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Jewish Council, British MPs Urge Manchester Academy to Nix Concert by ‘Antisemitic’ Band Bob Vylan
Bob Vylan music duo performance at Glastonbury Festival (Source: FLIKR)
British Members of Parliament and Jewish leaders are urging the college preparatory school Manchester Academy to cancel a concert next month featuring the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan because of the band’s promotion of antisemitism.
The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester (JRC) & Region said this week in a released statement, backed by 10 MPs, that it is “deeply concerned” about the school’s decision to host Bob Vylan on Nov. 5 after the band has “repeatedly engaged in rhetoric that crosses the line from legitimate political discourse into antisemitism and incitement.” The JRC said Bob Vylan’s “statements and actions do not provoke debate but carry a real danger by promoting hatred.” The statement was backed by 10 British lawmakers, including Greater Manchester Labour MPs Navendu Mishra, Jo Platt, Graham Stringer, Christian Wakeford, and Paul Waugh.
While performing at the Glastonbury Festival in June in Somerset, England, Bob Vylan led the crowd in chanting, “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. The band’s lead singer, Pascal Robinson-Foster, also complained on stage about working for a “f–king Zionist.” Their Glastonbury set was broadcast live on the BBC, whose chairman later apologized for airing the band’s “unconscionable antisemitic views.” The BBC also apologized for live streaming Bob Vylan’s “offensive and deplorable behavior” while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the anti-IDF chant as “appalling hate speech.”
There was a recorded rise in antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom the day after the band’s Glastonbury performance. Bob Vylan has denied accusations about the band being antisemitic.
Following the ordeal at Glastonbury, Bob Vylan was removed from the lineup for Manchester’s Radar Festival and France’s Kave Fest, their US visas were revoked ahead of their North America tour, and they were dropped by their talent agency. The band plans to visit Manchester next month on their “We Won’t Go Quietly” tour.
“There is a vital distinction between legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and speech that veers into antisemitism,” the JRC noted in its statement. “Freedom of expression is a central component of our democracy that must be protected but it cannot be right to platform an artist who has consistently been condemned as hateful and racist. We call on the Manchester Academy to cancel the performance and commit to clear policies to ensure that it will not legitimize prejudice under the guise of freedom of speech.”
The Chief Executive of the JRC is Marc Levy, whose father, Alan Levy, was among congregants at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester when it was attacked last week on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The stabbing attack left two congregants dead and three other people injured. The attacker, identified by police as 35-year-old Jihad al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by officers at the scene of the crime.
The JRC sent a letter to Manchester Academy last month that also demanded the school cancel Bob Vylan’s upcoming concert. The Jewish council said that their statement this week about the concert was originally meant to be released on Oct. 3 but was pushed because of the deadly terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation.
“Over the last few days, we have spoken about how incitement across society is putting the Jewish community in danger,” the JRC said this week. “One of the many issues we have continually raised is how our cultural spaces are being weaponized to support terrorism and glorify violence … The fact a band who are responsible for an ‘antisemitic broadcast’ was booked at one of our city’s most iconic venues is shameful. The fact we have not received a response, even after British Jews weer murdered in cold blood is utterly unforgiveable.”
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English Premier League’s Arsenal Hosts Over 100 Soccer Professionals to Discuss Tackling Antisemitism
Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s home stadium. Photo: Nazmi Amin-Tai via Wikimedia Commons
The English Premier League powerhouse Arsenal hosted more than 100 professionals from across English soccer last week for a symposium on how to combat antisemitism in sports.
The event on Dec. 4 was attended by senior figures from soccer clubs, leagues, governing bodies, associations, and fan groups. They discussed antisemitism in British sports; the experiences of Jewish athletes, staff, and supporters; and how to develop new strategies for creating safer and more inclusive environments for the Jewish community.
As a result of the symposium, an industry toolkit was developed for clubs and governing bodies that will serve as a resource for how to include antisemitism awareness in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, improve communication and reporting strategies, and guarantee that Jewish fans and staff feel “safe, represented, and included.” Each delegate vowed to implement at least one action in their organization.
The symposium was coordinated in partnership with Maccabi GB and the British government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, John Mann. Maccabi GB is Britain’s leading charity dedicated to Anglo-Jewish sports, health, and wellbeing, according to its website. It aims to create inclusive sporting, community, and educational environments for the Jewish community.
