Minister labels chants ‘unacceptable’, urges festival and BBC to explain their broadcast
HEALTH SECRETARY Wes Streeting has strongly criticised anti-Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) chants that occurred during a performance at Glastonbury Festival, describing the incident as “unacceptable” and demanding explanations from the BBC and festival organisers.
Responding directly to comments from the Israeli embassy, Streeting stressed the need for Israel to “get its own house in order,” highlighting recent incidents of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, including attacks on a Christian village in the occupied West Bank.
Speaking on Sky News’s Sunday Morning programme with Trevor Phillips, Streeting underscored the severity of the chants, particularly in the context of recent attacks on Israelis attending a similar festival where attendees faced kidnapping, murder, and sexual violence.
“Every life is sacred,” Streeting emphasised. “It’s deeply troubling that we’ve reached a point in this conflict where people feel compelled to cheer on one side or the other as if it were a sporting event.” He further stated his wish for Israeli authorities to seriously address internal violence directed at Palestinians by their citizens.
Glastonbury organisers have since condemned the chanting by Bob Vylan during their performance on the West Holts stage, stressing that antisemitism and incitement to violence have no place at the festival.
“With nearly 4,000 acts at Glastonbury 2025, some artists will inevitably hold views we don’t endorse,” organisers said in a statement. “Nevertheless, we found the chants made by Bob Vylan yesterday deeply troubling and entirely unacceptable.”
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that video footage from performances by Bob Vylan and the Irish rap group Kneecap is being reviewed to assess whether criminal offences were committed. Kneecap drew additional attention after band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, who previously faced charges related to displaying a Hezbollah flag, encouraged supporters to “start a riot” ahead of his forthcoming court hearing.
The Israeli embassy strongly criticised the performances, labelling the rhetoric “deeply disturbing” and accusing artists of promoting “the elimination of Jewish self-determination.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described the incident as “grotesque,” cautioning against normalising antisemitic rhetoric and violent incitement.
Festival organiser Emily Eavis previously reaffirmed that despite controversies, Glastonbury continues to provide a stage for diverse voices from around the globe.
