BBC Glastonbury anti-Israel scandal rages: Storm grows over appalling festival chants broadcast to the nation as Wes Streeting says organisers and channel ‘have questions to answer’
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Wes Streeting has called out Glastonbury and the BBC for allowing the ‘appalling’ chants that took place yesterday to be broadcast to the nation.
The Health Secretary speaking on Sky News this morning said: ‘I thought it was appalling to be honest. I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we solve such a spectacle on our screens.
‘I also think it is pretty shameless publicity stunt that I don’t want to give too much indulgence to for that reason.’
Police have launched a probe into the comments made by Bob Vylan, who led chants of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Death to the IDF’, on yesterday afternoon.
The singer from the band, who keeps his identity secret, also declared ‘from the river to the sea Palestine… will be free’ – regarded by many in the Jewish community as a call for Israel’s elimination.
The entire performance was live-streamed on iPlayer and the corporation has since been lambasted for failing to cut the broadcast immediately after the anti-Semitic chanting.
Shockingly, its live stream continued for another 40 minutes until the end of Bob Vylan’s performance.
The incident prompted calls for the band members to be arrested over claims they had incited violence. Avon and Somerset Police last night said they were examining video evidence and investigating if any offence had been committed.
Campaign against Antisemitism have also announced they are ‘formally complaining to the BBC’ over the incident, saying in a social media post: ‘Now in the UK, the chants are indistinguishable from the chants in Tehran, broadcast by our state broadcaster.’
Wes Streeting has called out Glastonbury and the BBC for allowing the ‘appalling’ chants that took place yesterday to be broadcast to the nation
The health secretary speaking on Sky News this morning said: ‘I thought it was appalling to be honest. I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we solve such a spectacle on our screens’
The singer, who keeps his identity secret, also led a chant of ‘free, free Palestine ‘, and declared ‘from the river to the sea Palestine… will be free’
The entire episode was live-streamed on the BBC iPlayer. The corporation was lambasted for failing to cut the broadcast immediately after the anti-Semitic chanting
Mr Streeting went on to say that: ‘We saw that chant at a music festival when there were Israeli at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped and in some cases still held captive.
‘Whether it is a Palestinian or an Israeli whether it is a Christian, a Jew, or a Muslim, all life is precious. All life is sacred. And I find it pretty revolting we have got to a state in this conflict where you are supposed to cheer on one side or the other like it is a football team.’
The broadcast plunged the BBC into a major crisis with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanding ‘an urgent explanation’ from BBC director-general Tim Davie into ‘what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance’.
A government spokesman said: ‘We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.’
Bob Vylan, who formed eight years ago in London, refuse to reveal their real names because of what they call the ‘surveillance state’.
Instead the singer calls himself Bobby Vylan and the drummer Bobbie Vylan.
Addressing the crowd of around 30,000, Bobby said he had to be ‘careful’ because their performance was ‘live on the BBC’. He then, however, led the ‘free, free Palestine’ chant, then changing it to ‘death, death to the IDF’.
‘Hell, yeah, from the river to the sea Palestine must, will be, Inshallah, it will be free,’ he added.
The BBC’s live stream shockingly continued for another 40 minutes until the end of Bob Vylan’s performance
The BBC decided not to stream Kneecap live. Instead an edited version of the performance was due to be put on the iPlayer
Bobby Vylan also backed controversial Northern Irish band Kneecap, who were following them on the West Holts stage, by describing music executives who called for the group to be banned as ‘Zionists’
The singer also backed controversial Northern Irish band Kneecap, who were following them on the West Holts stage, by describing music executives who called for the group to be banned as ‘Zionists’.
In another hugely embarrassing blow for the BBC, he also used the highly offensive c-word.
The BBC decided not to stream Kneecap live. Instead an edited version of the performance was due to be put on the iPlayer.
It came ten days after Kneecap member Liam O’hAnnaidh, 27, appeared in court charged with a terror offence, prompting the Prime Minister to say it was ‘not appropriate’ for the band to be playing Glastonbury.
Bandmate Naoise Ó Caireallain called on the crowd to ‘riot’ outside Westminster magistrates in August when the case returns to court.
Kneecap started their performance this afternoon by chanting ‘F*** Keir Starmer’.
They also spoke out in support of Palestine Action, which the government wants to proscribe as a terror group.
Glastonbury had said all were welcome at the festival but added it ‘does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers.’
Lord Ian Austin – the Government’s trade envoy to Israel – said: ‘The police should investigate as a matter of urgency and, if necessary, arrest the band members.’
Tory MP Greg Stafford said: ‘If someone can be jailed for inciting racial hatred on social media, then surely this band should be investigated for inciting violence at the very least. Somerset Police should arrest them and carry out an investigation immediately.’
Sharren Haskel, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, also slammed the performance.
She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I condemn the BBC for continuing to live-stream anti-Israel hate speech from Glastonbury.
‘What do you think the BBC would have done had a performer been shouting anti-Muslim or far-Right hate speech? They would have pulled the feed.
‘But because the target is Israel – let’s be honest, because it’s Jews – it’s tolerated, even broadcast. This is clearly incitement.’
