US weighs in on Roger Waters antisemitism debate, says artist has long history of denigrating Jews

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is weighing in on the controversy over Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters and his recent performances in Germany that have been deemed antisemitic by some. The State Department said Tuesday that Waters has “a long track record of using antisemitic tropes to denigrate Jewish people.” It also said a concert Waters gave late last month in Germany “contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust.” The comments came in a written response to a question about whether the administration agreed with criticism of Rogers from the U.S. special envoy to combat antisemitism, Deborah Lipstadt. Waters appeared on stage in a costume reminiscent of Nazi-era Germany.