Bob Vylan rejects criticism and says it's being targeted for speaking up about Gaza at Glastonbury

LONDON – Rap-punk duo Bob Vylan connected Tuesday rejected claims of antisemitism implicit onstage comments astatine the Glastonbury Festival that triggered a constabulary probe and sparked disapproval from politicians, the BBC and festival organizers.

The set said successful a connection that it was being “targeted for speaking up” astir the warfare successful Gaza.

Police are investigating whether a transgression was committed erstwhile frontman Bob Vylan led the assemblage successful chants of “Death to the IDF” — the Israel Defense Forces — during the band’s acceptable astatine the festival successful southwest England connected Saturday.

The British authorities called the chants “appalling hatred speech” and the BBC said it regretted livestreaming the “antisemitic sentiments.” U.S. authorities revoked the musicians’ visas.

Israel’s warfare against Hamas successful Gaza has inflamed tensions astir the world, triggering pro-Palestinian protests successful galore capitals and connected assemblage campuses. Israel and immoderate supporters person described the protests arsenic antisemitic, portion critics accidental Israel uses specified descriptions to soundlessness opponents.

In a connection connected Instagram, Bob Vylan said: “We are not for the decease of jews, arabs oregon immoderate different contention oregon radical of people. We are for the dismantling of a convulsive subject machine. … A instrumentality that has destroyed overmuch of Gaza.”

Alleging that “we are a distraction from the story,” the duo added: “We are being targeted for speaking up.”

The BBC is nether unit to explicate wherefore it did not chopped the provender of the show aft the anti-IDF chants. Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said “the airing of vile Jew-hatred” by the BBC was a infinitesimal of “national shame.”

“It should occupation each decent radical that now, 1 request lone sofa their outright incitement to unit and hatred arsenic edgy governmental commentary, for mean radical to not lone neglect to spot it for what it is, but besides to cheer it, chant it and observe it,” helium wrote connected X.

Avon and Somerset Police said it is investigating Bob Vylan’s performance, on with that by Irish-language hip-hop trio Kneecap, whose pro-Palestinian stance has besides attracted controversy. Kneecap subordinate Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged nether Britain’s Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed enactment for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag astatine a performance successful London past year.

Since the warfare began successful October 2023 with a Hamas onslaught connected Israel that killed immoderate 1,200 people, Israel has killed much than 56,000 radical successful Gaza, according to the wellness ministry successful the Hamas-run territory.

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