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Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has accused pro-Israel lobbying groups of carrying out an international pressure campaign that shut him out of hotels and sought to call off his performances because of his criticism of Israel and its actions against Palestinians in Gaza.
Speaking during an interview with Tucker Carlson released Friday, Waters said he struggled to secure accommodation across several South American countries while touring the region in 2023.
“I couldn’t find a hotel to stay anywhere in Buenos Aires or in Colombia or in Ecuador,” Waters said, adding that his team also ran into difficulties in Montevideo, Uruguay.
According to Waters, his team eventually booked accommodation for one night in Quito, Ecuador, although he claimed the hotel had to keep his presence hidden.
Waters linked the hotel refusals to what he described as highly organized pro-Israel lobbying networks that put pressure on hotels, concert venues and public officials to cut ties with him.
Reports published in 2023 said hotels in Argentina and Uruguay had turned down reservations involving the musician amid allegations of antisemitism.
Waters has repeatedly rejected those accusations, maintaining that his political opposition is directed at the policies of the Israeli state rather than Jewish people.
The musician said the pressure campaign had also followed him into Europe, pointing to efforts to cancel a concert in Frankfurt, Germany, and the cancellation of a performance in Krakow, Poland.
“They wanted to cancel me because I was critical of the apartheid, of the genocide,” Waters said.
He presented the disputes as examples of the professional consequences he believes public figures can face when they speak out against Israel's policies.
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Waters argued that many artists and other prominent figures hold back from criticizing Israel because they fear losing work, having appearances called off or suffering reputational damage.
“They won’t speak because they know that they’ll get the treatment that I get if they open their mouths,” he said.
The musician has long been one of the entertainment industry's most outspoken supporters of Palestinian rights and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, commonly known as BDS. The campaign calls for boycotts, financial divestment and sanctions targeting Israel.
His performances and political statements have repeatedly stirred controversy. Supporters describe him as a leading anti-war voice, while critics accuse him of using antisemitic imagery and rhetoric.
Waters has continued to deny those allegations, arguing that they are brought up to discredit him and suppress criticism of Israel.
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