Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of the Imagine Dragons, kissed a Israeli flag on stage during their Loom World Tour performance on May 27 in Milan, causing a furious website outcry. Reynolds waving the flag in front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters and kissing it during the show’s final moments, shirtless and clearly personal. The incident, which was captured in a number of fan videos, instantly sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some calling it a strong gesture of solidarity, and others calling it a social offense. Critics criticized Reynolds ‘ action and accused him of supporting extremism. ACT for America president Brigitte Gabriel wrote on X,” It appears the group Imagine Dragons supports terrorism.” Other users expressed similar sentiments, describing the flag screen as a betrayal. Imagine Dragons truly really disliked my people, even though I really liked them. One pro-Israel lover wrote,” It’s disgusting how people still view Palestine as a social morality when it’s all a myth.” ” Picture Dragons ends their music by waving their unity with TERRORISTS,” according to one particularly heated article, accusing the band of hypocrisy for supporting a place where such privileges are not protected. Support from pro-Palestinian fans Despite the reaction, countless fans applauded the sign. One Israeli X-user wrote,” Really nice to see more folks showing help.” The incident was described as a “powerful movement” by another popular article, which included the phrase” Omg Radiohead has now been lapped by IMAGINE DRAGONS?” — referring to Thom Yorke’s decision to leave the stage after a disagreement with an anti-Israel protester next month. A complex historyImagine Dragons has not been in the middle of the Israel-Palestine argument before. The band’s previous performance on August 29, 2023, just days before the Hamas attacks on October 7th, which sparked regional tensions, was criticized by pro-Palestinian activists. Reynolds also gave a performance at that Milan music that was politically symbolic, including one in which he waving a Ukrainian symbol earlier in the evening.
