Aviv Geffen

When a petition signed by numerous Israeli artists accused the government of serious harm to civilians in Gaza and called for an end to the war, Geffen refused to sign it. He said that he wanted the war to end and the hostages to return but could not accept wording that, in his view, portrayed Israel as criminal and attacked soldiers.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

In July 2023, Geffen was briefly detained during a demonstration in Tel Aviv against judicial reform. He stated that he had pushed a police officer back after being pushed himself; police quickly released him.

State of the evidence

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Personally implicated

Amid demonstrations against judicial reform and confrontations with police, Geffen used particularly harsh rhetoric against the government and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whom he notably called a "terrorist", while calling for mobilisation against the reform.

State of the evidence

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Personally implicated

Aviv Geffen, long identified with the pacifist left and criticism of settlements, publicly apologised to settlers during a concert in Beit El in 2022 and called them "brothers", prompting lively debate over his change of position.

State of the evidence

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Personally implicated

Geffen was long accused of avoiding military service, and his early statements criticising enlistment made him a controversial symbol of the issue. As early as 2004, he published his military discharge document, which cited medical grounds, and later expressed regret over certain statements made in his youth.

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Personally implicated

During the pandemic, Geffen made repeated gestures of reconciliation towards the ultra-Orthodox community, apologised for past statements and appeared at meetings that also included Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Israel Katz. Some of his fans and people in the industry criticised this rapprochement.

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Personally implicated

Geffen recorded a protest song with Israeli Arab rapper Tamer Nafar containing messages against the occupation and violence. The project prompted political controversy, and its promoters denounced the near absence of radio airplay, which they attributed to the song's content.

State of the evidence

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Attribution

Political responsibility