Labour MP David Taylor also sent a letter to Glastonbury co-creator Sir Michael Eavis, pressuring him to remove Kneecap from the festival’s line-up in June. Taylor said it would be “deeply troubling” to see the band perform at the event.
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‘You Must Earn Our Vote’: Joe Lieberman’s Last Statement Warned of Political Consequences for Dems’ Anti-Israel Shift
Former US Senator Joe Lieberman speaks at an event in Ashraf-3 camp, which is a base for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) in Manza, Albania, July 13, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Florion Goga
Former US Senator and Democratic Party vice presidential nominee Joe Lieberman‘s last statement was a warning to Democrats about the political danger of turning against Israel.
Lieberman died on Wednesday after sustaining a fall.
Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, detailed the late senator’s concern in a new op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.
“Hours before his fatal fall on Tuesday, former Sen. Joseph Lieberman put his final touches on a statement we were writing together about Israel, the 2024 election, and the future of the Democratic Party,” wrote Dershowitz, who, like Lieberman, was a strong supporter of the Jewish state.
Dershowitz explained the message was a “warning” to the re-election campaign of US President Joe Biden that it can “no longer count on pro-Israel Jewish voters” to vote for the Democratic Party if it turns against Israel.
“We are here to say that you can no longer simply count on our vote just because Jews traditionally have voted Democratic. We are here to say you must earn our vote,” the joint statement read
It continued: “We want to continue to support Democratic candidates, but you need to know that if you abandon Israel in order to garner the support of anti-Israel extremists within the Democratic Party, it will be difficult for us to support Democrats who are on the ballot this November.”
In the 2020 US presidential election, only 30 percent of Jews voted for former US President Donald Trump, a Republican, while 68 percent voted for Biden, a Democrat. Since 1968, an average of 71 percent of Jews have voted for the Democratic candidate in the presidential race.
“None of us can or will vote for any candidate who supports cutting military support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. So please, do the right thing. Do not abandon Israel and its time of great need. And we will not abandon you,” the statement concluded.
A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 89 percent of American Jews believe Israel’s reasons for fighting the Hamas terror group in Gaza are valid. A December poll found that 81 percent of American Jews support Israel’s mission to “recover all Israeli hostages and remove Hamas from power.”
Lieberman and Dershowitz wrote that they “appreciated President Biden’s statements in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas barbarisms” but that “more recently … we have become concerned about what appears to be a weakening of support for Israel by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and some other leading Democrats.”
“We are especially concerned about the possibility that some of this weakening may be influenced by domestic political fears of losing electoral support from anti-Israel voters who have threatened to stay home unless the Biden administration pulls away from Israel,” the statement noted.
In Michigan, a key battleground state and home to America’s largest Arab population, a campaign to vote “uncommitted” during the state’s primary rather than for Biden gained significant support — including from US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). More than 100,000 people, making up more than 13 percent of the total voters, cast an “uncommitted” ballot. It was a small spike of uncommitted votes in terms of proportion relative to when former US President Barack Obama ran for re-election in 2012, but a significant spike in terms of raw numbers.
There have been questions raised about whether an anti-Israel stance would actually help Biden’s re-election stance, though. A recent Morning Consult/Bloomberg poll of Michigan voters found that, while only 1 percent of respondents said the Israel-Hamas war was the most important issue to them, a striking 67 percent said the issue was either “very important” or “extremely important.”
Lieberman’s last statement “was intended to be circulated among prominent pro-Israel Democrats and sent to the White House in a public release,” according to Dershowitz. “Its goal was to make it clear that if domestic political considerations — the so-called two state solution, meaning Michigan and Minnesota — were influencing the administration’s change of attitude toward Israel, there would be a domestic political price to pay for such a change.”
Lieberman has long been a staunch supporter of Israel. When he ran for vice president on Al Gore’s ticket in 2000, he was the first Jew to be on a major party ticket in American history.
He also observed Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. Although some questioned how he was able to cease all work on Friday nights and Saturday while also being a US senator, he responded, “I don’t think I could be a senator and not observe Shabbat.”
Lieberman was considered a moderate Democrat who aimed to work across the aisle.
“Joe’s tragic death won’t end his campaign to keep support for Israel a bipartisan issue,” Dershowitz wrote. “Joe believed in this to the depths of his being. And those of us who were working with him to send this message will continue this campaign in his memory.”
