'Death to the IDF' is not antisemitic. Reserve your outrage for Israeli crimes in Gaza

Punk bands have always been known for crossing the red lines of polite society, for shocking the mainstream. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be punks.

They are not there to give people a warm, fuzzy feeling about the world. For that, there is always James Blunt or Coldplay. 

Punks are there to channel the anger and alienation that many feel against the hypocrisy and bigotry of society. And at Glastonbury, both Kneecap and Bob Vylan held a mirror up to the UK over its support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Cue hysteria and confected outrage.

Rapper Bobby Vylan’s chant on a sunny afternoon at the Glastonbury music festival began with the familiar “free, free Palestine”. The crowd chanted along with him, highlighting the widespread support for the Palestinian cause among festival-goers, and among wider British society.

He then said: “But have you heard this one?” As he launched into a chant of “death, death to the IDF”, referencing the Israeli army, the crowd roared the same line back in response.

Read more: 'Death to the IDF' is not antisemitic. Reserve your outrage for Israeli crimes in Gaza