play_arrow

keyboard_arrow_right

Listeners:

Top listeners:

skip_previous skip_next
00:00 00:00
playlist_play chevron_left
volume_up
  • cover play_arrow

British and Dutch Artists Caught in Anti-Jewish Sentiments

Background

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

LONDON/AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Britain and the Netherlands are reeling from antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiments expressed by leading artists at or before concerts, amid divisions in Europe over the ongoing war in Gaza.

In Britain, the tax-funded network BBC said it regrets not ending its live broadcast of a performance at the Glastonbury music festival over the weekend, as it included “utterly unacceptable” chants against Israel’s military.

The BBC stressed it should have cut short its streaming signal after punk-rap duo Bob Vylan started leading a chant of “Death, death to the IDF,” during their Saturday concert, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

In response, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced that U.S. entry visas already issued to Bob Vylan’s members had been revoked “in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants.”

The band’s website shows more than a dozen scheduled tour dates in the U.S., from coast to coast, starting in late October. “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Landau said in the post.

On Sunday, Bob Vylan posted a lengthy statement on their Instagram page, captioned: “I said what I said.”

Across the sea in the Netherlands, Dutch singer Douwe Bob told youngsters at a Jewish children’s soccer event in Amsterdam on Sunday that he would not perform for them because “Zionist propaganda” was being spread there.

“I was confronted by Zionist posters and pamphlets,” the singer repeated on Dutch television. “It’s outrageous that political organisations hijacked a children’s event. That’s why I left.”

‘NOT ANTISEMITIC’

Bob denied he was antisemitic, saying he performed last year at the Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam, the capital.

However, Ronny Naftaniel, a former chair of the nearby Amstelveen city branch of the Labour Party (PvdA) and, until his retirement, longtime director of the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), disagreed.

He praised the leader of the conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Dilan Yesilgöz, who lashed out at Bob on social media.

She wrote that “Children are being denied a show because of what they are: Jewish. (…) This is how normalised hatred for Jews has become. Pure hate, in plain sight.”

Douwe Bob said the post and others like it had led to him receiving “death threats.”He stressed it was painful to be called an anti-Semite, but experts say being against “Zionism” means being against a Jewish homeland.

The singer praised the leader of the conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), Dilan Yesilgöz, who lashed out at Bob on social media.

She wrote that “Children are being denied a show because of what they are: Jewish. (…) This is how normalised hatred for Jews has become. Pure hate, in plain sight.”

‘DEATH THREATS’

Douwe Bob said the post and others like him have received “death threats,” following his walking off stage.

He made clear it was painful to be called an anti-Semite, but experts say being against “Zionism” means being against a Jewish homeland.

“I admire your steadfastness. You are right to speak out clearly,” wrote Naftaniel in a post focused on Yesilgöz.

Glastonbury is one of the world’s largest music festivals, drawing over 200,000 ticket holders, and it generally takes place every other year, allowing the farm fields time to recover from the impact of so many revelers.

The Eavis family hosts and organizes the event. They still own the farm and have been running it for about 55 years.

Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.


Latest News from Worthy News

Australian Jews Survive Arson Attack On Synagogue; Israeli Restaurant Smashed
Australian Jews Survive Arson Attack On Synagogue; Israeli Restaurant Smashed
Saturday, July 5, 2025

Anxiety remained among religious Jews observing the Shabbat in Melbourne after an arsonist set fire to the door of a synagogue, forcing worshipers to flee, while elsewhere in the Australian city, protesters stormed an Israeli restaurant.

Wave of Attacks on U.S. Churches Raises Alarm as Anti-Christian Hostility Surges
Wave of Attacks on U.S. Churches Raises Alarm as Anti-Christian Hostility Surges
Saturday, July 5, 2025

A troubling trend is emerging across the United States: increasing acts of hostility, vandalism, and violence against Christian churches. From arson to bomb threats, these incidents reflect what some are calling a spiritual crisis and a growing cultural hostility toward Christianity.

Deadly Flood Ravages Texas Christian Camp: At Least 24 Dead, Dozens Missing After Guadalupe River Overflows at Camp Mystic
Deadly Flood Ravages Texas Christian Camp: At Least 24 Dead, Dozens Missing After Guadalupe River Overflows at Camp Mystic
Saturday, July 5, 2025

A sudden and violent flash flood in the Texas Hill Country has left at least 24 people dead and dozens more missing–many of them young girls attending Camp Mystic, a beloved Christian summer camp–after relentless storms swelled the Guadalupe River early Friday morning, washing away cabins, homes, and vehicles in its path.

Trump Signs ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Into Law in Historic July 4 Celebration as Nation Marks 250th Year
Trump Signs ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Into Law in Historic July 4 Celebration as Nation Marks 250th Year
Saturday, July 5, 2025

In a dramatic Independence Day spectacle at the White House, President Donald Trump signed into law the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping legislative package that delivers on a wide array of his second-term promises and reshapes major sectors of the U.S. economy, tax system, and welfare programs.

EU To Set Up Global Trade Alternative, Challenging US Dominance (Worthy News In-Depth)
EU To Set Up Global Trade Alternative, Challenging US Dominance (Worthy News In-Depth)
Friday, July 4, 2025

Preparations are underway to establish a European Union-led alternative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of a new global marketplace that would challenge America’s economic clout.

Trump Speaks To Ukraine’s Leader After Unprecedented Russian Strikes
Trump Speaks To Ukraine’s Leader After Unprecedented Russian Strikes
Friday, July 4, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Friday that he spoke with U.S. President Donald J. Trump about the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense hours after Kyiv experienced its heaviest Russian air strikes since the outbreak of the war more than three years ago.

Artificial Intelligence Taking Over Britain’s Health Service Within 10 Years (Worthy News Focus)
Artificial Intelligence Taking Over Britain’s Health Service Within 10 Years (Worthy News Focus)
Friday, July 4, 2025

Britain has unveiled a controversial plan that will, in many cases, replace human doctors with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

WHO WE ARE

The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.

CONTACT