Irish hip hop trio Kneecap have hit back at government figures and media critics, claiming there is a concerted effort to “make us seem small”.
The comments follow a string of high-profile festival performances – including appearances at Coachella and Glastonbury – where the band accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
Controversy erupted after member Mo Chara allegedly shouted “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and was seen holding a Hezbollah flag on stage. He has since appeared in court, been granted unconditional bail and is due to return on 20 August.
Police also investigated Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance, though that inquiry was closed weeks later with no further action. However, another artist, Bob Vylan, is still under investigation after leading chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF” during their set ahead of Kneecap.
Speaking to the media, Kneecap’s Móglaí Bap addressed the controversy, saying, “During our five days at Glastonbury, 150 or more people were killed in Gaza. Still, all the media attention was on finding something wrong with our gig when there was nothing. For us, that’s clearly a distraction from the actual destruction happening in Palestine.”
Asked whether artists face pressure or fear when speaking out about Israel, he responded, “There’s definitely a fear of speaking out, especially among up-and-coming bands. If they do, they risk backlash and financial blackmail. But most people stand by us and don’t want to cancel artists for their views on Palestine.”
He went on to say, “The propaganda against us mirrors what’s used against the Palestinian movement. They want to diminish us. But we haven’t had many gigs cancelled and we’ve managed to replace nearly all of them. We’re not on borrowed time. Our fans and most festivals support us – and we’ve got a sold-out tour coming up. That speaks for itself.”
Mo Chara also previously addressed the Hezbollah flag incident, dismissing it.“It’s a joke. I’m a character. Shit gets thrown on stage all the time. If I’m meant to know every single thing tossed up there, I’d need to be in Mensa. Jesus Christ.”
Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issued a rare public statement, calling the “suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza” both “unspeakable and indefensible” – a move many saw as a reversal of his earlier, more cautious stance.
Starmer has come under growing pressure from senior cabinet members and over a third of MPs to take stronger action, as global concern mounts over extreme malnutrition and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Israel, which controls all aid and supplies entering the territory, denies accusations of causing starvation and rejects claims of genocide and war crimes. It has conducted a full-scale military campaign in Gaza since the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on the Supernova music festival, where 1,195 people were killed.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 59,821 people have been killed since the offensive began. A UN report has found Israel’s military actions to be consistent with acts of genocide – a claim Israel strongly denies.