Ozzy Osbourne, legendary Black Sabbath frontman and 'godfather' of heavy metal, died at age 76 on Tuesday. A statement from his family said the Black Sabbath frontman passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday.
Osbourne had lived with Parkinson’s disease since 2020 and had cancelled multiple world tour dates in recent years due to declining health. He made a final public appearance just weeks ago, performing in Birmingham for what he called his “last ever” concert.
Ozzy Osbourne is survived by his wife Sharon, their children, and grandchildren.
While Osbourne has often insisted he was apolitical, his wife Sharon Levy Osbourne is a staunch supporter of Israel, and has influenced his stance vis-a-vis the Jewish state, even as it perpetrated genocide in Gaza.
In March 2025, he and Sharon joined over 200 public figures in signing a highly publicised letter calling for an inquiry into a BBC Gaza documentary.
The letter alleged "systemic bias against Israel" at the broadcaster, referencing the film’s use of a child narrator with family links to Hamas. The BBC eventually pulled the documentary and acknowledged serious editorial shortcomings—a move that some critics viewed as caving to pro-Israel pressure.
Several commentators and advocacy groups at the time asserted that the Osbournes were "shielding Israel from criticism" and helping reinforce "a pro-Israel media narrative" at the height of the Gaza conflict. Progressive activist circles linked their vocal advocacy to Creative Community For Peace (CCFP), which some critics describe as a lobbying front connected to Israeli government interests.
Online commentary and independent outlets accused the Osbournes of leveraging celebrity for political influence. One widely circulated article charged them with becoming “willing participants in propaganda campaigns to protect Israel’s international image,” citing their efforts to suppress dissent and boycott calls in the cultural sphere.
Controversy peaked in April 2025 when Sharon Osbourne publicly called for the denial of U.S. visas to Irish hip-hop group Kneecap after their pro-Palestinian performance at Coachella. She condemned the group’s statements as “hate speech” and accused the festival of enabling “open support for terrorist organisations.”
Critics, however, accused the Osbournes of attempting to silence legitimate political expression and using their platform to stifle pro-Palestinian voices.
Even among music fans, the Osbournes’ pro-Israel activism became a flashpoint: when Disturbed frontman David Draiman—himself a vocal Israel advocate—appeared at Osbourne’s farewell concert, he was booed by some in the audience, with critics blaming the reaction on political rather than religious grounds.
Osbourne performed in Israel in 2010 and 2018 despite sustained calls from pro-Palestinian actors and artists to boycott the country over its policies. Osbourne himself frequently downplayed the political implications of his visits, stating, “I try to stay away from politics. They don’t understand me, and I don’t understand them.”
Osbourne, like many, may have been a victim of the conflation between supporting Israel and fighting antisemitism, a charge hyperweaponised by Israel to silence legitimate criticism of its actions.
Throughout his life, Osbourne maintained a strong connection to Jewish culture and Israel through his wife, Sharon, whose father was Jewish music mogul Don Arden. The couple frequently spoke out against antisemitism, and Ozzy notably refused to allow rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) to sample his music due to Ye’s antisemitic statements.
In Israel, his visits to the Western Wall and Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial were seen by supporters as acts of solidarity with the Jewish people, though critics argued they also symbolised a political stance.
Following his passing, Israel media hailed Osbourne as a steadfast ally who "stood on the right side of history".
Jewish News, a pro-Israel website, called him "fierce ally and Israel supporter".