Pink Floyd's Roger Waters takes $4m hit over anti-Israel views

Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters's polarising views on the Israel-Palestine conflict have lost him legions of fans and made him the subject of fierce scrutiny; now it looks like it's costing him money. Page Six reports that the 73-year-old British rocker has lost a major sponsor.

According to the publication, credit card giant American Express has baulked on its plans to put up $4m (£3.2m) for his 2017 tour in North America following his comments at Oldchella festival – an event the company sponsored −earlier this month.

Festival-goers were said to have been stunned by the performer's anti-Israel rhetoric after he took to the stage. Other acts included Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Back in 2012 Waters − who has been accused by some of anti-Semitism − joined the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

He told the crowd: "I'm going to send out all my most heartfelt love and support to all those young people on the campuses of the universities of California who are standing up for their brothers and sisters in Palestine, and supporting the BDS movement in the hope that we may encourage the government of Israel to end the occupation," referring to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian West Bank.

While American Express has yet to comment on Waters's partisan views, a spokesperson told Page Six that it never committed to sponsoring his string of dates. "When we were approached with the options, we passed on making a bid. It is a balancing act to work with artists our card members love, within the budgets we have allocated." Waters is believed to have since partnered with Citi.

He previously urged fellow musicians to join the movement in an open letter published in the Guardian: "[This is] a plea to my colleagues in the music industry, and also to artists in other disciplines, to join this cultural boycott."