Don McLean stated in 2016 that he is a “staunch supporter of Israel then and now,” and he’s held true to his word in the wake of recent surprise attacks on Israel and counterattacks on the Gaza Strip. In a statement released on October 9, the “American Pie” singer reiterated his support for Israel and her people.
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“It is hard for me to control the emotions I feel for Israel at this time,” he said. “Having lived in Israel, I remember the neighborhoods I now see being bombed. I knew the people who faced this kind of hatred every day and went to a party every night because life is something to celebrate and it is so precious. Being there changed me forever. I have lived in a different way ever since.”
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McLean also briefly shared the story behind his 1981 song “Jerusalem,” stating, “I was proud to write the song ‘Jerusalem,’ for the Mayor of Jerusalem and I sing this song every night during shows.” He concluded, “On this earth, Jerusalem is at the center of the atom of life and salvation no matter what might be going on anywhere else on the planet.”
McLean lived in Israel periodically between 1978 and 1982, and has claimed that he “grew to love the country and the people.” In the same 2022 statement on his website, he claimed, “Living there changed my life forever.”
In 2016, McLean’s wife of 30 years, Patrisha Shnier McLean, filed for divorce after McLean was arrested at their home in Maine following an incident of domestic assault. She cited “adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences,” according to a report at the time by AP News. That same year, Shnier McLean claimed that McLean called her an antisemitic slur, a claim which McLean publicly denied.
“Among the many lies told about me by my soon-to-be ex-wife,” McLean posted on social media at the time, “is the statement that 24 years ago I made an anti-semetic [sic] remark. This is false given the facts. I was married for almost 30 years to a Jewish woman, who I worshiped. I was proud to have 2 Jewish children.”
At the time, McLean continued the statement by sharing that he “did many tours of Israel during the Iran-Iraq War,” and that he “lived with an Israeli girl who was in the army at that time.” He concluded, “I am a staunch supporter of Israel then and now,” according to a 2016 report from PageSix.
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