The post ‘You Must Earn Our Vote’: Joe Lieberman’s Last Statement Warned of Political Consequences for Dems’ Anti-Israel Shift first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Irish Rap Trio Kneecap Cut From Major German Festivals, Loses US Visa After Anti-Israel Statements at Coachella
Mo Chara (Naoise O Caireallain), Moglai Bap (Liam Og O Hannaidh), Rich Peppiatt, and DJ Provai of Kneecap attend the 2025 BAFTAs on Feb. 16, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
The Irish rap group Kneecap has been dropped from two major music festivals in Germany and must look for a new sponsor for their US work visas after parting ways with their US booking agency, all of which took place after the trio shaed a “f–k Israel, free Palestine” message on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
While pro-Israel supporters are pressuring other music festivals to remove Kneecap from their event lineups, the Hurricane Festival in northern Germany — which is one of the largest festivals in the country — and its sister event, the Southside Festival in south of the country, announced on Friday that they have both canceled performances from the rap group scheduled for June.
“The band Kneecap will not be performing at Hurricane and Southside Festival this year,” the festivals said in a statement, without giving further details.
Both festivals will feature performances by Green Day, the American rock band that has regularly expressed support on stage for “Palestine.” Kneecap, from west Belfast, announced on X that it will instead perform their first ever German headline shows in Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne in early September. The group members go by the stage names DJ Próvaí, Mo Chara, and Móglaí Bap.
Kneecap’s US booking agency, Independent Artist Group (IAG), announced late last week that the group is no longer its client. IAG – whose clients include Billy Joel and Metallica – did not specify the reason, but the move took place between the first and second weekends of the Coachella music festival, where Kneecap stirred controversy with its anti-Israel remarks. IAG sponsored Kneecap’s US work visas, which is a common practice for booking agencies and international acts. But since being dropped by the agency, it’s unclear how the band will play shows in the US, sources told The Hollywood Reporter. Kneecap has a mostly sold-out US tour scheduled to start in October.
During their second set at Coachella earlier this month, Kneecap projected three screens on stage that featured anti-Israel messages. The first screen said, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” followed by, “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.” A third screen displayed the text: “F–k Israel. Free Palestine.” During the performance, group member Mo Chara talked about Palestinians being “bombed from the … skies with nowhere to go.” Kneecap also led the audience to chant, “Free, free Palestine.”
After the anti-Israel display at Coachella, Sharon Osbourne — the wife of Black Sabbath lead singer Ozzy Osbourne and a former judge on “The X Factor” — called for the group’s visas to be revoked. Creative Community for Peace said Kneecap “turned their Coachella debut into a platform for hate,” and that Coachella “owes the Jewish community and the festival attendees an apology.” The nonprofit organization — which is comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry — added that it warned Coachella organizers “about Kneecap’s well documented support for terrorism, but they ignored it.”
Kneecap is still scheduled to perform at a sold-out, massive outdoor show in Belfast, in Northern Ireland, in late August. The band will perform at the Belfast Vital festival at Boucher Road Playing Fields on Aug. 29 as special guests of the Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC, whose guitarist said last year “F—k Netanyahu. F—K Zionism. Free Palestine,” referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kneecap said that 40,000 tickets for the August concert at Boucher Playing Fields sold out in 35 minutes.
Boucher Playing Fields is owned by the Belfast City Council. Some observers have expressed fury that public land is being used to host Kneecap, in light of their recent controversies. However, a spokesperson for the council told the Belfast Telegraph it is not responsible for Kneecap’s appearance, and “events programming remains a matter for the organizers.”
Kneecap has a number of shows listed on its website for the summer outside the US, and they include several major music festivals, such as Primavera Sound in Spain and Glastonbury in England in June. The group is represented by Primary Talent International outside of the US.
The British charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said on Monday that it has sent letters to a number of festivals, including Glastonbury, urging organizers to pull Kneecap from their line-ups. The letters also pointed out several antisemitic remarks and actions that the group has uttered done in the past, which include uploading a post on X in December 2024 that featured a cartoon with the caption “Israel is a terrorist state – F–K ISRAEL,” and a Star of David intertwined with a Nazi swastika.
“Concertgoers must be allowed to enjoy live performances without worrying about whether they may be subjected to open support for proscribed terrorist organizations that have openly declared it their mission to murder Jews,” CAA wrote. “Indeed, venues and events which seek to be inclusive must not permit their facilities to be used to promote racist, divisive and inflammatory content.”
