RSS
Israeli Minister Comments on Calls to Boycott Irish Rap Trio Kneecap From Glastonbury Music Festival
Members of Kneecap pose on the red carpet at the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar shared his thoughts with The Algemeiner on Tuesday about the mounting pressure that Glastonbury Music Festival organizers are facing to disinvite the anti-Israel, Irish rap group Kneecap from the annual event taking place next month in the United Kingdom.
Several government leaders and Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom, as well as Jewish organizations and pro-Israel supporters in the entertainment industry, have called on Glastonbury organizers to remove the Belfast-formed band from the festival’s lineup of performers because of their anti-Israel comments, alleged support for the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations, and incitement for violence against British MPs. Kneecap is scheduled to perform on June 28 at Glastonbury.
Kneecap band member Liam O’Hanna, 27, was charged on May 21 with a terrorism offense in the UK for displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in North London last November. Hezbollah is a UK-designated terrorist organization and it is an offense under the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000 to support the Iran-backed Islamist group. Kneecap criticized the terrorism offense in a released statement in which they also accused Israel of genocide and proclaimed, “Free Palestine.”
When asked if he supports efforts to have Kneecap banned from Glastonbury because of their offensive and controversial remarks, Zohar began by saying, “Israel doesn’t support boycotts. We want that everybody will respect each other. We want that people will respect Israel and we’re trying to do our best to respect other people, also the people who are not supporting Israel.”
“[But] there is a big difference between someone that is not supporting Israel and people that is calling to destroy Israel or calling to make terror actions against Israel,” he added, differentiating between legitimate criticism of Israeli politics and calls to carry out violence against the state of Israel. “Everyone that will call to attack Israel or make terror actions against us, of course I think they should not be participating in events because they are supporting terror and calling for destroying Israel. But if some other organizations people or bands are against Israel because they don’t think the same way that Israel thinks, we don’t call for boycott because this is not the way that we act.”
“Unfortunately, those who are against Israel … the truth is not something that they care about,” Zohar continued. “We say if people call for terror actions or to destroy Israel, yes, they cannot participate in events. But if people don’t support Israel, we respect that and we’re fine with that. But we won’t allow [them] to spread lies against our country and we will continue to say the truth.”
In April, the northern Irish band displayed anti-Israel messages — including “Free Palestine, F–k Israel” — during their set at the Coachella Music Festival in California. Videos from a Kneecap concert in November 2023 show one member of the Irish rap trio calling for the murder of British MPs by saying, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Another clip, from a Kneecap concert in London in April 2023, appeared to show a member of the trio shouting: “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” In April, Kneecap apologized and clarified its remarks from 2023 and 2024 in a released statement.
During their performance at Glastonbury last year, Kneecap displayed on screen the message “Free Palestine” and another message that erroneously accused Israel of murdering over 20,000 children. The trio additionally led the audience in chanting “Free, free Palestine.”
Kneecap has also repeatedly posted anti-Israel messages on social media, such as accusing the Jewish state of genocide and calling the country “the most depraved regime on earth.”
Several of Kneecap’s festival appearances for this summer have already been canceled – including at Germany’s Hurricane Festival and Southside Festivals, the Eden Project concert series in the UK, and a replacement show in Plymouth.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is among the UK politicians calling for Kneecap to be removed from the Glastonbury lineup, while Security Minister Dan Jarvis said Glastonbury organizers should “think very carefully” about allowing the band to perform at the festival. British television personality Sharon Osbourne, who is also the wife of Black Sabbath lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, demanded that Glastonbury ban the “pathetic band full of hate” from performing at the festival. “I pray that they are [banned] and if they’re not, shame on Glastonbury,” she said during an appearance on “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”
Among those who have sent letters to Glastonbury organizers protesting Kneecap’s scheduled appearance include a Holocaust survivor, Labour MP David Taylor, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and Shadow Home Secretary and MP Chris Philp. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin have also condemned the band.
When asked about Kneecap, former British Attorney General Sir Michael Ellis urged music festival organizers to properly go through their lineup of artists before allowing them to perform. “I do think that it’s an obligation, especially after what happened at Coachella, that Glastonbury and other festivals here in the UK have a responsibility to really check those bands whose behavior may cross that line,” he told Britain’s news channel GB News. Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister John Swinney has called for Kneecap to be removed from the line-up of Scotland’s TRNSMT music festival.
Zohar told The Algemeiner that he has not been in touch with any member of the UK government about Kneecap’s upcoming performance at Glastonbury. He suggested that the British government does not typically take enough action when needed to condemn anti-Israel behavior or comments.
“The UK a lot of times, unfortunately, are supporting these kinds of comments and they also make bad decisions in those actions, like to cancel agreements with Israel, and that’s something we don’t respect and agree with,” Zohar said, apparently referring to the British government’s recent decision to halt free trade talks with Israel. “The UK is very, very hard to talk with about these issues. They are not supportive so much. Hopefully they will change their ways and realize the truth — that we are the good people. Eventually they need to know that they are next, because when the terror groups finish with us, they will come for them. Because they are a part of the free world.”
On May 23, just days after a band member was charged with a terrorism offense, Kneecap headlined London’s Wide Awake music festival, where they led the audience in chanting “free, free Palestine.” O’Hanna told the crowd that authorities were “trying to silence us” before Glastonbury and asked fans not to be “on the wrong side of history.”
