Since the weekend’s shenanigans at Worthy Farm, the argument being made on social media by some of the pro-Palestine crowd is: “Glastonbury is not the story.”
Yes, apparently a crowd of thousands of people chanting for the death of – let’s be honest, Jews – on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the UK’s biggest music festival is not worthy of anyone’s attention. Nothing to see here!
Of course, any sane person should be alarmed by the antics at Bob Vylan’s set – which not only included leading the crowd in chants of “death, death to the IDF” but also a trope-filled rant about a “Zionist” boss at a music label – and thankfully, they have been.
But the fact that some people are so deeply offended that this incident (which even the BBC have called “antisemitic”) is making headlines, is telling.
What people really mean when they say “Glastonbury is not the story” is: shut up, Jews. Once again, Jews are being told that we are not allowed to speak about the hate we face. In this case, because it pales in significance to the real story, the only story that counts: Gaza.
The people saying this are, infuriatingly, unable to hold two truths at once: that Gaza deserves attention, and that public displays of antisemitic hate at a music festival are unacceptable. And the fact that their instinctive reaction to Jews speaking out about the very real, visceral hate they’re facing is indignation, is worrying. A story in itself, in fact.
These people – usually the far-left – have hitched their wagon to a tribal identity that is so fragile that even questioning the doctrine often results in total ostracisation. Dismissing Jewish concerns is a sign of in-group loyalty – and after all, everybody knows that Jews can’t be trusted.
In these circles, it’s no longer about facts or morality – it’s about affirming one’s political identity. In this context, it’s far easier to say “Glastonbury is not the story” because it allows you to avoid the discomfort of acknowledging that you and your mates – who claim to be on the right side of history – might not be. It grants you the moral licence to ignore hate when it comes from “your side” – or better still, reframe it as righteous indignation.
What happened at Glastonbury matters because it is part of a bigger picture: the mainstreaming of violent hate towards Israelis and Jews. And to deny that it to be part of the problem.
Since Saturday’s performance, Bob Vylan have released a statement clarifying their stance.
“We are not for the death of Jews,” it read, immediately followed by: “Arabs or any other race or group of people” – a classic all-lives-mattering. “We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine” they clarify.
Later, they accuse the UK government of “criminal inaction,” saying: “The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren’t doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?”
What they don’t offer, of course, is any kind of explanation for how the UK might actually do that.
Even if Keir Starmer threw his toys out the pram and ended the UK’s military, trade, intelligence, and tech relationships with Israel – with all the security, medical, and innovation benefits they bring – that still wouldn't change the reality on the ground. Would Bob Vylan and their fans like the UK to send British soldiers to Gaza? Almost definitely not (in fact, they’d most likely argue that we should disband our military too – because #peace). So what exactly do they expect the government to do?
The truth is, the hollow statements of armchair activists like Bob Vylan collapse under any kind of scrutiny. All they have are empty, angry words. It’s a great tragedy for the innocent people of Gaza that their most vocal supporters in the international community are so devoid of integrity, ideas, and solutions that all they’ll ever achieve is their own five minutes of fame.
By contrast, I can’t help but think of the unbelievably brave Palestinians and Israelis on the ground, working together to forge paths toward a peaceful future. They might not have the fame or the glory, but they’re the ones doing the real work, the change-making work. I’m talking about groups like The Parent’s Circle, a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of over 700 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict, who know firsthand that the only way to end the cycle of death and destruction is co-existence.
Funny, isn’t it? That one of the biggest social justice movements in the world, connected to one of the most complex and heartbreaking conflicts of our time, does absolutely nothing to shine a light on these people. You’d think they might know a thing or two about how to achieve peace.
