Boy George releases pro‑Israel song, ignites global backlash
British singer Boy George, frontman of Culture Club, issued a reggae‑style single titled "Od Nirkod (We Will Dance Again)" on 26‑27 July 2026. The track was posted on his X and Instagram accounts with the caption “Shalom” and was not made available on conventional streaming services.
The opening lyric states “You say genocide, I say war”, explicitly denying accusations that Israel’s Gaza campaign constitutes genocide. The song references the 7 October Hamas attack on the Supernova Sukkot Gathering festival, which killed 378 people and prompted Israel’s military response in Gaza. Boy George has previously voiced support for Jewish communities and performed at Eurovision 2026 for San Marino.
Human‑rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as an independent United Nations commission, have concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, especially targeting children. Despite these findings, the song’s lyrics sparked intense online criticism, with commentators accusing the artist of Holocaust denial, extremist propaganda, and ethnic cleansing, and labeling the release “nauseating” and “repellent”.
Entities: Amnesty International · Boy George · Hamas · Human Rights Watch · Israel · Supernova Sukkot Gathering · United Nations · United Nations independent commission
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The song references the October 7 Hamas attack on the Supernova Sukkot Gathering festival that killed 378 people. (All articles)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Boy George previously expressed solidarity with Jewish communities and performed at Eurovision 2026 for San Marino. (Articles 1cb8acde, e166fb1a and German pieces)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Israel denies the genocide allegations and says its Gaza campaign is self‑defence. (Articles 1cb8acde and others)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Boy George released a reggae song titled “We Will Dance Again” on July 27, 2026. (Boy George has released a new pro‑Israel reggae song titled ‘We Will Dance Again’ – listen below. (1cb8acde‑…) ; also in)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The opening lyric of the song is “You say genocide, I say war”. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] An independent UN commission concluded that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The song was posted on X and Instagram and not released on streaming platforms. (All articles)