“The world’s not listening,” he said. “The world needs to see solidarity of 20,000 people in a park in London chanting, ‘free free Palestine!’”
“Let’s remember how lucky we are to be in a field with our friends and not being bombed from the sky,” added Kneecap’s frontman Mo Chara.
Last week, Kneecap released a new song called “The Recap” featuring Mozey. It begins with an audio clip of a news report about the band being investigated by counter-terrorism police.
The post Israeli Minister Comments on Calls to Boycott Irish Rap Trio Kneecap From Glastonbury Music Festival first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel Says It Would Reduce Troops in Lebanon if Beirut Takes Steps to Disarm Hezbollah
An Israeli tank is positioned on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, March 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Avi Ohayon
Israel on Monday signaled it would scale back its military presence in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese armed forces took action to disarm Iran-backed Shi’ite terrorist group Hezbollah.
The announcement from the Israeli prime minister’s office came a day after Benjamin Netanyahu met with US envoy Tom Barrack, who has been heavily involved in a plan that would disarm Hezbollah and withdraw Israeli forces from Lebanon.
“If the Lebanese Armed Forces take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction” by the Israeli military, the Israeli prime minister’s office said.
The statement did not explicitly say if Israeli forces would fully withdraw from the five positions they hold in Lebanon.
The Israeli military has maintained a presence in southern Lebanon near the border since agreeing to a United States-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in November.
Israel was to withdraw its forces within two months and Lebanon‘s armed forces were to take control of the country’s south, territory that has long been a stronghold for Hezbollah.
This month, Lebanon‘s cabinet tasked the army with drawing up a plan to establish state control over arms by December, a challenge to Hezbollah, which has rejected calls to disarm.
The prime minister’s office described the Lebanese cabinet’s decision to back the move as a momentous decision. Israel stood “ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah,” the statement said without saying what support it could provide.
Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, has said Israel should comply with the plan for Hezbollah disarmament, which would mean the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The Israeli military continues to carry out periodic air strikes in Lebanon that it said targeted Hezbollah terrorists and facilities used by the Islamist group to store weapons.
Palestinian factions in Lebanon surrendered some weapons to the armed forces last week as part of the disarmament plan.
RSS
Syria Says Israel Takes Some Territory Around Mount Hermon Despite Talks
Israeli forces operate at a location given as Mount Hermon region, Syria, in this handout image released Dec. 9, 2024. Photo: Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS
Syria said on Monday that Israel had sent 60 soldiers to take control of an area inside the Syrian border around Mount Hermon, saying the operation violated its sovereignty and posed a further threat to regional security.
Israel did not immediately comment on the accusation by Syria‘s foreign ministry, which comes as the two countries engage in US-mediated talks on de-escalating their conflict in southern Syria. Damascus hopes to reach a security arrangement that could eventually pave the way for broader political talks.
Monday’s incident took place near a strategic hilltop that overlooks Beit Jinn, an area of southern Syria close to the border with Lebanon, the ministry said. Israel also arrested six Syrians there, according to residents in the area.
The area is known for arms smuggling by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group and by Palestinian jihadist factions. Previous Israeli incursions have mostly been in the southern Quneitra governorate.
The Israeli military on Sunday shared footage of what it said were troops locating weapons storage facilities last week in southern Syria.
“This dangerous escalation is considered a direct threat to regional peace and security,” the Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Israel has cited its own security concerns for its military interventions inside Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last December, including what it sees as its obligation to protect members of the Druze minority in southern Syria.
Hundreds of people were reported killed in clashes last month in the southern province of Sweida between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces. Israel intervened with airstrikes to prevent what it said was mass killings of Druze by the Syrian government forces.
In January, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli troops would remain on the summit of Mount Hermon indefinitely.
Israel has since then formed a de facto security zone, where it regularly patrols, sets up checkpoints, and carries out searches and raids in villages.
RSS
Widespread Anti-Israel Protests Held in Australia
Demonstrators hold a placard as they take part in the ‘Nationwide March for Palestine’ protest in Sydney, Australia, Aug. 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Thousands of Australians joined anti-Israel rallies on Sunday, organizers said, amid strained relations between Israel and Australia following the center-left government’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
More than 40 protests took place across Australia on Sunday, Palestine Action Group said, including large turnouts in state capitals Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. The group said around 350,000 attended the rallies nationwide, including around 50,000 in Brisbane, though police estimated the numbers there at closer to 10,000. Police did not have estimates for crowd sizes in Sydney and Melbourne.
In Sydney, organizer Josh Lees said Australians were out in force to “demand an end to this genocide in Gaza and to demand that our government sanction Israel” as rallygoers, many with Palestinian flags, chanted “free, free Palestine.”
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, an umbrella group for more than 200 Jewish organizations, told Sky News television that the rallies created “an unsafe environment and shouldn’t be happening.”
The protests follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week stepping up his personal attacks on his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese over his government’s decision this month to recognize a Palestinian state.
Diplomatic ties between Australia and Israel soured after Albanese’s Labor government said it would conditionally recognize Palestinian statehood, following similar moves by France, Britain, and Canada.
The Aug. 11 announcement came days after tens of thousands of people marched across Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge, calling for peace and aid deliveries to Gaza, where Israel began an offensive nearly two years ago after the Hamas terrorist group launched a deadly cross-border attack.