THE events at Glastonbury this past weekend should concern anyone who believes that anti-Semitism has no place in British public life. What unfolded on one of the country’s most iconic cultural stages wasn’t spontaneous rebellion or edgy political commentary: it was a deliberate and co-ordinated act of provocation. Worse, it was broadcast live to a national audience, under the watch of both the BBC and the festival’s organisers.
Kneecap are a band whose lead singer has previously been arrested under anti-terrorism legislation and who has openly threatened to use his platform to make anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements, both on television and at Glastonbury. Despite this history, the band were not only invited to perform but reportedly informed by the BBC that their set would not be aired. In reality, what followed suggests a calculated workaround.
Just before Kneecap’s performance, the BBC aired the set of a lesser-known duo, Bob Vylan, with a troubling legal background and a documented history of anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric. Bob Vylan, known associates of Kneecap, were given a prime broadcast slot directly before their set. This was no coincidence. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, many knew what was coming.
This wasn’t an act of creative expression. It was a co-ordinated stunt. A platform for hate, dressed up as art. This was not and is not free speech. This is hate speech, pure and simple.
To make matters worse, Glastonbury also hosted a scheduled talk by Palestine Action, a group that was recently proscribed by the UK government under anti-terrorism legislation. Their inclusion wasn’t just provocative; it may well constitute a direct violation of UK law. That one of Britain’s most visible cultural institutions gave a platform to an organisation designated a terrorist group is not only outrageous – it raises urgent questions about institutional responsibility and legal oversight.
Then there’s the rhetoric itself. Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’ echoed throughout the festival grounds. This is not a harmless political slogan. It is the equivalent of shouting ‘Death to the British Army’. The Israel Defense Forces are a core military ally of the United Kingdom and represent the defence of Israel, a democratic state and close British partner. Calling for their destruction is calling for violence against the Jewish state. That this message was met not with outrage but with applause is a damning reflection of the environment that has been allowed to fester.
This is not just about Glastonbury. It speaks to a broader institutional failure – across the BBC, the arts sector and civil society – to recognise and respond to anti-Semitism when it comes cloaked in the language of activism. The double standards are glaring. No other form of bigotry would be tolerated so openly at a major UK event, let alone amplified to millions via public broadcast.
What we witnessed was not a mistake. It was a choice. The BBC and Glastonbury’s organisers must answer for it. Who signed off on these decisions? What safeguards failed? And what’s being done to ensure it never happens again?
The British Jewish community – and the British public at large – deserve better than silence.
