Punk group Bob Vylan could be blocked from embarking on a planned US tour after its frontman led a chant of ‘death, death to the IDF’ at Glastonbury over the weekend.
Leo Terrell, chair of the Department of Justice’s Taskforce to Combat Antisemitism, confirmed that he will write to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this morning “to determine what measures are available...to prevent the promotion of violent antisemitic rhetoric in the United States.”
Bob Vylan, composed of lead singer Bobby Vylan (named widely in the media as Pascal Robinson-Foster) and drummer Bobbie Vylan, are due to travel to the US to participate in American-Canadian artist Grandson’s Inertia tour in October.
But, tagging both Rubio and President Trump in the post, a spokesperson for Terrell wrote: “Leo Terrell... strongly condemns the antisemitic chants made by Bob Vylan at the Glastonbury Festival.
"These chants, which included calls for the death of members of the Israeli Defence Forces, are abhorrent and have no place in any civil society.
We understand that Mr Vylan is planning to travel to the United States as part of the Inertia tour. In response, Mr Terrell’s Task Force will be reaching out to the US Department of State on Monday to determine what measures are available to address the situation and to prevent the promotion of violent antisemitic rhetoric in the United States.”
The State Department is yet to comment, but a senior official reportedly told the Daily Caller that the Trump administration’s visa policies could see entry to the country denied to those who, in the department’s view, have expressed sympathy for terrorism.
There have been numerous reports of visitors being turned away at the border due to political comments made online, while the administration is also attempting to deport several legal US residents over their pro-Palestine advocacy.
For example, Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, who until this month was held in a Louisiana detention facility, is currently locked in a legal battle with the State Department, which is attempting to revoke his green card on the basis of his alleged support for terrorism during student protests at the university last year.
Robinson-Foster’s comments have been condemned widely in the UK, including by the prime minister, who called them “hate speech”.
The Israeli embassy in London also said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival”.
And the group has been dropped by its management, the United Talent Agency, over the performance.
However, while he labelled the chant “appalling”, Health Secretary Wes Streeting courted controversy in a BBC interview, during which he said the Israeli government should “get [its] own house in order” in connection to incidents of settler violence in the West Bank.
"I think there's a serious point there by the Israeli embassy I take seriously. I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously,” he added.
The JC has contacted the State Department for comment.
