Eddie Vedder released a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" this week to raise funds for charity in the wake of a July rant many interpreted as anti-Israel.
According to NME, the live cover, recorded July 18 in Portugal, is available on iTunes and YouTube. Sales proceeds are being donated to Heartbeat: Amplifying Youth Voices, an organization that provides opportunities and spaces for young Israeli and Palestinian musicians to work together.
Vedder performed the Lennon cover just a week after delivering a vicious, alcohol-fueled tirade during a concert in England.
"There are people out there who are looking for a reason to kill! They're looking for a reason to go across borders and take over land that doesn't belong to them. They should get the f*** out, and mind their own f***ing business," he yelled at the crowd.
The Jerusalem Post and Israeli radio station 88FM soon labeled his comments an "anti-Israel diatribe," and reminded Vedder that Israel had the right to defend itself against a Palestinian offensive.
A week later, Vedder addressed his previous comments while introducing the "Imagine" cover. His explanation seemed to mirror a
blog post he had written on the Pearl Jam website just a few days prior. In it, he did not apologize, and claimed his comments were anti-war, not anti-Israel.
"If you're anti-war it doesn't mean you are pro one side or the other in a conflict," he told the crowd in Portugal.
"So this next song I always thought it was probably the most powerful song ever written . . . Which is why I have never played it. It seems like maybe there is a reason to play it. If you'd like join me or use your voices or hold a light there might be some people out there that need to know they are not alone."
Aaron Shneyer, Heartbeat founder and executive director,
told USA Today that Vedder's support was "amazing" and represented "a chance to promote our work and amplify the voices of the youth we work with."
The group also thanked Vedder on Twitter.
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