• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The NY Journals
  • Home
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Trending
  • Home
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Trending
No Result
View All Result
The NY Journals
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

How the antisemitic meltdown at the Glastonbury Festival unfolded

by Sarkiya Ranen
in Health
How the antisemitic meltdown at the Glastonbury Festival unfolded
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter



When Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, a rapper from Ipswich, U.K., who goes by “Bobby Vylan” came on stage Saturday afternoon at Britain’s Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts in front of a Palestine flag, there was already tension in the festival’s executive offices.

It was not yet centred on Bob Vylan, the rap duo who are newly infamous for leading the audience at Britain’s leading summer pop cultural event in a chant calling for death to Israeli soldiers, but who on Saturday were a downticket entry on the West Holts stage, which showcases reggae, hip hop, jazz, beats and electronica.

The most pressing concern was about a similar protest from Kneecap, the Northern Irish rap trio, one of whose members faces a terrorism charge for flying a Hezbollah flag at a show in London last year. That charge prompted U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to say Kneecap’s presence on this year’s Glastonbury lineup was “inappropriate.”

So when the British Broadcasting Corporation belatedly said it regrets not pulling its live broadcast during Bob Vylan’s anti-Israel provocations, it is not because it did not expect controversy over the Mideast at all. The BBC had already decided not to broadcast Kneecap live. And just last week, BBC Director-General Tim Davie announced new editorial guidelines about hate speech, including that broadcasting it could constitute a criminal offence, if it is “intended to stir up hatred relating to religious belief.”

What followed, then, was predictable if not specifically expected. Avon and Somerset Police have announced a criminal investigation under hate crime law into Bob Vylan’s performance, which is classed as a “public order incident.”

“Free! Free!” Vylan chanted into the mic, to which an audible portion of the crowd replied “Palestine!”

“All right, but have you heard this one though? Death Death to the IDF,” he said.

 Bobby Vylan of Bob Vylan crowdsurfs in front of the stage during day four of the annual Glastonbury Festival in Glastonbury, England, on June 28, 2025.

IDF is the Israel Defense Forces. He repeated it five times, backed similarly by some of the audience, then said, “hell yeah, from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free.”

He also spoke to the audience about working for “f—ing Zionists” at his record label.

Bob Vylan were followed in their performance by Kneecap, but not on the BBC live feed.

Festival organizers said they were “appalled,” and that Bob Vylan’s behaviour went against its mission of “hope, unity, peace and love.”

BBC staff have reported feeling ashamed at how long this diatribe was allowed to continue in the live stream. The BBC itself said in a statement Sunday: “The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen. The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.” The segment has been removed from streaming services, and the BBC has launched a review.

The British broadcast regulator Ofcom said the BBC “has questions to answer” and that it has been urgently investigating what procedures were in place to ensure the BBC complied with its own editorial guidelines.

Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said the episode was “a time of national shame” that “brings confidence in our national broadcaster’s ability to treat antisemitism seriously to a new low.”

“It should trouble all decent people that now, one need only couch their outright incitement to violence and hatred as edgy political commentary, for ordinary people to not only fail to see it for what it is, but also to cheer it, chant it and celebrate it,” Mirvis wrote.

In response to the fallout, which now includes a ban from the United States, the band Bob Vylan posted a statement that read, in part: “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use “unnecessary lethal force” against innocent civilians waiting for aid.”

That is a reference to a news report Friday in the left-wing Israeli newspaper Haaretz that claimed Israel’s Military Advocate General has opened an investigation into possible war crimes over the allegedly deliberate shooting of Gazan civilians in chaotic scenes near aid distribution stations.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Gaza in the past month attempting to access food aid, according to Hamas-run Gazan health authorities whose accounts cannot be independently verified. After Israel lifted its 10-week blockade of food shipments into Gaza in May, emergency aid has been delivered by the newly created U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose security is overseen by the Israeli military.

Speaking to the Reuters news agency, the Israeli military denied the claim of deliberate shooting of civilians at aid distribution centres. It said it was trying to improve the “operational response” in these areas, and said some incidents were being reviewed by appropriate authorities. “Any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary,” it said, according to Reuters.

International reactions were swift to the live broadcasting of Bob Vylan’s “Death to the IDF” chant.

The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, announced Monday the State Department has revoked visas for the performers “in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”

In Canada, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said this was a good idea, and said on social media he had been in touch with Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree to recommend Canada follow the American lead. Opposition Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said Canada should do the same, and tagged the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, Lena Diab, in a social media post.

This is a good decision by the United States. The incitement by Bob Vylan and his band at Glastonbury have no place in North America. I have been in touch with the Minister of Public Safety and believe that Mr. Vylan’s actions should render him inadmissible to Canada. https://t.co/ih3vYoepMq

— Anthony Housefather (@AHousefather) June 30, 2025

A Public Safety spokesperson said he could not say whether that would happen, and that this would be a question for border services. The Canada Border Services Agency said it was not in a position to comment on this specific case, and said admissibility decisions are made “case-by-case,” based on information available at a person’s time of entry, and by sharing relevant information on border and national security issues with other agencies and countries.

It is not clear Bob Vylan has any plans to come to Canada. Their website lists upcoming tour dates in Britain and Europe, and American stops later in the fall, now presumably cancelled. Promotional material for a tour by the American-Canadian rapper Grandson with stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal lists Bob Vylan as a co-headliner on American dates, but not the Canadian ones.

The group was also dropped by their agent, United Talent Agency.

  • MPs call on Canada to bar British rap duo Bob Vylan over ‘death, death to the IDF’ chant at Glastonbury
  • Canadians say Carney government failed them as Iranian missiles landed in Israel

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.





Source link

Tags: AntisemiticFestivalGlastonburyMeltdownUnfolded
Sarkiya Ranen

Sarkiya Ranen

I am an editor for Ny Journals, focusing on business and entrepreneurship. I love uncovering emerging trends and crafting stories that inspire and inform readers about innovative ventures and industry insights.

Next Post
Steel Tycoon Jim Weller and Family Killed in Plane Crash Just Minutes After Takeoff 

Steel Tycoon Jim Weller and Family Killed in Plane Crash Just Minutes After Takeoff 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

“It’s Liberation Day In America,” Posts Trump Ahead Of Tariffs Announcement

“It’s Liberation Day In America,” Posts Trump Ahead Of Tariffs Announcement

3 months ago
JPMorgan agrees to drop lawsuit against Tesla over stock warrants

JPMorgan agrees to drop lawsuit against Tesla over stock warrants

7 months ago

Popular News

    Connect with us

    The NY Journals pride themselves on assembling a proficient and dedicated team comprising seasoned journalists and editors. This collective commitment drives us to provide our esteemed readership with nothing short of the most comprehensive, accurate, and captivating news coverage available.

    Transcending the bounds of New York City to encompass a broader scope, we ensure that our audience remains well-informed and engaged with the latest developments, both locally and beyond.

    NEWS

    • Business
    • Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Real Estate
    Instagram Youtube

    © 2025 The New York Journals. All Rights Reserved.

    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • Business
    • Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Trending

    Copyright © 2023 The Nyjournals

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In