'Sold your soul': Boy George faces backlash over song denying Gaza genocide

British pop icon Boy George has ignited a storm of criticism after releasing a pro-Israel song that dismisses allegations of genocide in Gaza, with critics accusing the singer of promoting "genocide denial" and Israeli propaganda.

The Culture Club frontman released We Will Dance Again on X and Instagram on Sunday, captioning the post simply: "Shalom". The song, which does not appear to have been released on major streaming platforms, references 7 October 2023 events and includes lyrics rejecting accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

"You say genocide / I say war / When you're attacked / That's what the army's for," Boy George sings, dismissing a characterisation that has been agreed on by leading human rights organisations, UN experts and genocide scholars.

The song has sparked a fierce backlash online, with musicians, activists and public figures accusing the singer of denying Israel's documented atrocities against Palestinians and whitewashing the devastation in Gaza, where more than 73,000 people have been killed since October 2023 and thousands more remain missing beneath the rubble or are otherwise unaccounted for.

Multiple organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as a UN special committee, a UN commission of inquiry and numerous experts in international law and genocide studies, have concluded that Israel's conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide or have found evidence consistent with genocidal acts.

'Profound lack of empathy'

The Artists for Palestine UK collective told The New Arab that "Boy George's political propaganda reveals a profound lack of empathy for the immense suffering and slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza," with his song release.

"When influential voices minimise or deny the well-documented atrocities we continue to see on our screens every day, they normalise dehumanisation rather than accountability," the collective said, who also pointed that the singer actually sought to centre Palestine during Britain’s invasion of Iraq in 2003, saying, “I don't believe that integrity is selective. I think if you have the integrity to protect the oppressed, you do it wherever it happens.”

Additionally, British Palestinian musician Reem Kelani, told The New Arab that Boy George "must think that demeaning himself to defend Israel will save him from the musical irrelevance and moral bankruptcy into which he lapsed long ago".

"With his record of criminal assault, he's blind to his own hypocrisy, his 1984 War Song ("war is stupid") now suppressed in support of the annihilation of the Palestinian presence in Gaza and the West Bank. His silence over Israel's use of 'pinkwashing' to deflect the world's attention from its crimes against the Palestinians is only further evidence of his betrayal of the core values of art itself: humanity, empathy and solidarity with the oppressed," she told TNA.

Among the first to condemn the track was Martyn Ware, co-founder of The Human League, who said he "couldn't believe" his former friend had released what he described as "an overtly pro-genocide, anti-Palestinian piece of musical propaganda".

"George, you should be ashamed - I hope you think the money was worth it to sell your soul... vile," Ware wrote on X.

Pro-Palestinian account Socialist Voice also condemned the song, writing: "Any respect I had has gone now. I never thought Boy George would turn out to be a genocide denier," adding: "Another one who has sold their soul for Israel."

Former Scottish MP Tommy Sheridan also criticised the singer, calling him "shameful", "shameless" and "a disgrace" for releasing the track.

Elsewhere in the song, Boy George appears to defend Israel's military campaign and portray criticism of the country as one-sided.

"Does it get ugly? / You bet it does / When I know you want to kill / Every last one of us," he sings.

The track also criticises artists and public figures who have expressed solidarity with Palestinians since Israel launched its assault on Gaza in October 2023.

"You condemn the Jews, with selective memory / Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep / Propaganda fuelled by the Internet feels so weak," the lyrics read.

The lines were interpreted by critics as an attack on the growing movement of musicians, actors and campaigners who have called for an end to Israel's war on Gaza, backed cultural boycotts of Israel and demanded sanctions against the Israeli government.

The song closes with the lines: "But if you're ever confused / I stand with the Jews / I don't feel brave, I need to behave like a human / But trust me, we will dance again," before ending with lyrics sung in Hebrew.

The title, We Will Dance Again, references the Nova music festival attacked during Hamas's 7 October 2023 assault on southern Israel and is also the name of a 2024 documentary about the attack.

The UK-based Jewish Chronicle reported that the song appears to have been created using artificial intelligence, although Boy George has not publicly confirmed this. The singer recently launched an AI music venture called Artist Included.

The release also comes as Israel has invested heavily in international public diplomacy and image campaigns since the start of its genocidal campaign on Gaza, allocating hundreds of millions of shekels to attempts to shape global opinion and countering growing criticism over its military campaigns across the region.

Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, has become increasingly outspoken in his support for Israel since the start of the Gaza genocide.

Earlier this year, the Karma Chameleon singer claimed it had become "trendy to hate on Israel" and criticised calls to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest over Israel's participation despite the war in Gaza.

The release has also drawn attention because it contrasts sharply with one of Culture Club's best-known songs, The War Song, released in 1984, which condemned war and urged world leaders to pursue peace rather than armed conflict.