Gilad Atzmon: A Voice Beyond Borders

Heroes of the Phoenix Rising by Vision One World

Most of us call our country of birth “home.” We grow to love its culture, bond with its people, and build friendships over shared meals. Despite the bloodshed caused by divisions of land, we cling to this idea of belonging.

On June 23, 1963, Gilad Atzmon was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, into a secular Jewish household. Like many children, he believed he was part of the “chosen people.” During those early years of innocence, that belief held firm.

At 18, Gilad joined the army as a paramedic—saving lives became his job. But through his military service, he witnessed the devastation of war firsthand. He began to question the very foundations of nationalism. Patriotism, even for one’s own country, seemed senseless when being human ceased to matter.

“It’s hard to pinpoint when I started feeling this way. But watching my people commit atrocities towards others certainly made me feel uneasy.”

Gilad’s unease wasn’t limited to Israel. He would have felt the same about any nation oppressing another. But in this case, it was his own. The pride he was raised with, the sense of unity—it all began to unravel.

He came face-to-face with war’s victims: displaced people in camps, their lives stripped of dignity. He didn’t see them as Palestinians or Jews. Just mothers crying for their children. Fathers feeling helpless. Children fleeing bombings—and those who didn’t.

Leaving the Land He Was Born Into

In 1994, disillusioned and broken, Gilad left Israel and moved to the U.K. He has never returned.

“I do not consider myself to be a victim. Initially I thought there was something fundamentally wrong with my country. Gradually I understood the politics of it all. I left because I felt I was living on somebody else’s land.”

His stance is deeply personal. His wife still visits Israel. His children are free to go. But for Gilad:

“I will never go back until Israel becomes Palestine.”

A Universal Language: Music

In England, Gilad found a new language—music. As a jazz musician, he began expressing the pain, confusion, and truth he couldn’t articulate with words alone. Over time, his art became his activism.

Through both music and writing, Gilad has spread a message that remains at the core of his beliefs: the time has come for humans to identify as humans—before anything else.

“The politics of racial profiling is what creates these problems. If you politically identify as a Jew, then you are privileged. Why? Doesn’t every family want a good education for its kids? Doesn’t every mother want to feed her child? People who are proud of what they are doing do not need to identify with a particular race.”

Identity, Truth, and Conflict

Gilad’s views transcend national borders. He challenges all forms of identity politics—be it race, religion, or sexual orientation.

“Why does a person’s sexual orientation affect us so much that we feel the need to either accept or reject it? Why do we need to identify with a certain geographical boundary or religion or land? Why can’t we just let it be—just be us?”

His commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has earned both praise and fierce criticism. His book The Wandering Who, released in 2011, sold millions and stirred global debate.

“To reveal the truth; that is my main struggle.”

Yet many question whether his truth is the truth. Gilad replies:

“Who is to say who is right and who is wrong?”

Music as Protest, Writing as Resistance

Gilad insists he writes not about politics, but about ethics and identity.

“I have nothing against Jews and you will not find that in any of my writings. I write about identity… about the Jewish Question—because I was born in the Jew-land, and my whole process in maturing into an adult was involved with the realization that my people are living on stolen land.”

“Rather than understanding who you are, one invests some effort in differentiating oneself from the other… At most, one may present a pretense of ethical thinking, but no more than that.”—Excerpt from The Wandering Who

A Life of Art and Defiance

A graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, Gilad is a multi-instrumentalist—known for the clarinet, saxophone, and ethnic woodwinds. His musical accolades are many.

“Every time I see Gilad perform I am confirmed in my assertion that he is the most dynamic and improvisational musician playing on the live circuit in the U.K. today.”—Igor Goldkind Passion, Fan

He has performed with icons such as Robbie Williams, Sir Paul McCartney, Ian Dury, Pink Floyd, and Sinéad O’Connor.

Despite his global travels with the Orient House Ensemble, Gilad has not set foot in Israel since he left.

“Until it becomes Palestine.”

Beyond Black and White

Gilad’s ideas don’t fit neatly into boxes. Critics call him anti-Semitic. Supporters see him as a voice for the voiceless. Between these extremes lies a truth many refuse to face: not everything in life is black or white.

“We should be taught to think, to argue, to be skeptical and ask questions. That is what’s crumbling in our system.”

Thousands of artists across Britain now stand by Gilad’s right to perform, speak, and share his truth—despite political pressure.

The Dream Lives On

Gilad dreams of a world free from occupation and false pride. A world where humans break away from identities that divide.

“I have to turn my thoughts into a movement, into a consciousness that brings goodness.”

His journey is not just political—it is deeply philosophical, artistic, and emotional. He hopes to help carve a new path. One that isn’t handed down by governments or textbooks, but discovered by questioning everything.

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”—Victor Hugo

Gilad Atzmon embodies this idea. His fight for truth—however controversial—has created ripples across art, thought, and activism.

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