No Charges for Bob Vylan Over Glastonbury IDF Chants
Was Bob Vylan's Glastonbury chant dangerous antisemitism, or a legitimate protest against alleged IDF atrocities in Gaza?
Above: Bobby Vylan of Bob Vylan performs onstage during a concert at Vicar Street in Dublin, Ireland on Nov. 26, 2025. Image credit: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Image
The Spin
Pro-Israel narrative
Bob Vylan's Glastonbury performance created a dangerous atmosphere where crowds openly chanted for death to Israeli soldiers, transforming a music festival into a platform for violent rhetoric that left Jewish attendees terrified. The band's inflammatory statements have emboldened followers to continue spreading hatred.
Anti-Israel narrative
Calling for the dismantling of a military force accused of genocide by major human rights groups is a legitimate protest, not hate speech. After nearly two years of documented atrocities in Gaza, where Israeli soldiers openly boast about killing civilians and shooting starving aid seekers, expressing rage at the IDF's violent apparatus represents justified outrage at mass murder and Western complicity, not antisemitism.
