Bob Vylan have spoken out following the backlash to their Glastonbury Festival performance, stating they are “being targeted for speaking up” after leading chants criticising the Israel Defence Forces.
The British alt-rap duo faced significant consequences after their recent Glastonbury set, during which Bobby Vylan led the crowd in chanting “free, free Palestine” and ‘death, death to the IDF.” Following their performance, the duo had their US visas revoked ahead of their planned North American tour, were denounced by festival organisers, and are now facing an investigation by British police.
In their first direct statement addressing the controversy, Bob Vylan clarified their position on Instagram, emphasising that their comments were being used as a “distraction from the real story.”
“We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine,” the duo wrote. “A machine whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.”
The statement referenced reports that soldiers in the Israeli military claimed leadership ordered them to fire on unarmed Palestinians at aid distribution centres in Gaza, suggesting the killings result from IDF policies targeting civilians in violation of international law.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, via Associated Press, more than 55,000 people have been killed and 127,394 wounded in Gaza since October 2023, with an unspecified number of bodies inaccessible to medical services or buried beneath rubble.
Bob Vylan criticised government inaction, writing: “The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren’t doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving? The more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction.”
The duo’s statement also referenced England’s plans to ban Palestine Action, an organisation committed to “ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.” On July 1st, the Home Office described the organisation as a “dangerous, terrorist group,” with participation potentially becoming a criminal offence if the ban is successful.
Fellow artists have shown support for Bob Vylan, including Grandson, who was set to have the duo open for his upcoming US tour.
“Bob Vylan are the one feature on my album and that feature will go on. If they have the opportunity to come to the United States they will join us on the Inertia tour as planned,” Grandson stated on Instagram. “As a Jewish artist I am deeply offended by the conflation of criticism against a military force known for their indiscriminate violence with antisemitism.”
Belfast rap trio Kneecap also faced similar controversy for their pro-Palestine statements. Despite British Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying it would not be “appropriate” for them to perform, they appeared at Glastonbury and led the crowd in “free, free Palestine” chants.
