Boy George is facing backlash after releasing a pro-war song, in which he denies there is a genocide in Gaza and criticises protesting musicians.
Despite earlier this year saying he had no opinion on Israel, the singer, 65, released We Will Dance Again – a mantra that has been used in Israeli communities after the October 7 attacks.
He posted the pop-reggae song on social media along with its Hebrew title עוד נרקוד, seemingly voicing support for the country’s ongoing war against Palestine.
In the opening lyrics, he sings: ‘You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for / Does it get ugly? You bet it does / When I know you wanna kill every last one of us.’
A UN commission of inquiry stated last month that Israel is committing genocide through ‘a deliberate strategy to destroy the future of the Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children’.
An estimated 73,035 people, including over 21,000 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, which resulted in around 1,200 fatalities.
The report cites attacks on neonatal and paediatric hospitals, as well as ‘acute and chronic malnutrition among children in Gaza.’ Israel has denied it is committing genocide.
Kent-born George directly references the October 7 attacks in his lyrics, claiming they are ‘never mentioned’.
He sings that the Hamas attack at the Nova festival, which saw 364 civilians killed, was for ‘the crime of dancing’.
Israel responded to the attack, orchestrated by several Palestinian militant groups, by launching a large-scale military operation in Gaza.
Stars like Stormzy, Damon Albarn, Clairo and more have shown support for Palestine on stage, holding up flags and speaking out against the violence.
In the verse, George sings: ‘You condemn the Jews, with selective memory / Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fuelled by the internet feels so weak.’
The Human League’s Martyn Ware replied to George’s post and wrote: ‘I honestly can’t believe that my old friend Boy George has made an overtly pro-genocide, anti-Palestinian piece of musical propaganda…
‘George, you should be ashamed – I hope you think the money was enough to sell your soul… vile.’
On X, George replied: ‘You’ve lost that loving feeling?’, to which Ware said: ‘Just take the money and go.’
Others agreed with Ware, calling the song ‘depraved’ and ‘repellent’ as well as saying it ‘sounds like AI’.
X user James Mealey pointed out: ‘Once upon a time Boy George insisted ‘War is stupid’ but in has dotage shifted to ‘genocide is not so bad’. A musical and moral decline of some magnitude.’
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He was referring to Culture Club’s 1984 number two single, The War Song, in which George rallies against violence and war of all kinds.
What has Boy George said about Israel?
George, who is not Jewish, has been an increasingly vocal supporter of the Jewish community but has previously denied being ‘connected’ to Israel.
The Culture Club singer was questioned about the calls for Eurovision to ban the country when he joined San Marino’s Senhit for the competition this year.
George responded: ‘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.’
The Eurovision final, which his track didn’t make it to, lost around 35million viewers from 2025, with the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain all boycotting.
At the time, he also added: ‘I have many Jewish friends, whom I’ve known since I was 15 or 16 years old. Are people asking me, as someone with principles, to turn my back on my Jewish friends? That is not going to happen – it will never happen.
‘From the beginning of my career, I wore the Star of David … I feel very connected to the Jewish people.’
The singer often mentions his Jewish friends, including his long-time manager and close friend PK Kemsley, when discussing his support.
Kemsley previously voiced that he ‘stands with Israel’ after the October 7 attacks, alongside his ex-wife, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Dorit, whose father was born and raised there.
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On his story, Kemsley posted that he was ‘proud to stand with my friend’ and shared the new Boy George single, adding an Israel flag emoji.
‘Proud to be Jewish,’ he continued. ‘Proud to support anyone who chooses love over hate and has the courage to speak from the heart’.
George also shared his support for the Jewish community after the attacks in Golders Green earlier this year, saying he was left ‘in tears’ over the incident.
‘My heart goes out to the two Jewish victims and to their loved ones. We need to make our Jewish community know we support them…’
Metro has reached out to George’s team for comment.