“Bringing people together to learn, share experiences, and commit to practical action is how we create a better future for Jewish players, staff, and supporters,” Maccabi GB chief executive Ashley Lerner said at the symposium. “In partnership with Lord Mann’s office, we are determined to ensure that the conversations held today lead to meaningful change across the sporting world.”
“Sport has a unique ability to bring people together — but it can also expose the prejudices that exist in wider society,” said Mann. “That is why this partnership with Maccabi GB is so important. We are equipping clubs, leagues, and governing bodies with the knowledge and confidence they need to identify antisemitism early and tackle it decisively. The willingness of football leaders to engage so openly today is not just encouraging — it is essential. We now have the opportunity to ensure that the lessons of the past translate into meaningful, measurable change for the future.”
The symposium took place on the 90th anniversary of the England–Germany match at White Hart Lane in London in 1935, when the visiting German team performed the Nazi salute on the pitch. Stephanie Peacock, the British minister for sport, tourism, civil society, and youth, spoke at the event about the British government’s commitment to working with those in sports and the Jewish community to address antisemitism.
“Sport should always be a place of belonging, pride, and unity,” Peacock said. “Antisemitism has no place in football or in British society, and I welcome the leadership shown today by Maccabi GB and Lord Mann. The government is committed to supporting this work, ensuring that clubs and governing bodies have the capability, confidence, and frameworks to prevent discrimination and respond effectively when it occurs. Tackling antisemitism strengthens not only Jewish participation in sport, but the integrity and inclusivity of the game as a whole.”
Last week’s symposium was held as part of a larger project called Tackling Antisemitism in Sport, which was established in September 2023 as a partnership between Maccabi GB and Mann’s office. More than 4,000 soccer professionals have participated in the program’s workshops, including all 20 Premier League clubs.
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Israel to Reopen Jordan Border Crossing for Passage of Aid, Goods After Terror Attack
Israeli police officers stand next to their cars at the scene of a fatal shooting at the Allenby Crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, Sept. 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Oren Ben Hakoon
Israel is set to reopen the Allenby Crossing with Jordan to the passage of goods and aid on Wednesday, an Israeli security official said on Tuesday.
The border crossing has been closed to aid and goods since September, when a driver bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza opened fire and killed two Israeli military personnel before being killed by security forces.
The security official said the crossing would have tightened screening for Jordanian drivers and truck cargo, and that a dedicated security force had been assigned to the crossing.
The Allenby Bridge is a key route for trade between Jordan and Israel and the only gateway for more than 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank to reach Jordan.
The crossing reopened to passenger traffic shortly after the attack, but had remained closed to aid trucks. The UN says the crossing is a major route for bringing food, tents, and other goods into Gaza.
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US Imposes Sanctions on Network It Accuses of Fueling War in Sudan
A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the US Treasury building in Washington, US, Jan. 20, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions on actors it accused of fueling the war in Sudan, taking aim at what it said was a transnational network that recruits former Colombian military personnel and trains soldiers, including children, to fight for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The US Treasury Department in a statement seen by Reuters said that it imposed sanctions on four individuals and four entities that were part of the network, which it said was largely comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.
The Treasury said that since at least 2024, hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have traveled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF, which the US has accused of committing genocide.
The Colombians have provided the RSF with tactical and training expertise and served as infantry and artillerymen, drone pilots and instructors, among other roles, with some training children to fight for the paramilitary group, according to Treasury, which added that Colombian fighters have participated in battles across Sudan, including in the capital Khartoum and al-Fashir.
“The RSF has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians — including infants and young children. Its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow,” Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John Hurley, said in the statement.
Among those targeted was Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, who the Treasury said was a dual Colombian-Italian national and a retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. It accused him of playing a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to Sudan.
The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied.
“The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents,” Treasury said in the statement.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted in April 2023 out of a power struggle and has triggered famine, ethnic killings, and mass displacement. In November, US President Donald Trump said he would intervene to stop the conflict.
The United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia – known as the Quad – earlier in November proposed a plan for a three-month truce followed by peace talks. The RSF responded by saying it had accepted the plan, but soon after attacked army territory with a barrage of drone strikes.