The BBC issued a formal apology after transmitting a controversial performance of the Rap-Punk Bob Vylan group at the England Glastonbury Festival.
Bob Vylan, open critics of the Israel War against Gaza, directed its crowd at the last weekend festival in a “death to the IDF” or Israel's defense forces.
The general director of the BBC, Tim Davie, wrote to the staff in an internal memorandum on Thursday. “I deeply regret that such an offensive and deplorable behavior appeared in the BBC and wants to apologize, to our audience and all of you, but in particular the Jewish colleagues and the Jewish community,” Davie said. “We are unequivocal that there can be no place for anti -Semitism in BBC.”
The broadcaster announced several policy changes for future festival broadcasts, including the maintenance of “high -risk” acts of live broadcasts and live broadcasts.
The Bob Vylan set led to a violent reaction within the music industry and beyond. The comments led the local police to open a criminal investigation, and the band's visas in the United States were revoked for their next actions. According to the reports, the band's agency, Uta, also dropped them.
The band singer, who acts as Bobby Vylan, wrote on Instagram after the set that “teaching our children to talk about the change they want and need is the only way we make this world a better place,” adding: “Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning at the ground level, organizing online and shouting on it in any and every scene that they offer us.”
The northern Ireland rap trio, Kneecap, a partner Glastonbury performer, has also been subject to scrutiny for his fried criticism of Israel's war against Gaza. The band's Glastonbury set was not broadcast live. Liam Iog or Hannaidh of the group, who acts as Mo Chara, had been accused of supporting an organization banned by allegedly waving a flag of the Hezbollah terrorist group in a London concert in 2024 (Chara denied the position). The United Kingdom prosecutors also recently withdrew charges against Kneecap after a 2023 concert where Chara allegedly said: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. He kills his local parliamentarian.”
