jewish friends while discussing whether he supports Israel. In an interview with the Telegraph in June he said: “Over the years it’s been a really personal thing. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have compassion for Palestinians, it doesn’t mean that I agree with what’s going on in Israel, but I am always going to defend the people that I love.

“I have a lot of Jewish friends and there would never be a situation where I’d turn my back on them.” 

Boy George is no stranger to controversy. In 2008 he was convicted for falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.