Kneecap is also being investigated by counterterrorism police in the United Kingdom for past comments that have recently resurfaced following the group’s anti-Israel messaging at Coachella. At a concert in November 2024 at the Kentish Town Forum in London, Kneecap voiced support for Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are US- and UK-designated terrorist organizations. It is also a crime to express support for the terror groups in the UK. A year earlier, at a concert in London in November 2023, one member of Kneecap said: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP [Member of Parliament].”
Metropolitan Police in the UK said on Sunday that videos from both shows are being assessed by its counterterrorism unit “to determine whether any further police investigation may be required,” according to The Times. Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch demanded that police prosecute Kneecap because of the group’s “dead Tory” comment and Katie Amess – whose father, MP Sir David Amess, was stabbed to death in 2021 – said the rap group should apologize for “saying such dangerous, violent rhetoric.”
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Monday that he does not think “individuals expressing those views should be receiving government funding,” according to the BBC. A UK government spokesperson further denounced Kneecap’s remarks in a statement cited by the Belfast Telegraph.
“We unequivocally condemn threatening remarks made towards any individual,” said the UK government spokesman. “Political intimidation and abuse must have no place in our society. We recognize the chilling effect that harassment and intimidation of elected representatives can have on our democracy. All reports of intimidation, harassment, and threats are taken extremely seriously. We work with the police and Parliament to do everything in our power to crack down on threats to elected officials.”
Meanwhile, Irish Prime Minster Micháel Martin called on Monday for the group to “urgently clarify” their comments in which they appear to show support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Martin said any support for the Iran-backed Islamist terrorist groups, both of which openly call for Israel’s destruction, “would be unacceptable.”
“I think it’s important that free speech is always facilitated and the capacity to speak out and criticize and condemn policies of others. That’s all legitimate. But in terms of life and security and safety of people, that’s a different issue,” he added.
Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald told BBC News NI she did not agree with the group’s comments but then proceeded to make her own anti-Israel comments.
“I think the most outrageous issue facing the world today is the ongoing genocide that we are seeing in Palestine and the bombardment that continues on a daily basis, the blockading of aid, the slaughter of innocent women and children and I think that’s what our focus should be on as an international community in bringing an end to that,” she said.
After they displayed the anti-Israel message at Coachella, Kneecap’s Mo Chara told Rolling Stone magazine on April 23 that their statement was “about [the Israeli] government’s sickening actions, not ordinary people.” Kneecap further claimed in a public statement two days later that it is the victim of a “coordinated smear campaign” by those who allegedly “weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.”
“We do not give a f–k what religion anyone practices,” the group wrote in a social media post on April 25. “We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are. What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes – and we will not stay silent.”
The post Irish Rap Trio Kneecap Cut From Major German Festivals, Loses US Visa After Anti-Israel Statements at Coachella first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Warns of Immediate Retaliation to Any Israeli Strike Amid Nuclear Talks With US
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of attempting to sabotage the ongoing nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, warning of immediate retaliation to any military strike.
Araghchi said that Tehran was confident in its ability to counter efforts by “malicious external actors” to undermine the country’s foreign policy or dictate its direction, emphasizing that he expected his US counterparts to adopt a similar stance.
“Israel’s fantasy that it can dictate what Iran may or may not do is so detached from reality that it hardly merits a response,” the top Iranian diplomat wrote in a post on X on Monday.
“What is striking, however, is how brazenly Netanyahu is now dictating what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran,” Araghchi said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments calling for the dismantling of Tehran’s entire nuclear program.
“There is no military option, and certainly no military solution. Any strike will be immediately reciprocated,” he continued.
Israel’s fantasy that it can dictate what Iran may or may not do is so detached from reality that it hardly merits a response.
What is striking, however, is how brazenly Netanyahu is now dictating what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran.…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 28, 2025
On Sunday, Netanyahu said that the only “good deal” between Washington and Tehran would be one that dismantled “all of [Iran’s nuclear] infrastructure,” drawing a parallel to Libya’s 2003 agreement with the West, which resulted in the country halting its nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile programs.
Netanyahu also said he had urged US President Donald Trump to ensure that any nuclear agreement between the two countries prevents Tehran from advancing its ballistic missile program.
“We are in close contact with the United States. But I said, one way or the other, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” the Israeli leader said at a conference organized by the Jewish News Syndicate.
