Musician Paul Weller sues accounting firm after being dropped over Israel criticism

UK rock singer Paul Weller said he will be pursuing legal action against his former accountants after they stopped working with him after he called Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip a genocide.

The former frontman of The Jam said he will sue accountancy firm Harris and Trotter for discrimination, after the company ended its working relationship with the singer or any of his companies in March this year – in reaction to his public criticism of Israel.

In a letter seen by UK media, a WhatsApp message from the firm read: "It’s well known what your political views are in relation to Israel, the Palestinians and Gaza, but we as a firm are offended at the assertions that Israel is committing any type of genocide."

"Everyone is entitled to their own views, but you are alleging such anti-Israel views that we as a firm with Jewish roots and many Jewish partners are not prepared to work with someone who holds these views," the letter continued.

As its brutal war on Gaza continues and the death toll rises, Israel has been increasingly accused of carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian population there.

In December 2023, two months after the war broke out, South Africa filed a complaint against Israel with the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide.

The court then ruled that it is plausible that Israel's actions could amount to genocide, and said the country must implement provisions that would prevent this.

However, Israel has ignored this and its war on Gaza has become increasingly brutal and destructive, with scores of people being killed every day, many while desperately trying to obtain food.

Rights groups and specialists say that Israel's actions amount to a genocide, amid the continuous siege and daily deadly bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

More than 62,000 people have been killed since October 2023, according to the Gaza health ministry. The true death toll is believed to be much higher, with thousands of uncounted victims thought to be buried under rubble.

Scores of Palestinians are now also dying starvation and malnutrition as a result of Israel’s siege.

Weller’s lawyers say that Harris and Trotter’s decision to stop working with him "unlawfully discriminates against the singer’s protected philosophical beliefs".

"I’m taking legal action not just for myself but to help ensure that others are not similarly punished for expressing their beliefs about the rights of the Palestinian people," Weller said in response, Sky News reported.

"I believe they have the right to self-determination, dignity, and protection under international law, and I believe Israel is committing a genocide against them. That must be called out."

Weller pledged to donate any damages he receives to humanitarian relief efforts in war-torn Gaza, according to the legal letter.

The 67-year-old singer has denounced Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war. In May last year, Weller told The Guardian that he was "against genocide and ethnic cleansing".

"I can’t understand why people aren’t up in arms about what’s going on. We should be ashamed of ourselves, I think," he told the British newspaper when asked about his views on Palestine.

"One minute you’re supplying bullets and bombs and guns, and then you’re sending over food. How does that work?," he said in reference to Western double standards on the war.

Israel continues to receive military support from Western countries despite some criticism of its actions and pledges to recognise a Palestinian state from the UK, France, Australia, and Canada.

At a show late last year, Weller told concertgoers: "Forget about religion and politics, just in terms of a humanitarian level, why are we allowing a genocide in the 21st century, and aiding it?"

The musician has previously displayed Palestinian national flags at his concerts.

Weller’s ordeal comes asa flurry of UK and Irish musicians and artists increasingly speak out against Israel’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip, with some facing repercussions.

The UK’s largest music festival, Glastonbury, saw numerous displays of pro-Palestinian solidarity broadcast on live television. Rap duo, Bob Vylan stirred a media frenzy over chants condemning the Israeli military, and had their US visas revoked.