Starmer, Glastonbury organisers condemn Bob Vylan’s antisemitic chants at festival

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Glastonbury Festival organisers expressed outrage on Sunday over on-stage chants targeting Israel’s military during a Saturday performance by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan. 

The duo led chants of “Death, death, to the IDF” — referring to the Israel Defense Forces — prompting condemnation from political leaders, festival organisers, and the Israeli embassy in Britain.

Police confirmed they were reviewing video evidence to determine whether a criminal investigation was warranted, though they did not name Bob Vylan or the Irish rap group Kneecap, who also performed on the same stage and criticised Israel.

“There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech,” Starmer said in a statement, adding he had previously warned it was “not appropriate” for Kneecap to perform at the festival. Festival organisers said Bob Vylan’s chants “crossed a line,” adding: “We are urgently reminding everyone involved that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech, or incitement to violence.”

The Israeli Embassy condemned the “inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed” on stage.

The BBC, which livestreamed the performance, also faced criticism. Starmer demanded an explanation of how the broadcast was allowed to air. The BBC admitted it had issued a warning about discriminatory language during the livestream but said on Monday it regretted not cutting the stream entirely. “The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves,” the BBC said, adding, “We regret this did not happen.”

Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, said it was “very concerned” about the broadcast and was urgently gathering information on the BBC’s editorial processes.

Bob Vylan’s lead vocalist, Bobby Vylan, defended the chants on Instagram, writing: “I said what I said,” and emphasizing the importance of teaching children to speak up for change.

Kneecap Performance Also Draws Scrutiny

Bob Vylan’s set on the West Holts stage took place immediately before Kneecap’s performance, during which frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of war crimes. Known by his stage name Mo Chara, he was charged last month with a terrorism offense for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a concert, a charge he denies.

Starmer previously said Kneecap should not have been booked. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned Bob Vylan’s chants but also criticised violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, telling Sky News: “I’d also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order.”

Political commentator Ash Sarkar noted that controversy is part of punk’s tradition, saying, “Don’t book punk bands if you don’t want them to do punk stuff.”

The controversy comes amid renewed scrutiny of musicians’ political statements on stage, following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war. The conflict began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians.