Glastonbury ‘Appalled' by Band's Chant Against Israel's Military
The organizers of Glastonbury music festival said on Sunday that they were 'appalled' by statements made onstage during a performance by the British punk duo Bob Vylan, in which the lead singer led the crowd in chants of 'Death, death to the I.D.F.,' referring to the Israeli Defense Forces.
Glastonbury, Britain's biggest music festival, had already been facing criticism for its decision to allow Kneecap, an Irish-language rap group, to perform on Saturday, despite pressure from broadcasters and politicians to cut the act after the band voiced anti-Israel statements and one member faced a terrorism charge.
Kneecap's performance was such a draw at the festival that the arena was already full for Bob Vylan's set an hour beforehand.
The chants by Bob Vylan's singer, which were broadcast live on the BBC, drew immediate condemnation from politicians in the United Kingdom.
Israel's embassy in the United Kingdom, as well as some Jewish groups, accused Glastonbury of promoting hate. Avon and Somerset police said on Saturday that they were reviewing video footage from the stage to determine if any criminal offenses had been committed.
'With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer's presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs,' said a statement on the Instagram accounts of the Glastonbury Festival and Emily Eavis, one of the festival's organizers, on Sunday. 'However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday.'
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