Roger Waters has responded to Disturbed frontman David Draiman for accusing him of “massive betrayal” to “Jews everywhere”.
READ MORE: 50 geeky facts about Pink Floyd
It comes after Draiman appeared on the latest episode of Billy Corgan’s The Magnificent Others podcast, where they discussed the Israel-Palestine conflict.
At one point, Draiman – who is Jewish and pro-Israel – said that he would “punch” Waters, who is vocally pro-Palestine, if they ever met.
Initially, Corgan suggested that Waters’s losing his father in World War II was “the defining moment” in his life, and that the “trauma” from that would have caused him to be “hypersensitive” to the conflict in Palestine.
Draiman then responded, saying: “I agree…[but] here’s the thing, Billy: I grew up on Pink Floyd. I loved Pink Floyd. It was such a massive betrayal, not just to me, but Jews everywhere when he went in the direction that he did. And it wasn’t just two years ago; he’s been doing this for a long time. Roger has a penchant for dictators — the worst [people] on planet earth, Roger just cosies right up to them. He has no problem whatsoever.”
Corgan then asked him if he’d ever “sit down and talk” to Waters, to which Draiman said: “I’d have to punch him first, but yeah.”
Now, Waters has responded, taking to X yesterday (April 16) to address Corgan directly. “Someone forwarded me this chap’s appearance on your podcast,” he said, in reference to Draiman. “I’d never heard of him. Anyway, it turns out he has heard of me. It seems he has a problem with me standing up for human rights, particularly the human rights of my brothers and sisters in Gaza who are being slaughtered in a genocide by the armed forces of the Nazi racist, pariah state of Israel.
“You, being the lovely fella you are gave this little piece of shit a chance to clarify or even modify his position. He did. He is a psychotic racist Nazi pig,” he continued. “I’m told, Billy, he writes messages on bombs before the IDF drops them on civilians in Gaza. Enough said.”
Waters went on to say he will continue to “demand equal human rights for all human beings, irrespective of their religion or ethnicity or nationality.”
Draiman then wrote back to Waters, saying: “And here I was open to dialogue, even with someone I so deeply disagree with.”
“It’s disappointing, but predictable,” he added. “Be brave Roger. Blessed are the peacemakers, right? I’m always willing to try. We must all continue to try. Even with you.”
And here I was open to dialogue, even with someone I so deeply disagree with.
Honestly @rogerwaters, this is the reaction I unfortunately expected.
It’s disappointing, but predictable.
Be brave Roger.
Blessed are the peacemakers, right?
I’m always willing to try. We…
— David Draiman (@davidmdraiman) April 16, 2026
It’s not the first time Draiman has criticised Waters. In 2024, he described him as “anti-Semitic to his rotten core”. Prior to that, in 2019 Draiman slammed Waters “and his Nazi comrades” for demands to boycott Israel.
Waters has previously denied accusations of anti-Semitism in his support for Palestine. In 2023, CAA published a documentary of the musician The Dark Side Of Roger Waters. Upon watching it, Waters slammed the film as “a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda”.
“It relies on a definition of antisemitism that sees criticising Israel as inherently anti-Semitic and assumes that Zionism is an essential element in Jewish identity,” he added.
Meanwhile, the High Court issued a preliminary ruling that Waters had defamed the investigative journalist involved in the film, John Ware, in February 2025. Waters made the remarks during an Al-Jazeera interview.
The musician has been a longtime supporter of Palestine. In 2024, he urged followers on social media not to vote for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in the US election due to their respective stances on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
More recently, in July, he voiced his support for Palestine Action after the organisation was proscribed as a terrorist group under the Terrorism Act 2000.
He has also hit back at other musicians for their various stances on Israel. He told Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood that “there is no argument to be made”, and went on to say: “It is not a conflict. It is a genocide, Thom and Jonny!”
Meanwhile, Waters also responded to Nick Cave’s criticism in 2024, who called Waters’ support of BDS “embarrassing” and “deeply damaging”. Waters told Cave that “it’s not complicated”, adding: “Pay attention!”
In other news, Waters is currently on the lookout for a new singer to front his son’s Pink Floyd tribute group – after firing him from his touring solo band.
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