The Strokes’ Jewish guitarist Nick Valensi is taking a “temporary break” from the band, weeks after the lead singer sparked outrage with comments about the privilege of “American Zionists”.
The announcement comes with the iconic indie group on a world tour this year, including dates in London, Newcastle and Manchester.
A statement was issued by the band on Instagram saying: "Nick Valensi will be taking a temporary break from the scheduled tour, but we look forward to his return."
No official reason has been given for why he has chosen to step back at this moment.
In April, Casablancas, 47, caused controversy with his remarks while appearing on YouTube channel Subway Takes, which has nearly a million subscribers, during an interview with host Kareem Rahma.
Asked for his most controversial opinion, Casablancas joked it had “been nice having a career” before saying: “American Zionists get the benefits of white privileged people but talk like they are black people during slavery.”
Rahma immediately responded that he “100 per cent agrees”, adding: “I’ve never seen something so shocking where they’re like ‘I’m so oppressed. I’m an oppressed person’ - I’m like, ‘you are going to a wedding in Tel Aviv right now, when there are 80,000 dead people... including women and children [close by]’.”
Rahma concluded: “Absolutely f***ed... I don’t think it is bad to say that.”
Casablancas also compared the October 7 attacks to a list of famous “rebellions” throughout history.
“I mean, just for the people that are going to be like, ‘Hamas, October 7’ – yes, bad,” he said. “But, you know, Native American rebellions didn’t mean it was okay to do what we did. Slave rebellions that were violent didn’t mean that slavery was not bad. You know what I mean.
"So, that’s the scope of that answer. Just to be - for the haters, for the media illiterate.”
The band used their closing set at the Coachella music festival to slam US foreign policy and Israel’s military campaign.
A video montage depicted a school being blown up, with the caption: “Last university standing in Gaza.”
Valensi, 45, was born in New York to a Tunisian-Jewish and a French mother who converted to Judaism.
He has previously said of his identity: “Being Jewish is more something that’s in your bloodline. You don’t really choose to be Jewish or to not be Jewish.
“You don’t really choose to be Jewish or to not be Jewish”.
Valensi is one of the founding members of the New York group who have had worldwide success with songs including Last Nite, Reptilia, Someday and The Adults Are Talking.
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