Friday, 12 September, 2025
London, UK
Friday, September 12, 2025 6:18 AM
clear sky 11.1°C
Condition: Clear sky
Humidity: 85%
Wind Speed: 16.7 km/h

Trump admin slams ‘death to the IDF’ Glastonbury chant

LONDON — Donald Trump’s ambassador to the U.K. on Monday joined mounting criticism of a “death to the IDF” chant which took place at Britain’s Glastonbury music festival over the weekend.

Warren Stephens, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., hit out at the “antisemitic” chant against the Israel Defense Forces. It was kicked off by punk act Bob Vylan during the weekend festival, and broadcast live on the BBC.

“The antisemitic chants led by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury were a disgrace,” he said on X Monday. “There should be no place for this hateful incitement or tolerance of antisemitism in the U.K.”

The row has already heaped cross-party pressure on the BBC, Britain’s publicly-funded broadcaster. On Sunday night, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the BBC “needs to explain” why the “appalling hate speech” was broadcast.

The corporation has since admitted it should have pulled the broadcast.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan — who has been sharply critical of Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza — warned Monday that the chants would not help people in Gaza or the West Bank.”

“It’s possible to be critical — as I am — of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [the] IDF while recognising Jewish people feel very scared and distinguish between them,” he told LBC Radio.

Opposition politicians have already been piling in. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Vylan was “inciting violence and hatred” and even suggested the BBC should be prosecuted for broadcasting the footage.

A spokesperson for the BBC said Monday afternoon that the organization would look again at its editorial guidelines so staff knew when output could remain on air.

They said in a statement: “The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury’s condemnation of the performance.”

The broadcaster said its team had been “dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy