Irish rap trio Kneecap have denied supporting Hamas and Hezbollah following their Coachella appearance featured anti-Israel messaging.
The Belfast-based group took to social media following a storm of controversy after the phrases “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people”, “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes”, and “Fuck Israel. Free Palestine,” were displayed during their performance on the festival’s second weekend.
“They want you to believe words are more harmful than genocide,” began the group’s statement shared on social media. “Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history.”
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Kneecap asserted that their “message has always been — and remains — one of love, inclusion, and hope,” adding that “No smear campaign will change that.”
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Addressing their controversial festival performances, the group wrote, “Days after calling out the US administration at Coachella to applause and solidarity, there is an avalanche of outrage and condemnation by the political classes of Britain.”
“The real crimes are not in our performances; the real crimes are the silence and complicity of those in power,” the band ended their message. “Shame on them.”
The statement followed outrage from pro-Israel groups which sparked organisations and public figures to denounce Kneecap’s stance on the conflict. Among the group’s opposers was Sharon Osbourne who called for the trio’s visa’s to be revoked and accused them of promoting “anti-Israel messages and hate speech”.
When asked about Osbourne’s tweets, Mo Chara responded, “Her rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply, but she should listen to ‘War Pigs’ that was written by Black Sabbath (her husband).”
Kneecap’s Coachella performances sparked outrage from pro-Israel groups, with organizations and public figures denouncing the group. Last week, Sharon Osbourne called for the band members’ visas to be revoked, accusing their projections of promoting “anti-Israel messages and hate speech.” When asked about Osbourne’s tweets, Mo Chara responded, “Her rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply, but she should listen to ‘War Pigs’ that was written by Black Sabbath (her husband).”
The description of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as genocide has been highly contentious. Humanitarian groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have used that term, as have many others; former US president Joseph R. Biden and the American Jewish Committee, among other groups that support Israel, have strongly objected to this framing.
