The punk-rap duo Bob Vylan made headlines around the world last month when they publicly expressed their solidarity with Palestine and criticized Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza.
At Glastonbury Festival in June, frontman rapper, Bobby Vylan, led chants of “Free, Free Palestine” and “Death, Death to the IDF (Israeli military).”
Moreover, Bobby Vylan made a strong statement in support for Palestine, saying “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, and will be, free.”
The incident triggered controversy across the world, drawing both criticism and support amid growing outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, called the chant “appalling,” while the British police investigated the incident. Moreover, the band has been dropped from several shows, including France and Germany, and had their US visas revoked.
Many people across the UK interpreted the chant as a call for the death of Israeli soldiers. However, Bobby Vylan explained in an Instagram post that he was not calling “for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people.”
“We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. 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 British singer clarified.
