The Israeli embassy has condemned the incident as “advocacy of ethnic cleansing”
UK police have launched an investigation after anti-Israel slogans were chanted by performers and audience members at the Glastonbury music festival. Both the Israeli embassy and UK government officials have condemned the incident, calling it inflammatory and potentially criminal.
On Friday, a member of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan shouted “Death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” and other pro-Palestinian slogans during a live performance broadcast by the BBC. Videos shared on social media show the crowd – some waving Palestinian flags – echoing the chants.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a post on X that officers are reviewing video footage “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
The Israeli embassy in London said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage,” describing it as “advocacy of ethnic cleansing.”
“Chants such as ‘Death to the IDF’ and ‘From the river to the sea’ are slogans that advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel and implicitly call for the elimination of Jewish self-determination,” the embassy wrote on Saturday.
The statement also warned that public applause for such chants “raises serious concerns about the normalization of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”
A UK government spokesperson said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had spoken with BBC Director General Tim Davie and demanded an “urgent explanation.” The BBC has condemned the remarks made during Bob Vylan’s set as “deeply offensive” and stated the segment would not remain available on BBC iPlayer.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations and a rise in anti-Semitic incidents have been reported in many countries since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023. The conflict was triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack that left around 1,200 Israelis dead and over 200 taken hostage.