Tehran has previously rejected halting its uranium enrichment program, insisting that the country’s right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable, despite Washington’s threats of military action, additional sanctions, and tariffs if an agreement is not reached to curb Iran’s nuclear activities.
In his response to Netanyahu, Araghchi also accused him of misleadingly framing their talks with Washington as a revival of the JCPOA — a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal that had imposed temporary limits on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.
“Conveniently, Netanyahu’s Allies in the Failed Biden Team — who failed to reach a deal with Iran — are FALSELY casting our indirect negotiations with the Trump administration as another JCPOA,” Araghchi wrote.
“Many Iranians no longer believe the JCPOA is sufficient. They seek tangible dividends. Nothing Netanyahu’s Allies in the Failed Biden Team say or do will change this reality,” he continued.
On Saturday, Washington and Tehran concluded their third round of nuclear talks in Oman, with discussions on technical topics like uranium enrichment and sanction relief.
As part of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran — which aims to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon — Washington has been targeting Tehran’s oil industry with mounting sanctions.
“The talks in Muscat were positive and productive. There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal,” a senior US official said in a statement sent to reporters.
Earlier this month, the two adversaries held their first official nuclear negotiation since the US withdrew from a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal. The second round of talks took place in Rome on April 19.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, who is serving as a mediator between the two parties, announced that both sides agreed to meet again on May 3 in Europe for the next round of talks.
Despite Iran’s claims that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes rather than weapon development, Western states have said there is no “credible civilian justification” for the country’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”
The post Iran Warns of Immediate Retaliation to Any Israeli Strike Amid Nuclear Talks With US first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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UK Signs Memorandum of Understanding With Palestinian Authority to Advance Two-State Solution
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Palestinian Authority’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa signed a Memorandum of Understanding in London, April 28, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
The United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on Monday to advance “Palestinian statehood” as part of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted the PA’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in London, marking the first official visit by a PA leader to the UK since 2021.
“This visit marks a significant step in strengthening our relationship with the Palestinian Authority — a key partner for peace,” Lammy said, emphasizing that Britain is dedicated to recognizing a “Palestinian state at a time that will have the greatest impact.”
The MoU reiterates the British government’s recognition of the PA as the sole legitimate governing power in the “Occupied Palestinian Territories,” rejecting any role for the terrorist group Hamas — which violently eliminated its Palestinian opposition in a brief conflict in 2007, taking full control of Gaza after winning legislative elections the prior year. It also underscores the importance of reunifying Gaza and the west Bank under PA control.
“The UK will continue to press for a return to the ceasefire and a return of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Starmer wrote in a post on X.
“We are committed to a two-state solution, with lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Lammy added.
The British government also announced a £101 million ($135 million) aid package intended to provide humanitarian relief, stimulate economic development, and strengthen governance reforms in Gaza and the West Bank.
The UK designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in 2021, expanding its previous designation of only the group’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, to include its political entities, arguing that Hamas operates as a unified organization rather than separate branches.
Last week, Hamas announced it is challenging its designation through a legal petition seeking to be removed from the country’s list of proscribed terrorist groups.
The MoU comes amid international concerns about the PA’s ability to govern the war-torn enclave during reconstruction efforts, with leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron calling for reforms to boost the PA’s credibility.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas has previously called on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, cede control of the war-torn enclave, and give up its arms. However, Hamas has previously rejected calls to disarm — a key condition in ceasefire negotiations with Israel and the United States.
The PA has attempted to publicly separate itself from Hamas while simultaneously pursuing Palestinian reconciliation talks. However, PA officials have regularly rationalized Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, in some cases even denying it took place or falsely claiming Israeli forces carried out the onslaught that started the Gaza war.
The PA, which has been riddled with accusations of corruption, has also long maintained a so-called “pay-for-slay” program, which rewards terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks against Israelis, leading critics to question whether the PA can effectively govern Gaza.
Earlier this month, Macron said that France could recognize a Palestinian state at a United Nations conference in June, prompting criticism from Israeli officials and French Jewish leaders, who stated that such a move would only reward terrorism.
Last year, Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia recognized a Palestinian state, claiming that this approach would contribute to fostering a two-state solution and promote lasting peace in the region. At the time, Israel condemned the decision as an “incitement to genocide” against the Jewish people.
Out of the 27 European Union member states, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden have also recognized a Palestinian state.
The post UK Signs Memorandum of Understanding With Palestinian Authority to Advance Two-State Solution first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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