Disturbed frontman David Draiman booed at Ozzy Osbourne farewell over Israel support

David Draiman, the frontman of heavy metal band Disturbed, faced a chorus of boos during a guest appearance at Black Sabbath's farewell concert in Birmingham with the reaction widely linked to his outspoken support for Israel.

Performing as part of a tribute set led by guitarist Tom Morello at Villa Park, Draiman was jeered by sections of the crowd as he took the stage, with some audience members raising middle fingers.

It follows uproar over the metal frontman's stance during the brutal war on Gaza, including signing an Israeli shell.

According to Far Out Magazine, the singer responded with "We gonna start this?" before continuing with covers of Sabbath's  'Sweet Leaf' and 'Shot in the Dark'.

After the show, Draiman addressed the reaction in a post on X: "Yes, there were a few boos when I walked out, but I came to pay homage to my teachers, my idols, the mighty Black Sabbath, and I wasn’t about to let a few Jew hating morons deter that. It’s all about feeding their narrative, generating clickbait, and inciting hatred of Jews."

Draiman's attempt to frame the backlash as antisemitic has been challenged by many critics and observers at the concert, who said the hostility from the crowd had nothing to do with his Jewish identity, but with his political actions during the war.

In December 2023, he was photographed signing Israeli artillery shells that were reportedly about to be fired into Gaza with the phrase "F*** Hamas".

The image circulated widely online and was condemned by human rights advocates and fans alike, who viewed the act as an endorsement of Israel's military aggression that had already killed thousands of innocent Palestinians.

It was also condemned by many in the metal scene, who viewed the act as going against the subculture's principles of standing against power and oppression.

Draiman has defended his actions and expressed unqualified support for the Israeli military throughout the conflict. His public messaging has consistently aligned with the position that Israel’s military campaign is justified, regardless of the huge death toll of innocent civilians in the Strip and the growing international criticism of Israel's actions.

The war in Gaza, now in its 21st month, has drawn increasing international scrutiny.

The UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible case that Israel is committing genocide in the territory. Various UN agencies and human rights organisations have described the situation as catastrophic, citing starvation, mass displacement, and the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure.

The incident in Birmingham follows controversy relating to solidarity with Gaza in the music world over the past few weeks.

At Glastonbury Festival at the end of June, the British punk rap duo Bob Vylan led chants of "Death to the IDF", prompting police investigations and political backlash.

The group said the chant was directed at the Israeli military as a political institution, but critics accused them of inciting violence.

While heavy metal has historically remained removed from Middle East politics, the crowd's reaction to Draiman suggests that things may be changing.