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Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance has drawn criticism from the Israeli Embassy and triggered a police assessment after a chant of “death to the IDF” was heard being shouted from the stage.
During their set on Saturday, one of the group’s members led the chant through a microphone as some in the crowd echoed it. In a statement posted to X (Twitter), the Israeli Embassy in the United Kingdom stated it was
“deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival.”
The statement continued:
“Slogans such as those chanted yesterday advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel.”
It added:
“When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they are reviewing footage to determine if the alleged incident did occur. The moment also prompted Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to reach out to BBC Director-General Tim Davie for “an urgent explanation” regarding the vetting process for the group.
According to Sky News, a government spokesperson echoed that sentiment, calling the group’s onstage comments “threatening,” while Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch reposted a video of the moment and labeled it “grotesque.” She added:
“Violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.”
The BBC recently issued a statement addressing the backlash:
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“Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive. During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”
Glastonbury Festival organizers also weighed in, stating that they “do not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers.”
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