Indie band Wolfe Alice have detailed their reasoning for the joining the cultural boycott of Israel.

It was back in May that Far Out reported the news that Portishead had also joined a handful of musicians that have all refused to play live in Israel. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement continue to campaign in various forms of non-violent measures against Israel until it complies with the precepts of international law. Huge names such as Roger Waters, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Thurston Moore and actors Mark Ruffalo and John Cusack have joined the boycott.

Wolf Alice joined that list of names, saying: “The situation has affected all of us. It’s affected us seeing what has happened in recent years,” in a past interview.

Now, guitarist Joff Oddie explained the band’s passion for that cause grew when “Israelis started shooting and killing people in their tens and hundreds…,” in an interview with the Independent.

He added: “We agreed years ago that we wouldn’t go there, but this was about agreeing that we would make it public”, he said. “It’s been the worst period of violence since the bombings in Gaza in 2014, so [for us] it was just a big kick up the arse to say, look, we do support this.”

Singer Ellie Rowsell added: “If you say you’re not gonna go to Israel, then lots of people ask you why you’re going to other countries where you don’t believe in their government’s actions.

“People ask, ‘Why do you go to America? Does that mean you support Trump?’ And I can see why [they] think that’s hypocritical, but you won’t do anything if you think like that. Everywhere’s fucked, and in terms of the cultural boycott of Israel, that’s what the Palestinian people have asked for.”