Coldplay’s Chris Martin humiliates Israeli fans during London show

September 2, 2025

Musicians should bring fans together, not stigmatize some as uniquely unworthy. When Coldplay frontman Chris Martin told two young Israelis he brought on stage in London that he would treat them as “equal humans on Earth, regardless of where you come from,” he wasn’t promoting unity, he was erasing their identity. Israelis should never be made to feel ashamed of being Israeli.

Denying music fans the right to be proud of their nationality is discriminatory and dehumanizing.  What Martin offered on his stage wasn’t inclusion and bridge-building; it was condescension, selective denigration, and segregation based on nationality. He reduced Israeli identity to something that must be denied to be tolerated. He then retreated to facile both-sidesism by greeting Palestinian fans in the audience, but Israelis and Israeli national pride exist independently of the current conflict, and conflating the two isn’t just simplistic, it’s dangerous.

When global stars normalize the idea that Israelis must set aside their national identity to belong, they legitimize the prejudice that fuels division and hate. Peace will never come from humiliating or diminishing others’ dignity. If Martin and Coldplay truly believe in equality, then it starts by affirming that Israelis deserve to live, openly and proudly.  

For further information, please email Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, Deborah Camiel at dcamiel@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your X feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).